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Conference Call: David LaVelle President and CEO of BKF Engineers (Hot Firm #44 for 2016), a 415-person engineering firm based in Redwood City, California, with 13 offices primarily in Northern California.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
“I t’s easy to get a job, but more difficult to find new friends,” LaVelle says. “If you help them build friendships at work, it makes people want to stay.” LaVelle first joined BKF in 1988 as a senior project manager/assistant office manager for the San Jose office. He became president and CEO in 1996. A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID LAVELLE. The Zweig Letter: The talent war in the A/E in- dustry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline needed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms?
David LaVelle: There are many ways to win the tal- ent war, just as there are many ways to lose it. We make sure we incentivize our top talent in a clear way so they know how to advance. Part of it is tied to compensation and internal stock ownership. We also work diligently to capture the highest profile projects in our region – the kind they can tell their friends about at cocktail parties or football games. That is a big draw on some level. We offer attractive and functional office space and try to give key peo- ple opportunities to be seen in the firm as experts in a certain market or region. All of these things are part of our brand and culture. TZL: The A/E market is great right now. What are
David LaVelle, President &
CEO, BKF Engineers
THE ZWEIG LETTER Jan
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