BOSTON— Suffolk Construction announced that it has hired former General Electric Company vice president Ann Klee as its new executive vice president. In her new role, Ms. Klee will be responsible for leading Suffolk’s national business development function and external and government affairs, with the goal of expanding the company’s presence nationally.
“Building relationships and trust with clients, communities and government is critical to long-term success in our industry, so I am thrilled Ann has joined the Suffolk family,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk. “Ann’s proven ability to build relationships, bring people together, solve complex challenges and push the boundaries of what is possible will help expand our presence in new markets, attract the best new talent and cement our reputation as an industry disruptor.”
Before joining Suffolk, Ms. Klee simultaneously held several executive positions at GE. She served as GE’s vice president of Boston development and operations leading the search for GE’s new headquarters and move to Boston. In that role, she worked closely with government leaders, business leaders and community organizations, and oversaw the renovation of the Fort Port Channel buildings that would serve as GE’s new home.
She also served as president of the GE Foundation and was a visible liaison for the company in the community. Under Ms. Klee’s leadership, the GE Foundation helped launch an effort to support STEM education in the Boston Public Schools and address the opioid crisis, including Project Here, a partnership with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office and community groups that provides substance abuse education to public middle schools across the Commonwealth. In addition, Ms. Klee served as vice president of environment, health and safety at GE, leading a global organization dedicated to protecting employees, environmental compliance and sustainability, and risk management.
“I’m excited to be joining Suffolk as it transforms the construction industry. It’s the perfect opportunity to use my private and public sector experience to work with a great leadership team to help achieve John Fish’s transformational vision of a wing-to-wing platform that meets our clients’ needs,” said Ann Klee, new executive vice president at Suffolk.
Ms. Klee enjoyed an extended career in Washington D.C. as an environmental lawyer at two prestigious law firms, as well as in several senior government positions on Capitol Hill and in the George W. Bush administration. Ms. Klee serves on the boards of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB), WGBH, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Boston Harbor Now and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission.
The hiring of Ms. Klee continues a recent spate of Suffolk senior leadership hires from innovative, global Fortune 100 companies, including Suffolk Chief Financial Officer Puneet Mahajan from GE, Suffolk Chief Marketing Officer Lea Stendahl from E*TRADE and Suffolk Chief Culture Officer Dennis Berger from CDW Corporation. These hires have bolstered the prestige of Suffolk’s leadership team and helped build a strong foundation for strategic future growth. Aligned with the strength of its new leadership team, Suffolk recently announced an expansion from its core business of construction into additional vertical service lines to create a fully-integrated platform that adds value for clients across the entire building lifecycle. The company also launched a new brand identity to reflect its broader future ambitions and unique position and capabilities in the industry.
