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ON THE MOVE WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP PROMOTIONS IN PHOENIX OFFICE Ware Malcomb , an award-winning international design firm, today announced Matt Kuehn has been promoted to director, Civil Engineering and Braden Blake, AIA has been promoted to studio manager, Architecture, both in the firm’s Phoenix, Arizona office. In his role as Director, Civil Engineering, Kuehn leads the growth and management of civil engineering services for the Phoenix office. Kuehn joined Ware Malcomb in 2019 to launch the firm’s civil engineering practice in the Arizona market, and he successfully built the team, exceeding growth and business goals. He has 19 years of experience in civil engineering and land development, including surveying, feasibility studies, and design for commercial developments, residential subdivisions and infrastructure. Kuehn holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Masters in Business Administration, both from Lawrence Technological University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in 18 states including Arizona and an active member of NAIOP Arizona and Urban Land Institute.
In Blake’s role as studio manager, Architecture, he helps lead the Phoenix team and manage select projects. Blake joined Ware Malcomb in 2014 and returned in 2018 as a Project Architect, directly managing some of the most complex projects in the Phoenix region. He has more than 11 years of architectural design expertise and excels in leading projects from design through construction. Blake has diverse project experience including corporate office, industrial, restaurant, retail, mixed-use, cultural and performing arts. A licensed architect in the state of Arizona, Blake holds a bachelor’s degree in design and a master’s degree in architecture from Arizona State University. He is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, American Institute of Architects Arizona chapter and the NAIOP Arizona Developing Leaders program. “Matt and Braden have both demonstrated outstanding leadership and a strong commitment to our clients,” said Kevin Evernham, Principal of Ware Malcomb’s Phoenix office. “Matt has successfully grown our civil practice, and Braden has become an invaluable leader in our architecture studio.”
“Since joining the firm a few years ago, Matt has built a strong team to deliver civil engineering services across the Phoenix region. We look forward to his continued leadership and mentorship supporting the growth of Ware Malcomb’s civil engineering services,” said Tom Jansen, Principal. Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science and technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 15 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms.
KRAIG KERN, from page 3
clients. Of course, most of that success has been due to excellent pre-positioning and relationship building. But I would argue some of it comes from the clients’ need to move projects forward, but their usual consultant has been too busy, understaffed, or underperforming. In the consumer world, experts call that “forced trial.” In a LifePoints U.S. consumer survey during 2020, for instance, diaper buyers told researchers they were forced to try a different brand because of product shortages – and only 43 percent said they would return to their regular brand when available. So keeping clients (and staff) happy and loyal will continue to be a challenge in this “new normal” world we live in. Our competitors are moving in on our client base and vice versa, and once the infrastructure bill is passed, who knows what kind of workload and staff shortages firms will find themselves in. Short-term gains are not worth your long-term relationships. You must continue to take care of yourself and recognize signs of stress and burnout. Being proactive and communicating with your team about the need to pause occasionally to ensure that needs are being met is the best way to make sure that clients (and staff) stay with you. When you run at 150 percent or more, that’s when mistakes start happening that can affect your relationships. If you are on the edge like I was, talk it out with someone, especially your boss and other trusted team members, because chances are they are feeling the same way, and there’s no better feeling than when people listen, understand, and empathize. KRAIG C. KERN, CPSM is vice president and director of marketing at WK Dickson. Contact him at kckern@wkdickson.com.
What does my story have to do with marketing? Simple. I know I’m not alone. If you are reading this, my guess is you can relate to what I was feeling because 99 percent of the population is likely feeling the same way. And the result is tension, impatience, a short temper, missed deadlines, and feeling overwhelmed. All of that translates into performance issues that could affect your relationships with your team members and how well you deliver the client experience. “The result is tension, impatience, a short temper, missed deadlines, and feelings of being overwhelmed. All of that translates into performance issues that could affect your relationships with your team members and how well you deliver the client experience.” Creating the best client experience is critical to reinforce brand loyalty. But, unfortunately, the past two years’ business closures, worker shortages, construction material scarcities, supply chain disruptions, and other economic constraints have often resulted in clients’ inability to work with their first choice of consultant. In my company’s case, that can be a blessing and a curse because being busy is great for business, but it can also lead to unintended issues down the road. In 2021, we have been fortunate to capture dozens of new
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THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 6, 2021, ISSUE 1419
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