People News: Savage, STV, NCTD, RATP Dev USA

Left to Right: Kirk Aubry, CEO, Savage; Jeff Roberts, COO and President, Savage; Marilisa Stigliano, Senior Vice President, STV; Joy Freeman, Chief People Officer, NCTD; and Matt Booterbaugh, CEO, RATP Dev USA. (Images Courtesy of Savage, STV, NCTD and RATP Dev USA)

Savage announces CEO retirement and successor appointment. Also, STV promotes Marilisa Stigliano to lead financial planning and analysis; North County Transit District (NCTD) hires Joy Freeman as Chief People Officer; and RATP Dev USA announces key leadership changes.

Savage

Supply Chain infrastructure and solutions company Savage announced June 3 that President and CEO Kirk Aubry will be retiring from the company, effective Dec. 31, 2024. Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Roberts is being promoted to the additional role of President, effective immediately. Roberts will assume the role of CEO on January 1, 2025.

“Kirk’s leadership has made a significant impact on Savage, and we’re extremely grateful for his vision and dedication to the company,” said Savage Chairman of the Board Don Stebbins. “We believe Jeff’s passion for the business and commitment to Savage’s culture make him the ideal choice to continue that success into the future.”

“The impact Kirk has had on Savage is undeniable,” said Vice-Chairman of the Board Todd Savage. “During his time as CEO, we entered new markets, saw tremendous growth and developed a sustainable, long-term strategy. The Savage family is thankful for all he’s done to ensure the company’s continued success. We’re pleased to see Jeff take on this new role. He’s a proven leader and has demonstrated his commitment to the Vision and Legacy of our company.”

While leading Savage, Aubry and the Savage team, the company says, brought new businesses into the company in the agriculture, infrastructure, and environmental sectors. During Aubry’s tenure, safety, operational and financial performance surpassed even historically strong levels, the company added.

“It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for the dedication and hard work of every Savage Team Member who helped build this thriving company,” said Aubry. “This is a remarkable organization, and I’m excited to watch its continued success and growth under Jeff’s leadership.”

This transition is part of the Board’s succession plan that’s been in process for several years. Roberts joined the company as Chief Financial Officer in 2016 and was promoted to COO in 2022. He was selected unanimously by the Savage Board of Directors to succeed Aubry as CEO.

“I’m honored that the board selected me to lead this innovative and dynamic company,” said Roberts. “Savage has a rich history and strong foundation, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to build upon the great work Kirk and our team have done over the past decade.”

The company says it “remains committed to its strategic direction and is positioned to continue to grow and thrive during this transition and beyond.”

STV

STV on June 3 announced that Marilisa Stigliano, MBA, PMP, DBIA, has been promoted to Senior Vice President. In this role, Stigliano will serve as STV’s financial planning and analysis lead under Chief Financial Officer Chris Statham, “providing budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling and key financial and strategic analysis for STV.”

“We are excited to leverage Marilisa’s deep understanding of our industry to develop insightful analytics as STV continues to grow its capabilities in new markets and geographies,” said Statham. “Her combination of project management and operations experience will accelerate our progress towards the ambitions outlined in our Strategic Plan.”

Since joining STV in 2021, the company says Stigliano has played “a crucial role in helping STV reimagine its day-to-day operations by developing digital improvements to business operations, as well as project management processes and outcomes.” She was instrumental in updating the firm’s internal project management program, including spearheading a new digital dashboard system that aggregates and distills comprehensive data. 

Stigliano gives back to the industry in a variety of ways, according to STV. She has served as an associate professor within Columbia University’s construction engineering and management master’s program; is on the Advisory Board for the Columbia University Center of Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Spaces; and is on the Board of Directors for the Professional Women in Construction New York Chapter. Additionally, she recently concluded her three-year term on the Board of Directors for the New York Building Congress (NYBC) and is the founding co-chair of NYBC’s Young Professionals Committee. 

Stigliano earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from La Sapienza, University of Rome, as well as a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management from Columbia University and an executive MBA from Columbia Business School. She is a certified design-build professional by the Design-Build Institute of America, a Project Management Professional and an Agile Certified Practitioner from the Program Management Institute.

NCTD

NCTD has hired Joy Freeman to serve as the agency’s Chief People Officer, effective June 3, 2024. In this role, Freeman is responsible for managing and overseeing all aspects of human resources activities at NCTD, including compensation, benefits, labor relations, and recruitment.

“Critical initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion, learning and development, mentoring and our bedrock responsibility to support world-class employees will be paramount to the future of our agency,” said NCTD CEO Shawn M. Donaghy. “Joy’s extensive experience is exactly what NCTD needs to build on our foundation of people first—promoting authenticity and opportunities to ensure the absolute best outcomes.”

Freeman brings nearly three decades of experience to this key human resources position. Most recently, she served as the Global Corporate Employee Relations Principal for Amazon where she managed complex employee relations issues on a global scale, while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

“I am thrilled to join NCTD to develop and implement human resources strategies to further The District’s goals and objectives,” said Freeman. “Supporting employees while fostering a culture of compliance and accountability is critical to the success of the organization, and I’m excited to leverage my decades of experience to advance our mission.”

Freeman also held leadership positions with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and City of San Diego working in various capacities in human resources. As the Human Resources Manager at the Airport Authority, she implemented business strategies and best practices among cross-functional teams to establish cohesive workgroups. She developed training and reporting procedures that reduced recordable incident rates by 65% in three years.

Freeman obtained a master’s degree in human resources management and holds a bachelor’s degree organizational leadership.

RATP Dev USA

RATP Dev USA, the North American Subsidiary of the global transportation provider, announced May 31 that Cyril Aubin, who has been the CEO of RATP Dev USA since August 2022, has been promoted to the role of SVP of the U.S. and UK with RATP Dev. In his new position, Aubin will oversee operations in both the U.S. and the UK, “leveraging his extensive experience and proven leadership.”

The company also announced the promotion of Matt Booterbaugh to CEO of RATP Dev USA, effective June 1. Booterbaugh joined RATP Dev USA in 2017 as the Senior Vice President of Operations and Innovation, was promoted to Chief Development Officer in April 2020, and has served as Deputy CEO since August 2022. His journey with RATP Dev USA has been “marked by exceptional dedication and achievements,” according to the company.

“Matt’s leadership will continue to bring about positive changes aimed at enhancing the company’s services and continued commitment to excellence. Clients can expect the same high level of support from regional leaders as they have always experienced,” the company stated in a release.

“We are excited about the future under Cyril’s and Matt’s leadership,” said Chief People Officer Stacy Winsett. “Their expertise and vision will undoubtedly continue to drive RATP Dev USA to new heights.”

“The company extends its deepest gratitude to Cyril for his outstanding contributions and congratulates him on his new role. Likewise, the company is confident that Matt’s promotion to CEO will usher in a new era of innovation and growth for RATP Dev USA,” the company added.