AEC THRIVE Agenda

Add even more value to your AEC THRIVE experience when you come a day early and participate in one of our optional pre-conference workshops for AEC executives:

• AEC MarketPRO gives you new tools and strategies to keep your project pipeline full (AEC MarketPRO concludes at 5:00 PM)
• AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop gives you the essential building blocks for understanding and applying the newest artificial intelligence tools.

Moderator: Gregory Hart, President, PSMJ Resources, Inc.
Panelists: Peter Devereaux, Founding Principal, HED, Scott Steiding, Chief Growth Officer, Bennett & Pless, and Nate Larmore, Senior Director, MGAC.

We're way past the point of just suggesting that the business of architecture and engineering are changing. The conversation now needs to focus on mapping out your strategies to get in front of the opportunities that lie ahead. Forward-thinking AEC firm leaders are embracing the new pathways to growth that combine equal parts innovation, technology, and culture (along with a healthy dose of good risk management). In this interactive opening panel discussion, we leap ahead to the year 2030 to hear from a panel of firm leaders and visionaries on where the business of architecture and engineering is heading in areas such as:

• How the definition of value and intellectual property is going to be different
• How contracts and pricing models are going to be different
• How marketing and business development is going to look different
• How tech stacks and org structures are going to change

Natalia Castro, Chief Operating Officer of SaltzMichelson Architects, gives us strategies to harness the power of digital technologies and A.I. to enhance operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs. We delve into real-world case studies, discuss the latest tools, and best practices that can be implemented to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce expenses. You gain insights on how to leverage A.I. and digital solutions to optimize project management and decision-making processes, ultimately leading to a more efficient and cost-effective operations. Learn how to: 

• Identify key areas of your operations where A.I. and digital solutions can reduce overhead costs and drive efficiency
• Leverage digital and A.I. tools to optimize project management, resource allocation, and decision-making processes
• Implement these solutions effortlessly without disruption to you current operations 

Your AEC firm probably employs a financial management strategy driven by deadlines, reporting periods, and one dimensional organizational units. Yet as firm leaders, we make critical and impactful decisions every day, not just at the end of the month or year. So could a radical rethinking of those structures yield stronger business performance?

Staying confined by our calendars and organizational units can keep us from spotting trends or making course corrections on a timely basis. In this session, seasoned AEC CFO Jenifer Navard shows us new tools and processes to make proactive financial decisions that drive profitability and financial effectiveness,  and maybe do away with some useless reporting tasks!

• Why moving from annual budgeting to a rolling forecast and annual planning drives better decision making

• How to think beyond one dimension and grouping projects by market sector to think in terms of practice area, manager or geography, and evaluate success in a versatile way

• What key metrics better reveal growth opportunities in the multiple dimensions of your organization

• How to maximize your AEC firm’s return on human capital investment by making smarter compensation decisions.

For too many AEC Principals and C-Suite executives, Business Development is a black box that either produces new projects or drags down the bottom line. Resources flow in and contracts pop out. But what goes on inside the BD function and how BD priorities align with those of operations remains a mystery. No more! In this eye-opening session, Wally Hise, a senior BD executive at HDR (#6 on ENR500) gives us a look inside his world and reveals how a few simple changes to your interaction with the BD team can improve firmwide performance. Plus, Wally will moderate a lightening round Q&A with AEC senior executives just like you to uncover common areas of friction with BD staff and misconceptions, plus ways to improve alignment with operations. We’ll dive into:

• How to motivate your BD professionals (hint: it’s not just about more money)

• The key ingredients of your firm’s BD position description that can flip the script on poor outcomes and suboptimal ROI

• Where a few small process changes can have big results on BD performance, freeing your rock stars to land the projects you want

• How to define “peak performance” in BD and what the most successful BD professionals do

The premier AEC C-suites have mastered a culture of collaboration where Operations (Project Management, Finance, Talent) and BD sing from the same sheet of music. This requires alignment of strategic priorities and tactical activities. Join us to learn the secrets of creating a productive BD culture and hitting all your targets!

