Aecon Group (ARE.TO) has appointed a new chief executive, allowing founder and current CEO John Beck to step away from daily duties of running the construction giant.

Jean-Louis Servranckx will assume the role of president and CEO in September. Beck will assume his previous role as executive chair of the board.

Beck had announced his intention to retire from the company, but those plans were put on hold after Ottawa scuttled a proposed $1.5 billion sale of Aecon to China's CCCC International Holding Ltd., also known as CCCI. 

“My commitment to employees and shareholders nearly two years ago was that I would remain at the helm for as long as needed until we found the right leader for Aecon,” Beck said in a release. “Jean-Louis, with his proven track record of successfully delivering on large-scale, complex projects, is that leader.”

Servranckx is a construction veteran with more than 30 years of experience in European and African development projects, Aecon said in a release.

Servranckx has been president and CEO of Eiffage Civil Works Division, now known as Eiffage Infrastructures Branch, since 2011. The company currently has more than $6 billion in revenue with operations throughout Europe, Africa and in Canada, Aecon said.

"It is an honour to be chosen as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aecon, an iconic Canadian company with a sterling reputation worldwide," Servranckx said in the release.