There was an outpouring of encomiums on the former Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc., Dr Lars Richter at his official farewell party organised by the company.

The chairman of the Board of Directors, Mutiu Sunmonu, led other Board members, the management and staff of the conglomerate in wishing Richter well in his future endeavours.

According to Sunmonu who disclosed that he worked closely with Richter for six years, the initial worries he had when the former Chief Executive assumed duty over four years ago, quickly vapourised as he diligently applied himself to the challenges of leading a construction giant like Julius Berger.

He said: “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. But 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 added that it remains an indelible record of history that in the company, Richter became a champion of sustainability and a champion for women because it was in his tenure that a lot of women moved up the ladder and are doing so well in the company.

Speaking at the event, the outgoing Managing Director, reminisced his journey with Julius Berger, which started in Abuja 15 years ago as a young engineer.

Recalling his journey through several beats in the Group, Richter said after his appointment as Chief Executive of the company in 2018, he worked assiduously with every stakeholder for a stronger Julius Berger.

Looking at the achievements made during his tenure, Richter said a fundamental milestone was the implementation of the three-pillar strategy consisting of the Core Business, The Subsidiaries and Diversification.

He said: “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.

“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,” he said.

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.

In his address, Richter’s successor, Dr Peer Lubasch said, it was a day to pay tribute to a man who led the organisation with extraordinary vision and commitment.

He noted that Richter led the company with exceptional dedication and vision for the last six years.

His work, he said, has left a lasting mark on the company.

To wish Richter a befitting farewell, Lubasch took his audience on a chronological overview of Richter’s remarkable development and career via an exciting PowerPoint presentation covering the former Managing Director’s career path from his days as a youngster who had passion for the construction industry, through his years at Bilfinger Berger AG Wiesbaden and his onsite days on projects across Nigeria.

On Richter’s diversification initiatives, Lubasch scored him highly saying that the company’s Cashew Processing Plant in Epe remains a testament of ambition and commitment to exploring new opportunities.

Representatives of Julius Berger sites all over Nigeria and the Republic of Benin attended the event.