Long term trends and unexpected events have caused (and continue to cause) major shifts in the workplace, marketplace, and practice and recruiting spaces. “Making a living” has literal meaning, and work must now “work” for more people, particularly our highest achievers and potentials. Winning today requires winning in a new category of work-and-life and business. The good news is that burnout could soon be a relic of the past, but so could leaders and organizations unwilling (or able) to adapt. In this session, Peter Atherton, PE, founder of ActionsProve explains:

• What the new category of work-and-life is.
• What success looks like both individually and organizationally, and how leaders and organizations must adapt.
• What specific investments must be made.
• Your biggest advantages for starting now and staying ahead.  
  

Learn the current rules and legislation governing the Federal Research and Development (R&D) tax credit and how it applies to AEC firms. Jordan Wilson from Corporate Tax Advisors explains recent law changes and the types of activities that qualify for the R&D tax credit and expenses included in the tax credit calculation. 174 has had a tremendous financial impact on companies, we will share strategies on how to offset 174 impact, leverage 174 in acquisitions and along with using credits and incentives to win work by educating clients on how certain designs will qualify for cash back to the owner of the project and reducing cost.  

• Understand more deeply the congressional intent of federal incentives programs
• Recognize the types of activities that qualify for the R&D / ITC / 179D
• Leverage big picture strategies and how 174 amortized cost can be of benefit for a buyer / seller
• Add tax credit eligibility in your proposals: How can business development build out an ROI based on your firms knowledge of qualified projects to help reduce cost for client and increase margins.   
  

Looking to improve profitability? PwC, and Accenture surveys show firms with effective enterprise risk management programs have higher profit margins. What are the risks unique to AEC firms that impact profitability? In this session, former Bechtel and EG&G risk assessment and mitigation expert Tim Corbett gives us the key to unlocking profits through risk analysis. The process identifies strengths, areas of concern, and recommendations that in return helps manage and reduce risk, improves project and financial performance, increases client satisfaction and decreases insurance costs.

In this session you will learn:

• Identify AEC professional liability claims trends
• Understanding enterprise risk management categories
• Recognize characteristics of the higher performing AEC firms
• How to drive down insurance premiums, and push profits up

For over 50 years, AEC firms have largely adhered to one success formula, one that has driven record profitability in recent years, aided by favorable conditions such as construction costs rising faster than labor costs and demand outpacing supply. However, as these conditions change and disruptive forces like artificial intelligence and a renewed interest in value-based pricing impacts our industry, our business models must evolve to sustain our current levels of profitability. PSMJ Senior Consultant Jared Jamison takes us through different ways of thinking about how we run our firms, enabling us to adapt and ensure continued, even increased profitability in an evolving future.

• New AEC business, tech, and project trends that are poised to disrupt what a success strategy looks like in the near term
• How to visualize and plan a fresh business model strategy using the simple and intuitive Business Model Canvas framework
• How to future-proof your AEC firm’s business model and enhance its resilience
• 7 questions you need to ask yourself about your business model

Leading teams with confidence and effectiveness, just like architectural or engineering design, is a learnable skill. Yet too many firm executives fail to properly invest in developing their rising leaders because the process feels too hard to define and cumbersome to administer. Maybe you have lingering doubts about whether implementing a leadership development program will actually deliver ROI.

Senior AEC business practices experts and leadership coaches Brian Burnett and Jonathan Wilson show you how to take the mystery out of creating a great leadership development program by treating it like an AEC project, with a defined scope, schedule, and budget, and give you the roadmap for turning your next-gen professionals into a competitive advantage.

Using the "four-square leadership framework" you learn exactly what to include in your firm’s leadership development program, what you should omit, and how to administer it in a way that’s equitable, effective, and includes measurable milestones.

In which direction should AEC leaders expect the economic winds to blow over the next 12-24 months? Former Dallas Fed Chairman and current Goldman Sachs Vice Chair Rob Kaplan brings his unique insights on both market conditions and the leadership skills you need to thrive in any economic environment.  

Leading AEC business data analyst David Burstein, P.E., breaks down the latest market and submarket numbers into actionable intelligence and clear-picture takeaways for making bold new growth decisions heading into 2025. A highlight of every annual AEC THRIVE summit!

This presentation is a comprehensive exploration of how purpose-built technology is transforming the way AEC firms produce and manage their technical report deliverables. It delves into the current challenges facing the industry, defines what excellence looks like in deliverable production, and provides a roadmap for achieving that excellence. It covers the benefits of using purpose-built solutions in the technical report deliverable process, from templates and workflow optimization to AI-powered insights and system integration. Real-world case studies demonstrate the immediate and long-term benefits of adopting these solutions, offering a compelling case for embracing comprehensive technical report management.

