On the heels of the previously announced leadership succession plan, Jacobs has appointed Bob Pragada as CEO, effective Jan. 24. He is also expected to join the company’s board of directors.
Pragada brings over 30 years of global business leadership and military experience to Jacobs, including 17 years with the company and nine years as a civil engineer corps and Seabees officer with the U.S. Navy.
Having served as a facilities director at Camp David during the Clinton administration, Pragada is the second Indian American to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander. He is the first Indian American, veteran and person of color appointed as Jacobs CEO.
“It is an exciting time for Jacobs,” Pragada said. “Concentrating our strategy accelerators around climate response, data solutions, and consulting and advisory services, we’re anticipating the global trends most important to our clients to develop differentiated, data-enabled solutions that meet their needs.”
Pragada joined Jacobs in 2006. He held several senior management positions over eight years, including senior vice president of global sales; group vice president of the northern region (U.S. and the Republic of Ireland); and vice president of field services.
He returned to Jacobs in 2016 as president of the global industrial and buildings and infrastructure lines of business. In 2019, he was named Jacobs president and chief operating officer.