Continuing with its global growth strategy, Black & Veatch today named Youssef Merjaneh as Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as the region’s focus on the dynamic energy transition continues.
The company's expansion in the EMEA region and Youssef’s appointment come at a transformational time for Black & Veatch. In 2020, the company announced it would cease participation in any new coal-based power design and construction and focus its capabilities on supporting the other parts of its portfolio including renewable generation, transmission and distribution, and other aspects of conventional generation including gas, hydrogen, and carbon capture.
While Europe has been building renewable capacity for many years and continues to do so, the Middle East and Africa regions are also following a similar path, and Black & Veatch's full Power portfolio is a perfect fit to support the entire region with this transition both on the power generation and delivery fronts.
“Although EMEA is a highly diverse region, the power landscape shares a common dynamic: Rising demand has to be met while carbon emissions have to fall,” Youssef said. “Europe is taking a lead in the drive to accelerate the path towards zero carbon energy. Development of alternative energy sources is integral to the strategies of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and African nations are also making NetZero commitments.”
Youssef has 19 years of global business experience in operations, sales, business development, strategy and project management, with a strong focus on the Middle East and Europe. His background is in power, oil & gas, transportation and IT. He was most recently CEO and Managing Director at RATP Dev Mobility Egypt. Prior to that, Youssef led the ABB Division in Saudi Arabia for Electrical Motors and Drives, and earlier in his career he held several positions at Siemens, including leadership roles in Power Generation Services, Power Transmission and Distribution, and Mobility.
“We have been delivering Power solutions in the Middle East for more than 45 years, while our power business in Europe and Africa has continued to grow to meet the rising client demand for innovative solutions around energy transition. Youssef’s appointment is intended to enhance our local focus and expand our footprint in the region we consider strategic to our global business,” said Mario Azar, President of Black & Veatch’s power business.