Join this session to: 

• Identify the key challenges facing the AEC industry in technical report production and delivery.
• Discover the characteristics of top-performing firms in terms of deliverable volume, efficiency, and quality.
• Understand the core components of comprehensive technical report management.
• Evaluate the potential of purpose-built technology and emerging trends to transform report production processes.

In the increasingly competitive AEC industry, the ability to craft and deliver a compelling pitch can make or break your chances of winning work. In this session, Judy Sparks, CEO of Smartegies, will dive into the nuanced art of winning pitches. Drawing on 30 years of experience coaching hundreds of interview teams and an impressive 86% win rate, Judy will unpack the key components that distinguish winning presentations. Attendees will learn how to develop a clear, persuasive narrative that aligns with client concerns and decision-making processes, effectively addressing the emotional and rational factors that influence selection committees. The session will cover the importance of understanding your audience and the power of storytelling.

You get techniques for incorporating deeper emotional connections into pitches, positioning teams as the best fit for the project, and dispelling common industry assumptions that can derail even the most prepared presenters. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to the pitching process, this session will equip you with actionable takeaways to refine your pitch strategy and improve your win rate.

All firms in the AEC space are hearing buzzwords and potential impacts of “Artificial Intelligence” (A.I.) on their business. Ready or not, the pace of innovation and technological adoption is accelerating in 2024 and beyond. Shelby Coke, P.E., PTOE, RSP1, Vice-President, Coke Consulting, LLC will demonstrate their approach to pausing, adapting and embracing A.I. as a small business delivering projects in the Government market. Embracing technology allows firms to “do more” with fewer resources compared to traditional methods. How will you and your firm respond to the technology that is here to stay—embrace it or ignore it?

Join Shelby as he walks us through his engineering firm’s experience developing A.I. usage guidelines and lessons learned affecting top line and bottom-line growth:

• How to adopt and apply tech guidelines and processes
• What A.I. can and cannot do when completing AEC projects, and the common misconceptions that are slowing adoption
• How to distinguish between theory and real-world applications
• Why A.I. should be another analytical tool in your business process toolbox, not a decision maker.

Your firm’s strategic plan is only as effective as your ability to monitor and implement the steps to achieve growth goals. So what can you and fellow firm leaders do to make the jump from consensus about targets to hitting them? Over 20 years of leading growth strategy at global engineering powerhouse Terracon has given Michael O’Grady, P.E. a deep understanding of the realities and limitations of even the most well-intentioned and passionate AEC executive teams, and he shares his takeaways that inform the firm’s strategic plan implementation.

• The best way to hold AEC firm executives and other stakeholders accountable
• Implementation process waypoints for monitoring success
• Why strategic plan implementation often fails, and how to make sure yours doesn’t
• 3 KPIs you must have on your implementation tracking dashboard

• • Moderator: Susan Israel, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Consultant, PSMJ Resources and Founder & CEO, Climate Creatives

     

Panelist: Jeremiah Appleton, Director of Operations, WRT, Christine Mondor, FAIA, LEED AP, Strategic Principal and Co-Founder, evolveEA, Marc Mondor, AIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP; Managing Principal and Co-Founder, evolveEA and USGBC Faculty.

What keeps too many AEC strategic plans’ lofty goals from becoming measurable results? Maybe it’s the structure of the planning retreat itself! Hear first-hand reports from AEC firm leaders who shifted to bringing more than half of their teams to a Strategic Planning session and saw improvements in plan implementation and goal attainment. We explore better ways to organize your retreat, why increasing participation makes them more effective, and more!

• Working through issues that hinder firm profitability, including divisions working at cross-purposes with each other, and imbalanced profit-centers.
• How large retreats help redistribute, focus, or develop leadership responsibilities, particularly during a leadership or ownership transition.
• How broadened input accelerates alignment and buy-in from multiple generations and improves accountability for implementing key plan initiatives.
• How to dovetail your larger retreat with a small Strategic Planning Team to craft the plan.

Join us for stories from small and mid-sized firms, regional and national firms, and a global multi-discipline firm.

