Insights

State Of The Industry Report

The State of the Industry Report is our annual comprehensive analysis on the latest financial performance; market opportunities; M&A valuation & trends; personnel; diversity, equity, & inclusion; digital; and other key issues facing the AEC industry. Data is collected annually each July & August from 300+ AEC firms and presented at our exclusive CEO Summit.

To receive a copy of the latest State of the Industry report, please participate in the current KPI Survey.

Email our Support team if you have any questions.

/Participate in the KPI survey 
/Access Report 

Specific Issue Surveys

As part of our Key Client program, we run periodic Specific Issue Surveys to capture quick and insightful perspectives on critical questions and issues facing our clients. All firms who participate in these surveys will receive a copy of the full results.

Past Specific Issue Survey topics include:

  • • Cybersecurity
  • • Marketing and Business Development
  • • Remote or Hybrid Work
  • • ESG –Environmental & Social Good
  • • Salary costs and inflation

/Participate in the next survey 

Past Webinar Recordings

Topic

Date

Presenters

2024 Industry Update

A panel discussion with AEC firm CEOs to discuss the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the AEC industry. We will also be presenting the latest data results from our 2024 State of the Industry survey.

April 2024
Lara Poloni

President, AECOM

Paul VanDuyne

CEO, IMEG

Jessica Baker Daily

CEO, Halff

Elham Farzam

CEO, Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering

Watch 
2023 Industry Update

A panel discussion with AEC firm CEOs to discuss the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the AEC industry. We will also be presenting the latest data results from our 2023 State of the Industry survey.

May 2023
Steve Lefton

Chief Executive Officer, Kimley-Horn

Bret Weiss

Chief Executive Officer, WSB

Susan Angyal

Chief Executive Officer, ERM, North America

B. Narayanan

Chief Executive Officer, Carollo Engineers

Watch 
Digital Disruption in the AEC Industry
  • Presentation of findings from GHD Digital’s research and interviews with 700+ public and private sector C-suite executives utilized AEC industry services on their experience with digital
  • Implications of digital transformation on AEC firms
September 2022
Kumar Parakala

President, GHD Digital

Claire Rutkowski

CIO, Bentley Systems

Amy Corriveau

President, Trinnex (CDM Smith)

Josh Lahre

Senior Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
Retention Revolution | Employee Retention in the AEC Industry
  • Keynote speaker Sydne Jacques discusses the opportunities and challenges of employee retention and culture in the AEC industry.
June 2022
Sydne Jacques

CEO, Jacques & Associates

Josh Lahre

Senior Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
2022 Virtual CFO Summit | M&A and Private Equity
  • CFOs of major acquirors in the AEC industry discuss recent trends, valuations, opportunities, and pitfalls in M&A and private equity in the AEC industry
April 2022
Alain Michaud

CFO, WSP Global

Antony Woods

CFO, ERM

Steve Conley

CFO, EN Engineering

Dave Larsen

CFO, Trinity Consultants

Joe Smetona

Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
2021 State Of The Industry
  • Consolidated version of the 2021 State of the AEC Industry Report
  • Industry Snapshot of size, ownership, end-markets, services, geography, and key macro drivers
  • Performance trends of Growth & Profitability
  • Stakeholder Value Creation
December 2021
Bob Pragada

President & COO, Jacobs

Andrej Avelini

Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
Examination of 2 Differentiated Mergers: Hatch–LTK and CONSOR-Murraysmith
  • Hatch & LTK was the largest merger between employee-owned firms in 2020
  • CONSOR & Murraysmith was one of the largest “mergers of equals,” financed by private equity sponsor Keystone Capital
  • The CEOs of these firms discuss the why and how behind these major transactions
January 2021
Dom DiBrito

President, LTK

John Bianchini

Chairman & CEO, Hatch

Chris Rayasam

President & CEO, Murraysmith

Scott Gwilliam

Managing Partner, Keystone Capital

Andrej Avelini

Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
2020 Virtual CEO Summit | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Keynote speaker:  Michelle Silverthorn, diversity speaker, culture change expert, and Founder & CEO of Inclusion Nation
  • Roundtable discussion with Michelle and a panel of AEC industry CEOs and CHROs to discuss DE&I issues and approaches to address them.
November 2020
Michelle Silverthorn

CEO, Inclusion Nation

Jeanne Cormier

CEO, Lochner

Shelie Gustafson

CHRO, Jacobs

Young Ho Chang

CEO, ATCS

Bret Weiss

CEO, WSB

Watch 
2020 Virtual CEO Summit | Internal Ownership Transition Strategies
  • Deep dive into KPI data results on internal ownership transition
  • Stock redemptions & acquisitions; shareholder requirements; stock purchase methodologies; sell down requirements; stock valuation
  • Strategies to perpetuate independent, internal ownership transition
October 2020
Barbara Cook

President, Weston & Sampson (ESOP)

Mark Bernhardt

CEO, Burgess & Niple

Don Bradford

CEO, EnSafe (ESOP)

Leslie Moulton-Post

CEO, ESA (ESOP)

Peter Zeeb

CEO, Geosyntec Consultants

Tyler Albright

Principal, AEC Advisors

Watch 
CEO Forum: COVID-19 Series
  • Between March and September 2020, we hosted 10 complimentary webinars on the AEC industry’s response to COVID-19
  • Every two weeks, a new panel of CEOs discussed the most recent changes and challenges of leading an AEC firm through the global pandemic
March 2020
Gord Johnston

President & CEO, Stantec

Alex L’Heureux

President & CEO, WSP Global

Bob Pragada

President & COO, Jacobs

Susan Reisbord

CEO & Managing Director, Cardno

Dan Batrack

CEO, Tetra Tech

Hisham Mahmoud

Global President & CEO, Golder

Keryn James

CEO, ERM

Eric Keen

CEO, HDR

Jens-Peter Saul

CEO, Ramboll

Iver Skavdal

President US, GHD

Gayle Packer

CEO, Terracon

Alex Rothchild

CEO North America, Arcadis

Janet Pogue McLaurin

Board Member, Gensler

Mike MCKelvy

President & CEO, Gilbane

Joe Sczurko

CEO TCS, Wood Group

Dave Gockel

President & CEO, Langan

Peter Zeeb

President & CEO, Geosyntec Consultants

Jim Stephenson

President, CHA

Louis Armstrong

President & CEO, Kleinfelder

Chris Huckabee

CEO, Huckabee Architects

Jon Kessler

CFO, Gannett Fleming

Scott Stewart

CEO, IBI Group

Bryan Carruthers

CEO, Anser Advisory

Doug McKeown

CEO, Woodard & Curran

Chris Rayasam

President & CEO, Murraysmith

Paul Gabriel

CEO, Environmental Partners

Cindy Milrany

CFO & Chief Strategy Officer, Freese & Nichols

Mary Ellen Eagan

President & CEO, HMMH

Karin Sluis

Managing Director, Witteveen + Bos

Nicolas Jachiet

CEO, EGIS

Young Ho Chang

President, ATCS

Ken Bredehoeft

President & CEO, Argus

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