North America, April 2026 — CEC Energy LLC. has announced the appointment of Karen Novak as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), marking a significant step in strengthening the organization’s leadership as it accelerates its growth and operational capabilities across energy, infrastructure, and industrial markets.
Karen brings extensive experience in human resources leadership, organizational transformation, and workforce strategy across complex industrial and technology-driven environments. In her new role, she will lead CEC Energy’s people and culture agenda, supporting the company’s strategic focus on scalable growth, execution excellence, and high-performance workforce development.
Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as CEC Energy continues to enhance its capabilities in project delivery, procurement, and advisory services, positioning itself to meet increasing demand across North American industrial sectors.
In her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer at CEC Energy, Karen is responsible for shaping and executing the company’s global HR strategy, aligning talent, culture, and organizational design with business objectives in a high-growth, execution-focused environment.
Prior to joining CEC Energy, she served as Human Resources Director at Critical Response Group, where she contributed to building organizational capabilities focused on public safety solutions and operational readiness, leveraging insights from military and emergency response systems.
Earlier, Karen held the role of Vice President of Human Resources & Administration at RS Technologies Inc., where she supported a business focused on advanced infrastructure solutions for energy and telecom industries, strengthening HR frameworks to support innovation, sustainability, and global expansion.
She also served as Senior Director of Human Resources at Ocean Power Technologies, where she led enterprise-wide HR strategy, including talent management, organizational design, compensation, and leadership development, supporting business transformation in the renewable energy space.
Karen’s earlier career includes leadership roles at William Grant & Sons, Kerry Group, Skanska USA, Bayer, and PRA Health Sciences, where she built strong expertise in HR business partnering, talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness across diverse industries.
Founded in 1956, CEC Energy LLC. (formerly Coonrod Electric Co., Inc.) is a trusted turnkey industrial contractor delivering electrical and instrumentation services to oilfield and industrial clients. With a strong legacy spanning over seven decades, the company provides execution-focused solutions across energy, infrastructure, and industrial markets in North America.
CEC Energy partners with EPC firms, industrial operators, and asset owners to deliver complex electrical and power projects where safety, reliability, and predictability are critical. As the company continues to scale, it is investing in strengthening its technical capabilities, project delivery systems, and operational excellence to support long-term growth.
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