6
ON THE MOVE O’DONNELL &
NACCARATO
engineering, particularly his work with existing buildings and tall structures, has earned him the respect of clients and peers alike. Franco’s commitment to innovation and mentorship continues to drive the success of our New York office and beyond.” Franco’s expertise includes a diverse range of landmark projects across the healthcare, residential, and institutional sectors, where he seamlessly integrates technical acumen with creative problem- solving. A Licensed Professional Engineer in five states, Franco has also contributed to shaping industry standards as a Structural Subject Matter Expert for the NYC Department of Buildings in the development of the upcoming NYC Existing Building Code, and a member of the Structural Code Committee developing the 2026 NYC Building Code. His expansive portfolio includes Multiphase Renovations at The Brearley School, NY Presbyterian Service Building Conversion, Station Yards Mixed-Use Development, Support for Multiple Exhibits at the 9/11 Museum, and the Northwell Health New Emergency Department Expansion at Peconic Bay Medical Center.
As principal, Franco will continue to lead the firm’s New York office, focusing on strategic growth and delivering high- quality structural engineering solutions tailored to the needs of clients and the community. He remains devoted to advancing O’Donnell & Naccarato’s mission by fostering strong partnerships, promoting innovation, and delivering technical excellence to enhance the built environment. Franco holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of New York and holds certifications as a Qualified Parking Structures Inspector and Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector. O’Donnell & Naccarato is an employee- owned structural engineering firm operating nationally from our offices in Philadelphia, Mountainside, New Jersey, New York City, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando, Columbus, and Cleveland. With strong experience in every major vertical construction sector, O’Donnell & Naccarato supports the entire lifecycle of a building, starting with the initial structural design to renovations and ultimately to restoration.
ANNOUNCES OF ROBERT J. FRANCO, PE TO PRINCIPAL O’Donnell & Naccarato, a leading structural engineering firm specializing in innovative and client-focused design solutions, proudly announces the promotion of Robert J. Franco, PE, to the position of principal. Franco brings more than 25 years of structural engineering expertise and leadership to his expanded role with the firm. PROMOTION Since joining O&N in 2018, Franco has been instrumental in establishing and growing the firm’s presence in the competitive New York City market. Under his leadership, the New York office has delivered an array of impactful projects, ranging from new construction and adaptive reuse to complex renovations and restorations. Franco’s ability to mentor and collaborate, drive innovative solutions, and address complex challenges has been a cornerstone of the firm’s success in the New York market. “Rob’s promotion to principal is a reflection of his outstanding contributions to both the firm and the profession,” said Dennis Mordan, president of O’Donnell & Naccarato. “Rob’s deep expertise in structural
smells, and looks different, and each has completely different employee types. Why should our industry be any different? 6. They do their business planning based around the clients they serve. Because they are organized around client types, have people from those client types working for them and serving on their BODs, and are constantly polling those clients and then marketing to them differently, it just makes sense to do business planning based on those client types as well. The AEC firm needs to understand their unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as it relates to each client type they serve, and then build their business plan around that. 7. They are open-minded about the services they provide versus defining themselves as only providing a certain discipline (i.e., “we are structural engineers”). Client- focused AEC firms don’t put themselves in such a narrowly-defined box that limits how client-focused they can actually be. Does all of this make sense to you? Can I motivate you to do more than pay lip-service to the notion that you really are client-focused? I hope so – for your sake! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.
MARK ZWEIG, from page 5
get by having the right outside BOD members who know and understand their client base to help them sell work. 4. They continuously poll their clients and potential clients. It’s not just a “once every three years” market research project. It’s an ongoing effort. And they share what they are learning with everyone in their firm. They realize just how critical it is to understand their clients’ needs and what the problems are that they are dealing with. This practice helps the AEC firm to get more aligned with their clients and fine tune their processes and services. 5. They don’t practice “one size fits all” marketing. Many AEC firm principals and marketing people have this notion that all marketing materials should be standardized. Sure, standardization can make responding to RFPs and RFQs easier, but who says that is the most likely way to actually sell work? Maybe everything needs to be completely different based on the client types the AEC firm is pursuing work with. These client types can vary widely. It (the client type) impacts everything from graphic design and colors to content and writing style. Just think about the retail industry and how different stores are clearly aiming at different customer types, and how different they are from each other. Is going into a Claire’s any different from going into an Ann Taylor? Of course it is! Each sounds,
© Copyright 2025. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 7, 2025, ISSUE 1580
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker