HDR CEO Eric Keen Talks Transportation on ENR Podcast
HDR Chairman and CEO Eric Keen recently appeared in a 40-minute podcast interview hosted by Aileen Cho, senior editor at Engineering News-Record magazine. This episode of the Critical Path Podcast appeared on ENR’s website and is available on all major podcast platforms.
Keen brings his four decades of industry experience to the table and provides insights into the architecture, engineering and construction industry. He oversees a global design firm of 12,000 employees, with technical experts in 16 different markets, spanning the complexities of our built and natural environments. In the podcast, Keen delves into important topics such as sustainability, being committed to clients and communities, contract models and philanthropic work.
Discussion Highlights
- A trend toward “collaborative contracting” models, specifically progressive design-build and integrated project delivery
- The value of building resiliency into projects affected by environmental changes
- The importance of social equity as a project outcome
- Renewables and the electrical grid
- Notable projects and company goals
The current talent shortage across the industry is well known and clearly felt. Keen addressed its resulting impact on organizations by pointing to new prospects. “I think there are some opportunities with technology that we can leverage that allow us to be more efficient in how we deliver our services; there’s no question about that,” he said. “We are also looking at the idea of strengthening our expertise through a technician program.” He added that the work necessary to support the development of our technical projects involves many other professionals, including planners, economists, scientists, computer technologists and data scientists.