Simone Hughes MBA, CM, Global Head of Marketing, BD + Communications at DIALOG
Jason Janicki, CEO, OpenAsset

In today’s AEC industry, integrating data, people, and technology isn’t optional—it’s essential for growth. In this engaging dialogue, Simone Hughes, Global Head of Marketing and Business Development at DIALOG, alongside Jason Janicki, CEO at OpenAsset, shares how her team leveraged their tech stack to streamline operations and drive business results. Simone’s unique journey from other industries into AEC highlights how fresh perspectives and data-driven strategies can expose efficiency gaps while unlocking new opportunities for growth.

Join this session to:

• Discover how Simone built strategic relationships across Marketing, Finance, and IT to create a unified tech vision.
• Explore how OpenAsset became the single source of truth for DIALOG, helping reinforce the importance of data management and integrity to support an organization's growth.
• Learn actionable strategies for managing marketing and business development teams through essential changes, including finding balance between creative approaches and data-driven decision-making.
•  See how embracing AI and other emerging technologies allows firms to optimize internal processes and future-proof their operations.

Niknaz Aftahi is the CEO and founder of aec+tech, a database and platform connecting AEC/O professionals with the latest tools and technologies. With a background in architecture in the Bay Area, California, she has served as both a design professional and a design technology director. Niknaz is passionate about innovation in the AEC space and has been a keynote speaker at various events. In this breakout session, we explore  near-horizon cutting-edge A.I. tools poised to revolutionize the AEC space, unveiling how these innovations are reshaping design, engineering, and construction processes for enhanced efficiency and creativity.

KP Reddy is a globally recognized authority in AEC technology environments, A.I., and automation. He is a Civil Engineer by background and author of BIM for Building Owners and Developers. At AEC THRIVE, he helps us prepare for seismic changes poised to rattle the AEC industry  by answering the key questions: 

• Why trading hours for money is not the future of AEC business models
• How to monetize your firm's innovation spend
• How to partner with tech companies to create new business models.
• How Private Equity is raising the bar on how we do business

Sponsored by:

Effective leadership today is less about titles and hierarchy and much more about the felt experience of employees when they are at work. Leaders must embrace the overwhelming scientific evidence proving that a healthier workplace culture is the key to increased retention, higher productivity, and lasting engagement. According to Gallup, 70% of the variance in employee engagement is directly attributed to managers and supervisors. Great leaders must understand how to influence the micro-cultures created by managers if they want to maximize engagement and retention.

In this session, Don Rheem, CEO of CultureID, an engagement survey platform aimed at improving company cultures, will share valuable global data trends from organizations across North America. Rheem will also break down the science that triggers exemplary workplace behavior at a neurological level.

You'll get actionable tips you can implement right away to see increased engagement and retention at your AEC firm. Discover the powerful and proven strategies transforming organizations and helping senior leaders create workplace cultures where employees look forward to coming to work and thrive when they get there.

Jim Bishop, P.E.
CEO
JBishop Consulting LLC

To leap up to a new level of growth, many AEC firms look to add non-employee (outside) directors to the upper region of corporate governance. But choosing who to bring on board in a board member role is fraught with risk. That’s why you won’t want to miss this session on the key elements of a superior outside board member invitation, and how to make it deliver what you envisioned when you did. Jim Bishop, P.E., has decades of C-Suite experience at highly successful AEC organizations,  including 7 years as a CEO/president of a $100mm+ firm. His background includes a decade as an inside director (including time with an ENR Top 25 firm). He is a member of, and recognized by, the National Association of Corporate Directors who have named him a Certified Director. Since 2018, Jim has served as an outside director on boards of directors for consulting engineering firms. His board service extends over a broad range of ownership models, including 100% ESOP, small group of employee-owners, moderately-sized group of employee owners, and private equity. Jim explains:

• Where outside directors add value

• What to look for in an outside director

• When is the “right” time to add an outside director/directors

Brandon Brodsky, CEO
Shaun Leeper, Principal
AECIQ

Freshly minted graduates entering the workforce are different than past generations, having done most of their coursework online and coming in with a vastly different set of both skills and expectations. PSMJ Senior Consultant Bill Hinsley gives us practical tactics for getting the most out of your newest and least experienced AEC hires. He reveals the best ways to train them, how to explain your business model (and get buy-in), establish your cultural imperatives, and lay the critical groundwork for a successful AEC career. Think of it as a Gen-Zoom Owners Manual, showing you how to:

• Train them to overdeliver and delight clients, within budget constraints.
• Empower them to take initiative and solve problems.
• What profit sharing strategies drive higher ROI.
• Explain the interplay between their success and your firm’s.
• Spot AEC career-stall warning signs, before you’ve lost a potentially high-value employee.

