Engineering consultancy AtkinsR茅alis has appointed Louis G. V茅ronneau as its new chief operating officer, replacing Philip Hoare, who is stepping down in summer 2025 to pursue new opportunities.

V茅ronneau, who previously served as the company鈥檚 executive vice president and chief transformation officer, will rejoin the organisation on 23 August and take charge of global operations from Montr茅al. His remit includes transformation, strategy, technology, M&A, delivery, and global communications.

The change comes as AtkinsR茅alis seeks to deploy more capital into acquisitions.

V茅ronneau was most recently senior managing director and global head of real estate investments at PSP Investments, managing a $38bn portfolio. His earlier career includes senior roles at Bombardier and TD Securities.

President and chief executive Ian L. Edwards credited outgoing COO Hoare with laying 鈥渢he foundation for a strong and structured COO office鈥� and driving company-wide performance.

As part of the same leadership reshuffle, Kate Kenny will join AtkinsR茅alis as chief growth officer on 1 September. Based in London, she will lead global growth initiatives, including the Global Technology Centre, marketing, government relations, and work-winning functions.