NIEUWEGEIN, The Netherlands, February 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
- Ballast Nedam is Bringing its Organization Further Into Line With the Strategy of Strengthening its Position on the Growing Integrated Contracts Market
Ballast Nedam is departing from the current structure with separate Building & Development and Infrastructure divisions. Instead, there will be six clusters based on products and processes. A director for each individual cluster will be appointed from among internal staff. The allocation of duties to members of the Board of Management will be modified accordingly, with the proposed reappointment of one of the members as Chief Operating Officer and the proposed appointment of a Chief Financial Officer. The six cluster directors together with the Board of Management constitute the Concern Council. Ballast Nedam will combine the support departments of the two former divisions and the holding company. Starting with the 2011 half-yearly figures, reporting will be based on four segments as opposed to the current two divisions. The segments are Building & Development, Infrastructure, Specialized Companies, and Supplies.
These changes embody Ballast Nedam's aim to:
- provide better solutions to customers by orienting the organization
towards products and processes, and by optimizing the support
departments;
- create the link between clusters that integrated projects need by
appointing a COO for the entire organization and combining the support
departments, with Ballast Nedam operating more as a single company
than as two divisions;
- improve operational performance, in particular of the regional
companies and the prefabricated concrete companies, through closer
cooperation within the clusters and more direct operational control
from the clusters;
- enhance quality and lower the costs of the support departments through
concentration;
- support governance by adjusting the allocation of duties within the
Board of Management;
- increase transparency by basing reporting on four segments instead of
two divisions.
Ballast Nedam's CEO Theo Bruijninckx explains: "Our choice is a logical response to the growth in integrated projects, in which a client gives a single party responsibility for design, finance, construction, and long-term management and maintenance. We are also improving operational control by being closer to the operation. Furthermore, we are strengthening corporate governance through greater transparency and by adapting the allocation of duties within the Board of Management. It is a major stride on the path to a single Ballast Nedam: one company with integrated operations and combined support departments."
Clusters
Ballast Nedam will manage its operations from six clusters:
- Ballast Nedam Building & Development Special Projects specializes in
implementing relatively large and complex building projects, and
projects with an unusual risk profile;
- Ballast Nedam Building & Development develops, implements and manages
real estate projects in the Netherlands;
- Ballast Nedam Infrastructure Special Projects focuses on implementing
relatively large infrastructure projects in the Netherlands, all
Ballast Nedam's international projects, and the offshore wind turbine
projects;
- Ballast Nedam Infrastructure develops, constructs and manages
infrastructure projects in the Netherlands;
- Ballast Nedam Specialized Companies makes products and provides
services for specific projects, which include engineering, construction
pits, environmental technology and asphalt;
- Ballast Nedam Supplies delivers raw materials and prefabricated
concrete, and other products that are manufactured in an industrial
process.
Ballast Nedam Board of Management
The new allocation of duties within the Board of Management involves the following changes.
- The proposed reappointment of Mr R. (Romeo) Malizia (54) in the new
role of COO for the entire company. Mr Malizia has worked for the
company since 1978, and was appointed to the Board of Management in
2007. He combines these duties with his position as Managing Director
of Ballast Nedam Infrastructure.
- The proposed appointment of Mr P. (Peter) van Zwieten as CFO. Mr Van
Zwieten (49) is currently Finance Director of the Infrastructure
division. Since 1989 he has worked for several Ballast Nedam units in
the Netherlands and abroad.
- The Chairman of the Board of Management is Mr T. (Theo) Bruijninckx
(49). He has worked for Ballast Nedam since 1989, and was appointed to
the Board of Management in 2003. Since August 2007 he has performed the
joint functions of CEO and CFO.
The Central Works Council has given a positive opinion on the proposed appointments and reappointments, which will be presented to the General Meeting of Shareholders.
Appointment of cluster directors
Each of the six clusters will be led by a cluster director, who has been drawn from Ballast Nedam's internal management potential.
Mr A. (Arthur) de Backker (47) will be Director of Ballast Nedam Building & Development Special Projects. Mr De Backker has held management positions since 2005 in Ballast Nedam Bouw Speciale Projecten, most recently as Managing Director.
The head of Ballast Nedam Building & Development will be Mr J. (Jack) Corten (51). Mr Corten has been Managing Director of Laudy Bouw en Ontwikkeling, a Ballast Nedam Bouw & Ontwikkeling subsidiary, since 1999.
Ballast Nedam Infrastructure Special Projects will be led by Mr H. (Harbert) van der Wildt (36). Mr Van der Wildt has been Managing Director of Ballast Nedam Concessies since 2006.
Mr H. (Harmans) Kuipers (53) will lead Ballast Nedam Infrastructure. Mr Kuipers has been Managing Director of the region Ballast Nedam Infra Zuid West since 2000.
Mr J. (Jorrit) Smeets (35) will be responsible for Ballast Nedam Specialized Companies. Mr Smeets was Managing Director of Ballast Nedam Funderingstechnieken until 2009, when he became works manager at Ballast Nedam Infra Projecten.
Mr H. (Hans) van der Meer (51) will be the new head of Ballast Nedam Supplies. Mr Van der Meer has been Managing Director of Ballast Nedam Grondstoffen since 2004.
Ballast Nedam has a leading position in construction and infrastructure. The company operates mainly in the Netherlands on integrated and other projects for companies, public authorities and housing consumers, in the fields of mobility, housing, employment, leisure and energy. Ballast Nedam operates internationally in various areas of expertise. Ballast Nedam supplies project, process and contract management in the development, implementation and management phases. The company also provides specialized know-how and skills, and semi-finished and finished products. Ballast Nedam is listed on NYSE Euronext in Amsterdam. The share is included in the Amsterdam Small Cap Index.
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