In this breakout session, leading AEC Artificial Intelligence application expert Frank Lazaro walks us through the latest practical uses of generative AI tools to assist AEC project managers and firm leaders. Attendees will discover how AI can streamline non-client deliverables, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance writing tasks, making project management more efficient and productive. This session is designed for those skeptical about AI, providing real-world examples and case studies to demonstrate its value.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Role of AI in Administrative Tasks: Learn how AI can automate and simplify administrative duties such as meeting note summarization and report writing.
• Explore AI’s Capabilities in Writing and Editing: Discover how generative AI tools can assist with proposal writing, technical documentation, and acting as an editor to improve the quality and consistency of written materials.
• Recognize the Efficiency Gains with AI: See how AI can significantly reduce the time spent on non-client deliverables, allowing project managers to focus on more strategic tasks.
• Overcome Skepticism Towards AI: Address common concerns and skepticism about AI, showcasing its reliability and value through real-world case studies and examples.
• Implement AI Tools in Daily Operations: Gain practical insights on integrating generative AI tools like ChatGPT into daily project management workflows to enhance productivity and decision-making.

If your AEC firm’s growth strategy includes acquisition, or bringing on executive leadership from outside your firm, it’s easy to focus on all the potential upsides. Less obvious are the long-term challenges of effectively integrating and aligning the newly expanded top leadership group. In this eye-opening session, Tom Matkin, P.E., walks us through the experience following an acquisition by a larger firm and getting past different styles of communication, collaboration, and client relationship management. With candid observations of challenges at both the strategic and individual level, he reveals his takeaways for:

• Effectively integrating and maximizing the impact of newly acquired leadership
• How to work toward meeting halfway when the existing C-suite and acquired talent approach the new relationship from different perspectives
• Communication breakdown warning signs that point to larger problems, and how to overcome them
• Setting expectations and accepting the integration learning curve
• Locking in loyalty and peak productivity through expanded career growth opportunities

Are you ready to navigate the future of the AEC industry? Join Unanet's Lucas Hayden for an interactive session where we delve into key takeaways and strategies from Unanet’s 2024 AEC Inspire Report. Tailored for AEC firm leaders this session will explore how AEC firms can operate more effectively today while also preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. The discussion will be both informative and actionable, providing you with the tools you need to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.

• Understand the benefits of data-driven decision-making in A&E
• Identify key areas of opportunity and major organizational challenges in the AEC industry.
• Understand the impact of AI and digital transformation on AEC businesses.
• Learn how to leverage emerging technologies to accelerate growth.

PSMJ's Senior M&A Advisor Karl Wohler brings his transaction report and AEC firm valuation data to AEC THRIVE. If you are considering either buying an firm, merging with one, or selling yours, don't miss this session.

If you are going to 3x your business you will need to build a different business to get there. Your current business is built to get you the results you are getting. You need to start building today what you need 6 months and 1 year from now to continue growing. Nathan Sweat, President of Utah-based Royal Engineering,  gives us practical tools to get teams working together to build the systems needed to hit aggressive financial performance targets. He shows us how to

• Help AEC leadership teams think strategically

• Identify and prioritize the strategic problems you need to solve to grow

• Create clear plans with accountability to roll out your strategy

• Follow a process to get the team fully bought into and committed to implementing the plan

Organizational leaders have been navigating uncertain times, change continues to occur at an accelerated rate, and the workforce is more diverse than ever. As a result, leaders need to evaluate their abilities, preferences, and perspectives to continue to successfully lead their organization through this new era of uncertainty and constant flux. Leading workforce researcher Dr. Melissa Furman reveals how AEC executives can:

• Identify and discuss current organizational challenges and leadership implications. 

• Identify and discuss the needs for modern, relevant leadership skills

• Apply recommendations and strategies to develop leadership skills 
  needed for future success