Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CRB announced today that John R. Lupa, Jr. has joined the firm as Vice President, National Construction. An engineering, construction and consulting partner to the life sciences and food and beverage industries, CRB brings Lupa’s more than 30 years of experience leading complex capital programs into its national construction leadership team. His appointment advances CRB’s ability to deliver construction‑led solutions that support clients developing large‑scale biopharma and F+B facilities.
Lupa has deep expertise across the full project lifecycle – from early planning and design through construction, commissioning, and turnover – with a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, increase predictability, and mitigate risk. His career includes oversight of major EPC and EPCM projects exceeding $1 billion in total value and leadership of multisite engineering and construction organizations across the life sciences, biotechnology, and energy sectors.
“John’s experience and leadership will play an important role as we continue to strengthen how we deliver complex projects for our clients,” said Vahid Ownjazayeri, President and CEO of CRB. “He understands what it takes to execute at scale – safely, efficiently, and with discipline – and he brings a practical, people-first approach that aligns well with CRB’s culture and long-term strategy.”
Lupa’s appointment directly supports CRB’s 2026 strategic plan, which prioritizes greater project certainty, faster execution of complex programs, and a more integrated and scalable construction offering for clients developing advanced therapies, biopharma, food and beverage manufacturing, and complex industrial facilities.
Prior to joining CRB, Lupa served as Senior Director of Global Engineering, Planning & Project Controls at Lonza Biologics, where he led significant manufacturing expansion programs. His work included overseeing the design, construction, and commissioning of $500 million in capital investments at the recently acquired Genentech large-scale mammalian facility in Vacaville, California.
Earlier in his career, Lupa spent more than a decade with Fluor Corporation as an EPC Project Director, helping shape execution strategy, advance construction performance, and deliver measurable project results. He also held engineering and construction leadership roles at Pfizer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and Duke Energy.
In his new role, Lupa will focus on expanding CRB’s national construction capabilities, reinforcing consistency across regions, and strengthening alignment between design, construction, project controls, and commissioning teams – delivering greater end-to-end value for clients.
Lupa holds a Master of Science (M.S.) in Business Analytics and Risk Management and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from The Johns Hopkins University, as well as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut.
About CRB:
CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction and consulting solutions to the global life sciences and food & beverage industries. From 21 offices across the United States, Canada and Europe, our professionals provide world-class solutions that drive success and positive change for our clients, our people and our communities. CRB is a privately held company with a rich history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity and execution. See us at crbgroup.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.