Chairman of the Board of Directors of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Mutiu Sunmonu, described the former managing director, Engr Dr Lars Ritchter, as a champion of sustainability.
Sunmonu spoke when he led other Board members, the management, and the conglomerate’s staff to a farewell party to wish Richter well in his future endeavours.
According to Sunmonu, who disclosed that he worked closely with Richter for six years, his initial worries when the former chief executive assumed duty over four years ago quickly vaporised as he diligently applied himself to the challenges of leading a construction giant like Julius Berger.
“I have been working with Lars for six years. I was excited to see a young man taking over when he was appointed, but I also had a lot of worries. Thank God, the worries never manifested as his tenure progressed. I am so pleased that he has done well. Congratulations to him for all the achievements.”
Sunmonu said the former MD’s years remain an indelible record of history, adding, “In the company, Richter became a champion of sustainability.”
Speaking at the event, the outgoing Managing Director emphatically declared that it was time to say goodbye after a long journey with Julius Berger that started in Abuja 15 years ago as a young engineer.
Recalling his journey through several beats in the Group, Richter said after he was appointed Chief Executive of the company in 2018, he worked assiduously with every stakeholder for the stronger success Julius Berger has become.
Richter said implementing the three-pillar strategy consisting of the core business, the subsidiaries, and diversification was a fundamental milestone and the basis for his administration’s future development of the Group.
“In the last six years, we could grow in the Core Business through successful execution of projects of national priority like the River Niger Bridge, Lagos-Sagamu Expressway and Sections 2 and 3 of the Abuja-Kano Road, he said, adding, we delivered several projects across all our hubs like 12 flyovers, more than 70 roads, a hospital and the Government House in Rivers State, a Worship Centre in Uyo, the FAMFA building in Lagos and the new office of the NSA, a hospital and the central road in Abuja amongst many others.
On Julius Berger’s subsidiaries, the former Managing Director said though there is still the need for each of them to strengthen their respective businesses and become more independent of the mother company, Abumet, JBI in Wiesbaden and PrimeTech, among others, are doing great
Richter’s successor, Eng. Dr Peer Lubasch, for his part, said it was a day to pay tribute to a man who led the organisation with extraordinary vision and commitment.
