TOLEDO, Ohio, October 10, 2023 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), an internationally ranked architecture and engineering firm, is pleased to announce key promotions within the organization for planning year 2024.
Executive Vice President Matt Oberts, PE, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Buildings and Industrial Facilities, and Executive Vice President Jeremy Woodgate, PE, SE, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Advanced Technology and Process Engineering. They are splitting responsibilities for the COO position as they assume a more strategic and company-wide viewpoint. Oberts and Woodgate will lead SSOE’s Operations Management Team (OMT), Complex Projects implementation, and manage the firm’s overall project portfolio. They will also provide operational oversight for hiring as well as focus on future leader development and succession planning within their respective operations. Oberts and Woodgate will take a leadership role in operational elements of SSOE’s strategic plan and associated budgets, serve as point people for involvement in merger and acquisition opportunities, and support the firm’s Enterprise Resource Planning effort. Under Oberts’ and Woodgate’s leadership in their previous roles, SSOE’s Facilities and Advanced Technology Operations performed strongly, and this is attributed to their performance and guidance.
From the operational side of the organization, Carey Russell, PE, has been promoted to Senior Vice President and SBU Manager for SSOE’s Basebuild Operations and will report to Woodgate. Through Russell’s leadership, Basebuild has grown consistently over time and achieved strong operational performance while serving SSOE’s largest client account. Senior Vice President Greg Brogley, PE, PMP, has been promoted to oversee the Facilities Operation, focused on delivering projects for the firm’s industrial facilities client base across the U.S. and Mexico. This operation continues to flourish supporting greenfield and brownfield projects for automotive OEMs and across the expanding battery / EV supply chain. David Semproch, AIA, NCARB, will step into Greg’s previous position overseeing SSOE’s Automotive & Manufacturing Facilities North division.
In addition, two Principals of the firm have been promoted to Vice President—Brandon Darroch, PMP, Southeast Division Manager and Brian Kleman, Division Manager, Glass and Manufacturing. Darroch leads SSOE’s Automotive Manufacturing Facilities (AMF) South division, which delivered incredible success executing projects throughout the Southeast U.S. for industrial clients throughout the past year. Kleman’s continued support for the firm’s long-time glass and manufacturing clients and diversification of the business with new clients and projects has helped set the stage for future growth. Promotion to Vice President at SSOE recognizes individuals for managing larger and more critical parts of the business. Darroch and Kleman have demonstrated through their leadership and execution that they can be entrusted with this ability as SSOE client and business leaders.
Catherine Myers, PE, President of SSOE commented, “We are excited about these promotions as they recognize the accomplishments of these individuals as they guide their teams. In addition, these advancements provide growth opportunities for these individuals, but also for all our employees as SSOE continues to advance in the industry. We have had another extremely strong year of growth and as we continue to grow, even more opportunities will arise that will allow for employee advancement. This is attributable to the fact that all of our colleagues are focused on excellent project results for our clients as we continue to strive to fulfill our mission—to deliver unparalleled client value that advances the AEC industry.”
