FlatironDragados appoints two US executives to strengthen heavy civil business leadership
FlatironDragados announced multiple executive appointments on July 20: Richard Grabinski as President of the US region, Dale Nelson as Chief Operating Officer, and new leadership in Canada. These moves aim to optimize the project portfolio, enhance delivery predictability, and continue the strategic adjustments following the 2024 merger.
Heavy civil infrastructure company FlatironDragados has recently appointed new executive team members for its U.S. and Canada operations.
According to the company's announcement on July 20,Richard Grabinski has been appointed President of FD-USA, the group's operating entity in the U.S.; meanwhile, Dale Nelson has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the division.
According to Grabinski's LinkedIn profile, he joined Flatiron Construction in 2005 as an operations manager and has since risen through the ranks. Before becoming President, he served as Chief Operating Officer at FD-USA.
The announcement states that in the President role, Grabinski will be responsible for driving diversification of the company's project portfolio and continuing to lead FlatironDragados' transformation process. He will also focus on expanding business scale in existing markets while ensuring sustainable and predictable growth.
With Grabinski's new role, Dale Nelson fills the Chief Operating Officer vacancy. Nelson brings nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry. According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined Flatiron Construction in 1997 as a project manager and engineer, and has since served the company for nearly three decades, most recently as Executive Vice President.
According to the announcement, Nelson will be responsible for leading FD-USA's overall operational performance and improving the predictability of project outcomes.
These appointments are another step in the company's structural business adjustments. Two years ago, in 2024, Flatiron and Dragados completed their merger, forming today's infrastructure giant. One year later,the company spun off SPC Construction—a specialized company focused on transportation and water infrastructure projects in the New York metropolitan area, composed of Schiavone Construction, John P. Picone, and E.E. Cruz, operating independently as a subsidiary of FlatironDragados.
FlatironDragados CEO Javier Sevilla said in the announcement: "These strategic appointments underscore our commitment to positioning FlatironDragados for the future. These leaders—supported by the entire FD team's pursuit of excellence—will help us strengthen execution, expand capabilities, and continue to build a company that sets the benchmark for the industry."
Additionally, FlatironDragados' Canada operations also welcomed new personnel arrangements. The company appointed Mirsad Hairlahovic as President of FD-Canada and Rafael de la Barreda as Executive Vice President for Canada, responsible for pre-construction and western operations.