Kovacs Promoted to Chief Strategy Officer
30-YEAR AEC INDUSTRY VETERAN TO LEAD STRATEGY AND M&A ACTIVITIES
Gannett Fleming has named John Kovacs, PE, PMP, DGE, ENV SP, FASCE, chief strategy officer (CSO) responsible for facilitating the strategic and long-term planning, vision setting, and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity.
“The evolving and unprecedented forces of change driven by climate change and rapid technological advancements offer significant challenges to overcome,” said Bob Scaer, PE, Gannett Fleming CEO and president. “These challenges present considerable opportunities in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. In his role as our CSO, John will partner with the executive leadership team in developing and executing our strategic plan to drive our market expansion, growth, and technical excellence. His broad background and demonstrated history as a collaborative thought leader make John ideally suited to lead our acquisition and integration activities, as well as near-term and long-term strategic priorities.”
After joining the firm approximately 30 years ago as an entry-level geotechnical engineer, Kovacs rose through the ranks from project manager to senior executive and has served on the firm’s board of directors for nearly a decade. As part of an already impressive career, it’s notable that Kovacs made significant contributions to helping Gannett Fleming grow from #51 on Engineering News-Record’s Top Design Firms list in 2017 to #26 today. Known for his people-centric leadership style and mentorship, Kovacs founded and serves as executive sponsor of Future Generations at Gannett Fleming, an employee resource group for early career professionals navigating the AEC industry.
Kovacs most recently served as the executive director of the 850-person Water, Energy & Environment Corporate Business Group, including the firm’s water resources, environmental, geotechnical, and power and energy services. In this role, he developed the strategy and vision that led to organizational transformation, including:
- Expanding into Canada, Texas, and the Western U.S.
- Overseeing and integrating three acquisitions, including Texas-based DEC.
- Increasing revenues of the Water, Energy & Environment Corporate Business Group.
“My career at Gannett Fleming has provided me with many growth opportunities, including creating a start-up specialty construction venture, operational leadership in several market sectors, client relationship building and business development across markets and solutions, change management, and acquisition integration,” said Kovacs. “In my new role, I’ll use that strong foundation to evolve and facilitate our strategic planning, evaluate market trends, advance M&A activity, and develop Gannett Fleming’s capabilities to further assist our clients in achieving their goals.”
A current member of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Industry Leaders Council, Kovacs is also an active member of the United States Society on Dams, the Project Management Institute, and the Society of American Military Engineers. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and the Alumni Service Award from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Gannett Fleming is home to more than 3,000 employees and has been delivering excellence as promised in the built environment for 109 years. Do you want to start your own engaging career journey with a longstanding, leading AEC firm? Click here to explore our open positions.
