Thornton Tomasetti Creates Three New Strategic Positions
The international engineering firm appointed four executives in management, technology and quality assurance roles.
NEW YORK CITY—Some changes are happening at the engineering firm that helped create the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Wimbledon No. 1 Court Roof in London, UK. Its assignments in the US have included Vessel and the Shed, both at Hudson Yards in New York; the adaptive reuse of Soldier Field in Chicago; and the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.
Four executives at the 1,300-employee, global engineering company Thornton Tomasetti have been promoted to three newly created roles. Managing principals Gary F. Panariello and Peter DiMaggio have been named managing directors. Principal Robert K. Otani has become the firm’s first chief technology officer, and principal Carol A. Post was promoted to chief quality assurance officer.
“These newly created positions reflect the evolving nature of Thornton Tomasetti’s business,” says Thomas Z. Scarangello, the company’s chairman and CEO. “While different in scope and responsibility, these four roles will foster increased knowledge sharing and creative teamwork across the firm’s 10 practices.”
As managing directors, Panariello and DiMaggio will focus on strategic growth of the firm’s practices. Their responsibilities will include overseeing business development; identifying potential mergers and acquisitions; and implementing mentorship and professional development programs.
Based in San Francisco, Panariello who sits on the board of directors, began at Thornton Tomasetti as a structural engineer in 2001. He has more than 20 years of experience in the design, investigation and construction of complex structures, including those subjected to earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural or man-made events. Panariello holds a PhD and a master’s degree in civil engineering and engineering mechanics from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy from Johns Hopkins University.
DiMaggio, also a board member, works in the New York City office. He is a recognized expert in special structures and protective design. He started as an engineer at Thornton Tomasetti in 1992. He has as worked on more than 40 U.S. embassies, federal facilities and courthouses. DiMaggio holds a master’s degree in structural engineering and a bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and the humanities from Columbia University.
Based in New York City, as chief technology officer, Otani will be responsible for overall strategy in technology outreach and development. He will work closely with CIO Jim Dray to advance innovations. Otani worked at Thornton Tomasetti from 2008 to 2013 as a vice president, prior to returning in his new role. He played a key role developing the firm’s research and development incubator. He co-manages the firm’s R&D portfolio and advises the innovation accelerator. Otani earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Penn State and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rutgers University.
Working from the Chicago office, Post started at Thornton Tomasetti in 1997, and has served as a leader in the firm’s standards and quality assurance and quality control committees. She has played a leading role in the development of the QAQC protocol in structural engineering. With more than 30 years of experience, now as the chief quality assurance officer, Post will oversee and manage QAQC. She holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University.