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Challenging opportunities: Dorian Adams President of Reaveley Engineers, a national structural engineering firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
“I am fortunate to be surrounded by great people who are dedicated and loyal to the firm,” Adams says. “I have never terminated or demoted long-time leaders as the firm grew, although we have had a few leave through retirement. The challenge I face most often is getting my leadership team to dedicate enough time to building the business – working on the important/not urgent things needed to pre- pare us for the next level.” A CONVERSATION WITH DORIAN ADAMS. The Zweig Letter: Do you tie compensation to perfor- mance for your top leaders? Dorian Adams: Yes. There is a profit sharing bonus that incentivizes our leaders to market and bring in profitable work that makes up about 5 to 10 percent of their compen- sation. TZL: Do you share base salary or bonus amounts with your entire staff?
DA: Our base salary and bonus information is kept confi- dential. However, when determining bonuses and salaries I make the assumption that the information is known to all employees. “At Reaveley Engineers, the primary responsibility of principals is to strategically grow the firm and mentor employees. I believe it takes a minimum of 10 to 15 years for an individual to gain the skill set necessary to thrive in that role.” TZL: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s? DA: At Reaveley Engineers, the primary responsibility of principals is to strategically grow the firm and mentor
THE ZWEIG LETTER Ju
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