26 — November 2024 — Leadership Spotlight — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
L eadership S potlight Q&A with Senior Vice President of AKF, Member of WSP Shannon Kaplan: Shaping the Future of Engineering with Vision and Purpose
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best and elevate our industry. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? I’m fortunate to have had many mentors who have in- fluenced my career. I have worked as an engineer, a project manager, in internal operations, and as an educa- tor. I love that my mentors have always encouraged me to pursue my passions and to not feel like there was one “right” path to be on. There are many ways to grow and evolve in your career and to still contribute meaningfully
to the construction industry. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current posi- tion and why you choose the field/profession you are in today? I began my career in archi- tectural engineering back in 2001. Today I am a Senior Vice President at AKF, Member of WSP. I chose architectural en- gineering because I’ve always been interested in the spaces we live and work in and how to make them better and I still believe this is an important contribution to our society that I am proud to be a part of. What were some of your early goals and did any- thing happen to change them? I’ve never been one to set far future goals and try to achieve them, because it is rare that what I expect of the future actually comes to pass. I did have personal goals such as passing the professional engineers exam and working on projects that were exciting and impactful and I have been able to achieve those. Once I got those accomplished, I found there were new challenges on the horizon and new ways to give back in our industry and society that I was excited about and pursued. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? I believe that my passion for helping people and my commitment to getting things done – even when they are tough challenges to tackle – are qualities that have helped me succeed in my profession. What outside activities do you enjoy during your free time? I love competing in Rowing, I love making pottery, and I enjoy reading a good book while hanging with my family and cats. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduat- ing from college today? Don’t worry about finding the perfect job on day one. Find a job, learn, and grow. Find out what you love about it and then find your next role where you can do more of that. It is okay to make changes in your role or even career along the way! MAREJ
hat is your most no- table project, deal or transaction?
Shannon Kaplan Senior Vice President AKF, Member of WSP Years with company/firm: 18 Years in field: 23
Designing a net positive energy building that the client loved and that won a national ACEC award for engineering excellence! How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry? In addition to working on projects, I run leadership train- ing for people at our company and others in the construction industry. It is a great way to share what I’ve learned while helping others grow to be their
I have worked as an engineer, a project manager, in internal operations, and as an educator. I love that my mentors have always encouraged me to pursue my passions and to not feel like there was one “right” path to be on. There are many ways to grow and evolve in your career and to still contribute meaningfully to the construction industry.
Mid-Atlantic Region: Baltimore, MD; Hamilton, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Richmond, VA; Washington, D.C. POWERING HUMAN POTENTIAL Global Engineering & Integrated Design Services
akfgroup.com wsp.com
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