George J. Pierson: A Seasoned, Strategic Multidisciplinary Leader

With an accomplished background in engineering, operations, law, business and leadership, George J. Pierson has advised and led numerous companies through difficult challenges, resulting in operational improvements, stronger client service, greater employee retention, and increased share value.

George sees and focuses on the “big picture” goals of adding long-term value to organizations, and he has the knowledge and experience necessary to dive deep into the details of issues, which is often where their solutions lie. It is the application of these skills, with an emphasis on transparency and gaining the trust of employees, boards, and clients that has enabled George to see and navigate solutions others miss to solve many of the issues facing firms today.

Whether it is an underperforming division or project, an unexpected crisis, lack of strategic focus, an organizational challenge, or assistance with an investment strategy or implementation, The Pierson Advisory Group can provide strategic advice to help you resolve challenges and achieve your goals.

Kleinfelder: From good to great

Most recently, George was the CEO of Kleinfelder, a U.S.-based engineering firm established in 1961. When he joined Kleinfelder in 2016, the firm was delivering superior work due to its best in class technical talent and quality client relationships. The long-term viability of the company was threatened, however, by the confluence of a heavy debt load, low morale, high turnover, numerous leaders performing double duty in interim roles, low profitability, a persistently declining stock price, and an unsustainable capital structure.

Upon assuming the CEO role, George quickly established a new senior leadership team consisting of new and existing talent. He led a strategic refresh of company priorities that reorganized the company to create significant efficiencies, dramatically increased profitability as well as the stock price, and transformed the culture of the company around the performance- based principles of ARA – the alignment of authority, responsibility, and accountability.

Within 18 months, George and his leadership team’s efforts led to a more than doubling of the stock price. As an employee-owned firm, however, Kleinfelder faced capital flight as large shareholders were retiring and the company was forced to repurchase their shares. Through extensive shareholder engagement, George and his team solved the capital problem by positioning the company for a majority investment by a private equity firm, again more than doubling the stock while still retaining 20% employee ownership.

Following a planned succession, George is now Executive Chairman and has resumed providing strategic advice and consulting to professional services firms worldwide.

Parsons Brinckerhoff: Crisis Management and Business Transformation

During his nine-year tenure at Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and program management firm, George led the company through a potentially bankrupting crisis to successful resolution of issues. With 14,000 employees worldwide, the company continued to be an employer of choice for engineers and a valued partner to clients worldwide. George held leadership roles of progressive responsibility, culminating in a five-year tenure as Parsons Brinckerhoff’s CEO, during which time the company delivered $1.4 billion in shareholder value.

George joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in February 2006 as General Counsel and Secretary. Immediately upon arriving at the firm, his focus was on the resolution of the firm's role in the Central Artery/Tunnel project (the “Big Dig”). In the summer of 2006, a ceiling panel in one of the tunnels of the Big Dig collapsed, injuring a motor vehicle driver and killing his passenger. That tragic event launched Parsons Brinckerhoff and its employee shareholders into a crisis of survival. George led a team of inside and outside experts in crisis response and ultimately negotiated a global resolution of all issues with the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Federal Government, thus staving off bankruptcy for Parsons Brinckerhoff.

George was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the firm's Americas operating company where he was responsible for the oversight of 5,000 employees active on hundreds of transportation, power, and other infrastructure projects in North and South America. As COO, George took over an organization rocked by the Big Dig crisis and in disarray due to a failed reorganization. George righted the ship by refocusing the organization on its core strengths of technical excellence and client service.

The Big Dig experience led the Board to recognize the risks such projects hold for privately held companies and seeing the demographics of retiring shareholders, the Board of Parsons Brinckerhoff, on which George sat, determined that a strategic sale of the company was in the best interest of employees and shareholders.

Following his success as COO of Americas business, and the sale of the company shares to Balfour Beatty, George was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Parsons Brinckerhoff in January 2010. At that time, the 130-year-old firm had 14,000 employees in 150 worldwide offices and annual revenues of approximately $2.7 billion. He held this position from January 2010 to December 2014.

During his five-year tenure as President and CEO, George added more than $1.4 billion of shareholder value, culminating in the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff to WSP for a price nearly three times its value over when George assumed leadership.

By transforming a previously employee-owned organization into a publicly traded company, George was able to infuse greater commercial acumen resulting in a 50% increase in profitability and 34% increase in margins. The transformation of the organization was achieved through significantly greater cost efficiency, more robust risk management, a more streamlined organization, and the development of a superior senior leadership team.

An Engineer and an Attorney

Prior to joining Parsons Brinckerhoff, George had a distinguished career as a construction lawyer. He was Partner and Director of the International Practice Group of Peckar & Abramson, PC, a leading construction law firm from 2003 to 2006. He had a 10-year career with Kvaerner PLC immediately prior where he held a variety of posts, including Executive Vice President and Legal Director of the firm's Engineering, Technology, and Construction Division; and Vice President of Strategic Development of the Non-Ferrous Mining Division. He was an associate with the firm of Farella Braun & Martel, as well as an engineer with Camp Dresser & McKee.

Education and Licenses

George has a J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School; an MBA (with Honors) from St. Mary's College of California; an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley; and a B.S. (summa cum laude) in civil engineering from Bucknell University. He is a licensed professional engineer in California and has been admitted to the bar in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.