Arabtec picks industry veteran Pollard as Group CFO

Arabtec Holding, a leading construction company in the Middle East, said it has appointed Peter Pollard, an industry veteran, as the group's new chief financial officer (GCFO). In his new role, Pollard will play a major part in enabling Arabtec to realise its vision of ‘building the future’ while helping to set the company on a path to sustainable and profitable growth, said a statement from the company. He is a seasoned financial executive with contracting experience and a career spanning across South East Asia, Australia, China, India and the Middle East. Pollard joins Arabtec from Serco Group where he served as managing director of the Hong Kong business. He will be based at the Group headquarters at IPIC Square in Abu Dhabi. Prior to Serco, he held various posts as chief financial officer in the construction and property sectors in the UAE, Asia and Australia. Notably as chief financial officer for Leighton Contractors Private Limited (now trading as CPB Contractors Private Limited), he played a major role in the company’s successful five-year turnaround plan to stabilise, diversify and grow the business. Pollard has several years of executive and CFO experience in supporting large, complex businesses with international operations, said the statement. Welcoming the appointment, Group CEO Hamish Tyrwhitt said: "Pollard has a proven track record in our industry, and has previously guided companies through challenging periods with his financial acumen and management skills." "He will be instrumental in implementing Arabtec’s strategy, overseeing the Recapitalisation Programme and the Strategic Roadmap laid out in recent months as we make strides towards building a successful and sustainable future for the Group and its shareholders," remarked Tyrwhitt. Ravi Murthy, who has been the acting GCFO for Arabtec Holding during the interim period, will resume his role as the CFO of Arabtec Construction, a position he has held since 2015. Commenting on Murthy’s contribution to the group, Tyrwhitt said: "In addition to his role as CFO of Arabtec Construction, for the past 21 months Murthy has admirably stepped in to serve as acting GCFO of Arabtec Holding." "He has helped guide the company through a challenging period, and we are grateful for the hard work, commitment and strong leadership he demonstrated during this time,"