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Ontario Road Builders’ Association gets new executive director, leadership team

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – A number of leadership changes have been announced by the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA), including a new executive director.

Effective August 1, Walid Abou-Hamde will serve the executive director as ORBA. Hamde’s appointment comes from Michael McSweeney, who is currently in the ninth month of a one-year contract as ORBA’s CEO. Following the expiration of this contract on October 31, Hamde will assume the role.

Hamde holds a bachelor of applied science in chemical engineering and has a background that includes several collaborations with the provincial government in their labour and infrastructure portfolios, as well his most recent position as vice president of corporate affairs and partnerships at Skilled Trades Ontario.

McSweeney has also announced the appointment of several other members to new positions within the organization, including Javinder Singh to director of membership services and events planning, Guru Missar to director of marketing and communications, Abhinav Gupta to senior manager of membership services and events planning and Ashley Manson to head of human resources, administration and governance.

Under the new leadership, Xin Chen has also joined the organization as ORBA’s new head of finance.

ORBA’s president, Mario Villeneuve, applauded this restructuring, stating that on behalf of the board, ORBA would like to “extend their gratitude to Michael McSweeney, who undertook a 12-month contract with ORBA and worked tirelessly to restructure, reposition and realign ORBA’s priorities to better match those of the governments ORBA works with.”