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McCarthy, based in St. Louis, promoted its chief information technology officer, Justin McFarland, to chief administrative officer to oversee various corporate departments, according to a Dec. 20 press release sent to Construction Dive.
McFarland, who joined McCarthy in 2016 and most recently served as executive vice president of information systems, will continue to oversee the company’s IT initiatives. But as CAO, McFarland will also lead the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Innovation and Marketing Communications departments, according to the release.
Justin McFarland
Courtesy of McCarthy
“Justin is a true strategic partner,” said Ray Sedey, McCarthy’s president and CEO, in the statement. “His deep understanding of our business, coupled with his commitment to providing a great experience for all of our employees across the company, make Justin a great fit for this executive role.”
Construction is often seen as a playful industry, stuck in the past and reluctant to engage with new technologies and their advocates. However, this perception is also changing, as the demands of modern business, i threats such as cyber attacks — have made technologists’ skills in high demand within C-suites.
Apart from McCarthy, contractors such as Blach construction, Gilbane Building Co.i STO Building Group all made technology-related executive moves last year, bringing technical expertise to leadership offices.
McFarland isn’t the only executive McCarthy has added recently: The company hired environmental expert Ian Pope as chief sustainability officer last fall, according to a Nov. 9 press release sent to Construction Dive.
“As a corporate team, we have many opportunities to take ownership, influence our business, and improve and innovate to strengthen our organization as it continues to evolve,” McFarland said in the statement. “I am pleased to be able to help lead these efforts in my new role.”
McFarland earned both his BA and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
