6
P R O F I L E
Showing up consistently: Derek Gil President at ELEMENT (Tampa, FL), an award-winning, certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Minority Business Enterprise, consulting firm.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
I f a design doesn’t work for the community, it simply doesn’t work. That’s the philosophy that Gil believes in. “The way we have earned the trust of our clients is by showing up consistently. ELEMENT delivers when we say we will and is always there for our clients. We offer solutions, not problems,” he says. A CONVERSATIONWITH DEREK GIL. The Zweig Letter: Transportation engineering design is changing rapidly. What big changes do you see ahead in this engineering niche? Derek Gil: Embracing technology advances and incorporating into engineering design is vital today and will continue to be so. As an industry, we’ve only begun to tap into the possibilities with artificial intelligence, 3D design, 3D printing, virtual reality, and so much more. From data acquisition/collection and utilization to construction methods, as technology advancements emerge, we can develop sustainable, equitable solutions for communities faster.
TZL: Trust is essential. How do you earn the trust of your clients? DG: Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. The way we have earned the trust of our clients is by showing up consistently. ELEMENT delivers when we say we will and is always there for our clients. We offer solutions, not problems, and ELEMENT associates are transparent and communicative. At the end of the day, ELEMENT earns our clients’ trust because we consistently demonstrate we will not let them down. The level of trust we have earned with our clients is demonstrated with the high satisfaction rating we maintain; nine out of 10 clients would recommend us to others. TZL: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are potential accelerators across all industries. Is your firm exploring how to incorporate these technologies into providing improved services for clients? DG: ELEMENT’s surveying group uses advanced equipment such as HDS laser scanning, drones, and total robotic stations,
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANU
Made with FlippingBook Annual report