WGII Washington Grp. International (MM)

BOISE, Idaho and DENVER, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Washington Group International (NASDAQ:WGII) announced today the appointment of 30-year mining veteran Steve Kesler as executive vice president of business development for the company's Mining Business Unit, headquartered in Denver. Kesler will be responsible for leading the business development team in identifying and securing participation in projects that will drive the profitable growth and continuing globalization of the company's mining business. Most recently Kesler was senior vice president of international business development for the business unit. Prior to joining Washington Group, he served in various consulting roles and as the executive director of the base metals and new business divisions of Billiton Plc (London). In this role, he had oversight for worldwide exploration and base metals operations, projects, business development, and mergers and acquisitions. Earlier, Kesler held senior executive positions with Pacific Nickel Ltd (Philippines), Collahuasi and Escondida (Chile), and Rossing Uranium (Namibia). Kesler earned a bachelor's degree in mining engineering and a doctorate in hydrometallurgy from Imperial College, London University. "Steve's leadership expertise, broad background in business development and significant international experience will help propel us forward as we implement our strategic plan for continued global expansion," said Bob Zaist, president of Washington Group's Mining Business Unit. Washington Group has a long, successful history of surface mining. Its current projects include coal, zinc, silver, copper, gold, lead, and phosphate mining operations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Washington Group International (NASDAQ:WGII) provides the talent, innovation, and proven performance to deliver integrated engineering, construction, and management solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with more than $3 billion in annual revenue, the company has approximately 24,000 people at work around the world providing solutions in power, environmental management, defense, oil and gas processing, mining, industrial facilities, transportation, and water resources. For more information, visit http://www.wgint.com/. DATASOURCE: Washington Group International CONTACT: Media, Jerry Holloway or Laurie Spiegelberg, +1-208-386-5255, or Investors, Earl Ward, +1-208-386-5698, all of Washington Group International Web site: http://www.wgint.com/

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