Westwood CEO Retires; Replacement Announced
Westwood, a national multi-discipline engineering firm, announced today the retirement of their CEO, Paul Greenhagen, and the appointment of his replacement, Bryan Powell, by Westwood's Board of Directors. The retirement and appointment takes effect on Monday, October 2, 2023. Greenhagen will continue to serve as a Director on the Board.
Greenhagen joined the company as its first survey crew chief in 1986, serving land development. During his 37 years at Westwood, he held multiple leadership positions and led the firm’s diversification into renewables and power delivery. Greenhagen was appointed CEO in 2010. When reflecting on his time as CEO, Greenhagen says, "When our team met our goals, we then set them higher and pushed forward. The high level of success Westwood has achieved couldn’t have happened any other way. I am honored to have led such a great team, and I am especially grateful for the lifelong friends I’ve gained over the years.”
Looking to the future, Greenhagen continues, “Westwood has a bright future, and Bryan will do a great job as CEO. He has a proven track record of success as a leader and is the right person at the right time to lead the company to the next level. I look forward to working with Bryan from the Board level and witnessing Westwood’s continued success.”
Larry Bossidy, Chairman of the Board, commented, “We wish Paul the best in his retirement and thank him for his outstanding efforts leading Westwood to where it is today. Paul has been a thoughtful, insightful, persevering, and effective leader as he and his team continuously set the stage for growth while overcoming many obstacles which otherwise would have delayed progress. At the same time, the Board welcomes Bryan Powell to the CEO role. Bryan is an energetic, strategic, results-oriented visionary with the required skills necessary to lead Westwood’s next promising chapter of the Company’s history.”
Powell has served as the firm’s Chief Operations Officer since 2021 and has held various leadership positions within Westwood since joining the firm in 2010. Bryan will lead the company from the Plano, Texas, office location.
“This is an exciting time for Westwood,” says Powell. “We recently launched our bold vision for 2024 and beyond, that continues to place Westwood as a leader in the industry. I am grateful to Paul and the Board of Directors for entrusting me to lead Westwood in this next chapter.”
Powell added, “I want to thank Paul for his 37 years of service at Westwood. His leadership propelled the firm from a local presence in Minnesota to a nationally recognized leader in the industry. His mentorship and support over the last 13 years were pivotal in my career. He will leave an impactful legacy at Westwood.”
Greenhagen received the Zweig Group Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award in 2019 that recognizes leaders who have made a profound impact in the industry. During his time as CEO, he led the firm in tremendous growth and national expansion.
Powell has held several senior leadership positions in Westwood, including Director, Vice President, and Senior Vice President. Since 2021, he has served as the Chief Operations Officer, providing executive oversight of Westwood’s operations driving unprecedented profitable growth for the firm. During his tenure, Westwood has added multiple new markets and services, revised the structure of the organization to accommodate growth, and successfully integrated several large firms through acquisitions.
