BOSTON and NEW YORK – In a strategic move designed to amplify regional and sector growth, Shawmut has appointed construction industry veteran, Reza Amirkhalili, as chief operating officer. Effective March 11, Amirkhalili will lead all construction operations efforts, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Les Hiscoe. This announcement comes as Shawmut reports 2018 as its highest revenue year yet at $1.4 billion. Shawmut is projecting significant year-over-year growth across multiple divisions, including 50% growth in the Los Angeles market and 43% growth for the New York academic, institutional, and healthcare division.
"As we strive to revolutionize exceptional client service delivery methods and accelerate our expansion across multiple sectors, I'm excited to welcome Reza to the Shawmut executive leadership team," said Les Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut. "As COO, he will utilize his vast project delivery expertise and transformational leadership style to help strengthen our position and market share in all emerging markets."
Amirkhalili brings over 30 years of construction industry expertise across diverse sectors, including proficiency in operational leadership in a matrixed environment. In his role as COO, he will implement construction strategy and growth plans with a key focus on client experience, ensuring Shawmut continues to deliver exceptional, white-glove client service across all verticals and regions nationwide.
"What drew me to Shawmut is its unyielding commitment to client service and people-centric approach to culture," said Reza Amirkhalili, COO of Shawmut. "I have never seen a construction company so relentlessly pursue greatness in delivering the ultimate client experience. I look forward to joining Shawmut and working with Les and the executive leadership team to drive the firm forward, especially as it comes off a record revenue year."
Prior to joining Shawmut, Amirkhalili enjoyed a 25-year tenure with Faithful+Gould Inc., a leading global integrated project and program management consultancy firm, which specializes in the architectural, civil, and structural engineering disciplines for multi-million-dollar facilities throughout the world. While there, he rose in the ranks as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and, most recently, president and managing director, responsible for the entire Americas operations and overall strategy. Amirkhalili is highly experienced in overseeing delivery of project management, cost management, project controls, and other consulting services in the built environment. Throughout his progressively senior executive roles, he ran multiple businesses, sectors, offices, services, and consistently delivered on P&L targets. As an HSE Champion, Amirkhalili promotes health, safety, and environmental integrity in every working environment.
The appointment of Amirkhalili as COO represents a significant step in Shawmut's continued commitment to world-class client service and its growth as a talent-driven, people-first, leading-edge organization. While Amirkhalili leads construction operations, Hiscoe will continue to dedicate his time to fostering long-standing relationships with the firm's high-profile clients, providing strategic direction to Shawmut's business lines, overseeing overall business growth, spearheading industry-wide innovation, and championing diversity and inclusion within Shawmut and in the construction industry.