In an Australian Securities Exchange release yesterday, Lend Lease announced McCann as the successor to current chief executive Greg Clarke, who has been at the company’s helm for six years.Lend Lease began its international hunt for a chief executive in August this year, assessing several high quality internal and external candidates for the role.According to the company, McCann has more than 15 years experience in the property industry, beginning his property career as an investment banker advising a number of Australian property companies, including Lend Lease.McCann joined Lend Lease in September 2005 as global chief executive of the company’s investment management business, and shifted to his current role of group finance director in March 2007.“Steve’s strategic focus and management strength became clear as he guided the repositioning of the group’s investment management business to become widely regarded as a leading wholesale fund manager in the property investment market,” Lend Lease chairman David Crawford said.“As a member of the senior executive team, Steve has been a key driver of the company’s integrated business model. “In his role of finance director, he has worked closely with the board to enhance the group’s risk management processes and has been instrumental in ensuring the company’s capital structure has remained one of the strongest in the industry.”According to Lend Lease’s ASX release in August, Clarke has not resigned, given notice or been terminated and will remain with the company in the near term to facilitate the transition.Replacing McCann as chief financial officer in the interim will be current deputy CFO Brad Soller. The company said it would conduct an extensive search internally and externally to find the best candidate for the permanent CFO role.
