ON THE MOVE CHA ANNOUNCES PROMOTION OF JAMES STEPHENSON TO CEO OF CHA HOLDINGS, INC. CHA Consulting, Inc. , a highly diversified, full- service engineering consulting firm, announces the promotion of James Stephenson to CEO of CHA Holdings, Inc. and president of CHA Consulting, Inc. Stephenson will succeed Michael Carroll, P.E., who will transition to chairman of the board for CHA Holdings, Inc. Stephenson joined CHA in May 2019 as executive vice president and chief strategy officer bringing more than 20 years of broad strategy, financial, and corporate development experience. Prior to joining CHA, he was the chief strategy officer at a top 20 ENR ranked company, where he was responsible for structuring a five-year strategic growth plan focused on executing acquisitive growth and strategic investments that helped position the company as a leader in innovation and each of their operating sectors. “This is the right time for a leadership transition and Jim is the perfect leader and strategist to take CHA to the next level,” said Carroll.
“When Jim came on board earlier this year to oversee strategy and growth, we knew he was the right person to deliver exceptional value to our clients, effectively scale the business, and guide our staff to becoming the best firm in the industry.” “Mike is a true partner and has been instrumental in CHA’s transformation over the past five years,” said Jeff Quake and Mike Scardigli of First Reserve. “We look forward to working with Mike in his role as Chairman where he will continue to support the company in areas of strategy, organizational excellence and mergers and acquisitions.” “CHA is a great company with a rich history and exceptional staff, and I am honored to take over from Mike and build on his legacy. With support of a great financial partner in First Reserve, the company is in a unique position to accelerate growth and deliver value within our end markets. With three successful acquisitions this year and the largest backlog in our history, CHA is poised for continued growth and success,” said Stephenson. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with the leadership team to propel CHA to be the most client-focused
and responsive engineering firm in the industry.” Quake and Scardigli said, “Stephenson is a perfect fit for CHA. He brings a wealth of relevant experience, strategic vision and proven leadership ability that will serve CHA well for many years to come. The company has made significant strides in organic growth, acquisition and talent initiatives and we have full confidence in Jim and the team to continue building on this momentum.” CHA Consulting, Inc. is a highly diversified, full-service engineering consulting firm which, along with its affiliates, provides a wide range of technology-enhanced planning and design services to public, private and institutional clients. CHA was ranked the 37th largest pure design firm in the United States in 2019 by Engineering News Record . With technical personnel and offices throughout the United States and Canada, CHA offers engineering, architectural, survey, project management, and other services necessary to complete projects on time and within budget.
MARK ZWEIG, from page 3
projects have finally gotten done by me versus hiring someone else. Our sliding screen door now works like it was designed to for the first time since we have lived here. Our pantry has new shelves and is organized to a “T.” I touched up all the interior paint. Our art and crafting stuff is now where we can use it. Our cat litter boxes are the cleanest they have ever been. The “Honey-Do” list is shrinking every day. All good stuff. 4)Most of our clients are struggling but remaining optimistic. I am hearing many stories of projects put on hold or clients stopping all work. But I am also hearing about quick responses to the problem with new remote work methods being employed, selective staff cuts, across the board pay reductions, bigger cuts or pay elimination for owners, and a lot more communication with the staff as immediate responses to the situation. While none of this is pleasant I am glad to see our industry responding quickly instead of foot- dragging as we normally do. 5)The future has to bode well for our industry. Going forward, A/E services will be needed now more than ever. Huge demand in health care, HVAC systems that don’t spread viruses, adaptive reuse of buildings that are no longer needed, and design changes to support social distancing and remote work situations, among all the other things we do that aren’t getting done now will drive demand for A/E services for a long time to come. The needs will not go away. They may change some but firms that are really tuning into their clients will find plenty to do. How are YOU and your firm doing through all of this? What do you see ahead? Let me know your thoughts at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. We are all in this together! MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.
from the scheduled virtual meetings and conference calls, it’s easier than ever to work whenever you want to. Besides the home office I share with my wife (we each have our own desk), I am working from my kitchen breakfast bar, kitchen island, back porch, dining room table, bedroom table by a window, and even our garage workshop. I don’t subscribe to the theory that I have to go to the same place in the house at the same time every day to get anything done. But then again, I was already used to working like this before the virus to a great extent. I know a lot of A/E firm principals who read The Zweig Letter are working the same way because I communicate with them daily. “Most of our clients are struggling but remaining optimistic. I am hearing many stories of projects put on hold or clients stopping all work. But I am also hearing about quick responses to the problem with new remote work methods being employed.” 3)It’s not all bad. I have already lost five pounds. We are getting more “official exercise” than we normally do. Our 120 lb. Great Pyrenees pup is happier than ever. We discovered we can still cook and make some pretty good meals. Our AMEX charges are half what they normally would be. I have had some real quality time with my wife and little girls. My 8-year-old has finally learned to ride a bike with confidence. I have learned to ride an electric scooter and crashed only once in the driveway with no injuries. Small home improvement
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THE ZWEIG LETTER April 6, 2020, ISSUE 1339
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