DENVER (AP) -- Jacqueline Hinman has been named chief executive officer of CH2M Hill, making her one of the few women to run a major U.S. engineering firm as the company's revenue continues to soar.
Hinman will assume the post Jan. 1 when current CEO Lee McIntire steps down. McIntire will remain chairman of the board.
The diverse engineering firm has participated in projects including chemical plants in Buenos Aires, nuclear cleanup in Colorado and wastewater treatment plants in New Zealand.
Hinman currently serves as president of CH2M Hill's international division. One of her biggest projects to date was directing the firm's engineering and construction management of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the Denver Post reported Tuesday (http://tinyurl.com/kzgv3u2).
Revenue increased from $5.6 billion in 2008 to $6.2 billion last year. During the same period, the company's worldwide employment grew from 15,000 to 30,000.
"Jacque has been in the industry for almost 30 years. She's got a great reputation for being a really good operator," McIntire said.
About two-thirds of revenue comes from U.S. projects, but Hinman said she anticipates that the share of revenue from international work will grow to at least 40 percent in the future.
"We'll see a lot of growth from emerging markets," she said.
Cuts to federal, state and local government budgets have slowed the firm's public-sector growth, Hinman said, but CH2M Hill has compensated with more private-sector and international jobs.
Hinman said her status as a high-ranking female in engineering is rare in the industry but not unusual within CH2M Hill.
McIntire joined CH2M Hill in 2006 and was named CEO in 2009.
