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PROFILE
Responsibility: Regine Jeune Co-president and CEO of DB Sterlin Consultants, Inc., a 100 percent minority-owned firm comprised of professional engineers, architects, planners, and surveyors.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
J eune is a progressive, collaborative, and freethinking leader who supports women’s equality in the engineering industry. She’s a big advocate for the improvement of STEM education in college and for girls starting early education in STEM from kindergarten through grade 12. In 2016, DB Sterlin had four women engineers or engineering technicians and, by 2022, that number had risen to 16 and continues to grow. Jeune is a natural-born leader who many like to follow and she’s well deserving of this honor. She knows what needs to be done and how to do it. Under her leadership, DB Sterlin (Chicago, IL) has grown into a multi-disciplinary engineering firm that provides services for public and private sector projects. “Whether it’s a deadline, a deliverable, advice – delivering the work on time and being honest builds our credibility with our clients,” Jeune says. “I clearly communicate to staff that if they can’t meet a deadline, it’s better to let the client know upfront so the project plan can be altered. Surprises are never fun and missing a deliverable with no explanation can quickly turn a solid project into a sub-par one.”
A CONVERSATION WITH REGINE JEUNE. The Zweig Letter: Your website’s “Careers” page mentions DB Sterlin’s “unique” culture. Tell me a little about your firm’s culture and what sets it apart from others in the industry. Regine Jeune: In a family-owned business, there’s a sense that everyone wears many hats and that the whole team is unified and accessible. Further, I take the position to lead from the “front.” Most mornings you can find me emptying the dishwasher, not because I have to, but because it demonstrates to employees that we’re all working toward the same goals. It also improves team morale. My employees know they can approach me for any issue that may arise without hesitation and there’s a sense of comfort in knowing they’re being lead down the right path. TZL: Give me a little firm history. Who founded it in 1997? When did you become president? What’s your background? RJ: My father founded the firm in 1997. He started it after a long career of working for large engineering companies. My sister
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANU
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