Mary W. Quazzo has a successful track record as a member of executive leadership at Bechtel Group, Inc., a privately owned, global engineering, construction, and project management company with a 120+ year history. Mary currently serves as Strategic Advisor to Bechtel on governance, international operations and structural issues. She has substantial experience managing strategic and operational issues, audit and finance, corporate governance, enterprise risk management, joint ventures and strategic alliances, M&A, compliance, corporate architecture and transactional matters. Her industry experience includes government services, infrastructure, mining and metals, oil and gas, power, and telecommunications.
Mary joined Bechtel in 1989, and immediately prior to assuming her current role, she served as Vice President, Principal Counsel and Secretary to the Bechtel Group, Inc. Board of Directors, its Audit Committee and operating subsidiaries. She actively participated in all Board and Audit Committee meetings and was responsible for partnering with other members of executive management to effect corporate strategies on matters impacting worldwide operations. She managed a diverse group of legal, financial and corporate secretarial professionals. Examples of complex matters overseen include:
- Updating company governance structure and practices to increase effectiveness and efficiency of company decision making and oversight.
- Drafting corporate policy on Governance and an Executive Summary of the governance structure. Updated and/or created new board committee charters for the Audit, Finance, Group Strategy, Operating, and Senior Management Compensation and Development Committees. Also developed charter for the Bechtel Information Security Advisory Group.
- Managing acquisitions and dispositions of interests in numerous companies and structuring joint ventures and strategic alliances on several continents to ensure full compliance with Bechtel risk management practices. Responsible for compliance associated with corporate aircraft operations.
- Developing and successfully implementing, on a 2-1/2 month schedule, a global capital, entity and tax restructuring plan involving hundreds of entities in 75+ jurisdictions. The reorganization achieved significant long-term operational and tax efficiencies and materially enhanced shareholder value.
- Designing and implementing programs serving integral roles in Bechtel’s risk management, capital structure, and distribution policies.
- Restructuring company’s 401(k) plan, which serves 15,000+ participants and has more than $4 billion in assets. The redesigned plan was awarded the Hamilton Award for plan design and is consistently rated as one of the top plans among those with greater than $1 billion in assets.
- Advising Bechtel’s global business units and regional management, working on all aspects of the company’s operations. Negotiated joint venture, strategic alliance, guaranty, engineering, procurement, construction, construction management, operations and maintenance, development and ownership agreements.
Diversity and community service feature prominently in Mary’s activities. She is involved in Women@Bechtel, a collaborative forum connecting employees globally to promote the development and advancement of women at all levels. Outside of Bechtel, Mary is active with various professional