OEMs tap leaders, a family tradition continues, and an organization director steps down.

Brandt Named Otis VP, Western Region

Otis has named Julie Brandt vice president (VP), U.S. Western Region. Most recently vice president and chief transformation officer, she succeeds and reports to Jim Cramer, Otis Americas president (ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2020). In her new role, Brandt is based in Chicago. Starting her career with Otis nearly 25 years ago, Brandt has held leadership positions globally and across many functions, including sales and marketing, field operations and general management in the U.S. and Latin America. Before assuming her most recent prior role, Brandt was managing director of the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan region.

Shepherd Stepping Down at NAESA at End of Year

Bob Shepherd, executive director of NAESA International, will step down from his executive director role at the end of the year, marking five years since joining the organization. This is the time Shepherd told the NAESA Executive Committee he would devote, and he assures his replacement “will be a well-established person from the elevator industry and not some bean counter,” in addition to being QEI certified, prominent in the industry and not “climbing out from under some rock.”

“It was totally my decision. It is time!” he said. It is “with the total support and to the joy of [his] family and with the support of the NAESA board members.” He will continue to edit the NAESA PROGRESS newsletter, and spend more time with his family, travel for pleasure and hunt. A longtime fixture in the industry, Shepherd’s career can be read about in EW interviews (EW, May 2016 and December 2019).

KONE Names Ward to Lead Health, Safety Efforts

KONE has promoted Corey Ward to senior vice president, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) for KONE Americas, the company announced in July. In this expanded role, Ward will be tasked with providing strategic direction and leadership over the company’s EHS efforts.

Based in Lisle, Illinois, he will lead a team focused on ensuring the proper implementation and oversight of health and safety protocols for KONE Americas employees and customers. Ken Schmid, executive vice president, KONE Americas, praised Ward’s work to improve safety at KONE, noting he has collaborated with the company’s teams in the U.S., Canada and Mexico “to implement successful safety programs.”

Matot Hires Fifth-Generation Family Member

Custom dumbwaiter and commercial lift company Matot Inc. of Bellwood, Illinois, has hired a fifth-generation family member to the family-owned company. Samantha Kolker, great-great-granddaughter of founder Duffy Matot, has assumed inside sales responsibilities for the 132-year-old company. Kolker previously held sales roles at Insight Global and Grubhub. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Enterprise Leadership and Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Iowa.

Plant-Wrapped Condo Towers With Gardens for Beverly Hills

Foster + Partners has conceived a plan for a 17.5-acre site between Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, that includes 32- and 28-story condominium towers wrapped in vegetation and botanical gardens with approximately 300 different species of trees and plants, The Architect’s Newspaper reported in July. If all goes as planned, Alagem Capital Group will start construction on One Beverly Hills in 2021 and finish in 2024. The site abuts a golf course and is home to famous hotels the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, which will remain. They will be joined by a third, “ultra-luxury” hotel and 10 acres of open-to-the-public gardens. Alagem estimates One Beverly Hills will generate roughly US$1.2 million in new city revenue, and create 1,500 construction jobs and 900 permanent jobs.