Ledcor has named Russell Zirnhelt executive vice president of construction and leader of the division. He takes over from Peter Hrdlitschka, long-time president of the construction division, who will begin his retirement while staying on as a senior advisor.
“Working for Ledcor for almost 30 years has been the defining achievement of my professional career,” said Hrdlitschka. “Leading the building construction division has been an unforgettable experience, working with many wonderful people, building amazing structures and helping develop our communities along the way. I’m very proud of what we accomplished together and forward to continuing to mentor, coach and advise the group for the foreseeable future.”
The change in leadership comes at a time with Ledcor taking on larger and complex projects and growing in eastern Canada markets, according to Tom Lassu, president of Ledcor Industries Inc.
“Russell is a strong advocate for innovation, sustainability, new technologies, and inclusion and diversity initiatives. His insight and forward-thinking approach will help us continually enhance and expand our market leadership with safety, quality, and efficiency always at the forefront,” said Lassu.
Zirnhelt joined Ledcor in 2010, and most recently served as chief business officer for Ledcor building construction. Previously, he was Ledcor’s chief operating officer, infrastructure development.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to lead Ledcor’s building construction division and continue building lifetime clients as a market leader in safety, quality, and innovation,” said Zirnhelt. “We have the best people in the market working on complex, industry-leading projects for many brand-name clients. The opportunities for value enhancements are immense.”
Zirnhelt has a Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering in Electrical Engineering from the University of Victoria, British Columbia and a Master of Business Administration from San Diego State University, California.
“I am pleased to congratulate Peter Hrdlitschka on his remarkable 29-year career with Ledcor and thank him for his significant contributions in growing the building construction division. Peter’s division handled the construction of some of Western Canada most familiar building landmarks, safely and dependably. Through his career he has mentored hundreds of construction professionals across Canada in offices and on construction sites,” said Dave Lede, chair and CEO of Ledcor.
