Bob Pragada, president and chief operating officer of Jacobs (NYSE: J), will assume the role of CEO and join the company’s board of directors, effective Jan. 24.
He will succeed Steve Demetriou, who will continue to serve as executive chair of the company’s board for a minimum of two years and advise Pragada on strategic and capital deployment efforts, Jacobs said Thursday.
Demetriou said he and the board are confident that Pragada will continue to advance the company’s momentum towards growth as the next CEO.
“During Bob Pragada’s 16 years with Jacobs, including the last several years as President and COO, he has demonstrated leadership excellence and a strong track record of execution. His passion for innovation and teamwork are evident in our many achievements,” noted Demetriou, who will continue to serve on PA Consulting’s board.
In 2006, Pragada joined Jacobs and held senior leadership roles over nine years, including senior vice president of global sales and VP of field services. He worked at industrial services provider Brock Group as president and CEO and rejoined Jacobs in 2016 as president of the company’s global industrial and buildings and infrastructure lines of business. He was named president and COO of Jacobs in 2019.
Pragada sits on the boards of Eaton (NYSE: ETN), PA Consulting, the board advisory council of Brightstar Capital, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, U.S. India Business Council and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation Advisory Council. He is a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who served as a Civil Engineer Corps and Seabees officer.
