Lend Lease Names McCann to CEO Position

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA-Steve McCann, finance director for Lend Lease Corp. Ltd., has been named the new CEO. He will replace current CEO Greg Clarke, the former head of British telecommunications firm Cable and Wireless who took over at the top job at Lend Lease in 2002, but who had said he only planned to stay five-to-seven years. The company began looking for Clarke’s successor earlier this year.

McCann and COO Ross Taylor had been among the list of candidates for the job, which included names from outside the firm. However, Taylor has reportedly resigned from the firm.

With more than 15 years experience inn property, McCann has been instrumental in ensuring the company’s capital structure has remained one of the strongest in the industry, says chairman David Crawford in the statement. “”Steve’s strategic focus and management strength became clear as he guided the repositioning of the Group’s Investment Management business to become widely regarded as a leading wholesale fund manager in the property investment market,” Crawford said. The company includes Bovis Lend Lease, a project management and construction business that builds many structures around the world, including a few of the Trump towers, such as in Chicago and New Jersey.

McCann will formerly take over as group managing director from Greg Clarke early in 2009, company officials said in a statement. It’s not clear what will happen with Clarke, though the firm said he has not resigned. Brad Soller, deputy CFO, has been appointed to the interim position.