28
STANTEC’S EMPLOYEE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014 The Movemberists BC is the new PC Cancer changed project manager Ryan Capelle’s life. Twice. Now he wants to help you. Our organizational realignment: What is it, why is it, and most important, what’s in it for you? What does Stantec’s diamond anniversary mean? 1954 65 76 87 98 09 01 02 0 14 2 0 6 0

spark winter2014 final - Stantecannouncements.stantec.com/.../spark/en/spark_winter2014.pdf · 2014-03-06 · Ryan Capelle’s life. Twice. Now he wants to help you. ... ever imagined

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

STANTEC’S EMPLOYEE MAGAZINE

WINTER 2014

The Movemberists

BC is the new PC

Cancer changed project manager Ryan Capelle’s life. Twice. Now he wants to help you.

Our organizational realignment: What is it, why is it, and most important, what’s in it for you?

What does Stantec’s diamond anniversary mean?

1954657687980901020142060

. . . how we’ve grown over the years? Did You Know . . .

2

Year we hired Bruce Travis, a Water associate in Calgary, Alberta, and our longest- standing current employee

Our practice area mix in 1999 and 2012, reflecting how we have adapted to market conditions

Buildings Environment IndustrialTransportation Urban Land Management Systems

How current employees joined Stantec (as of December 2013)

Organic Hires

Through Acquisition

1999

2012

22%

17%

24%

9%

34%

21% 18%

25%

7%12%

11%

61% 39%

Acquisition size since our initial public

offering in 1994 (measured by number

of employees)501+

0 – 150

151 – 500

74%20%

6%

Number of people who joined us in 1991 from Phoenix, Arizona’s Franzoy-Corey, our first US acquisition. Includes current employees Gary Brady, Maria Brady, Walt Cooper, Mark Koester, and Tim Lines.*

* currently on leave50

Increase in the number of Company employees—from 165 to 290—following our first acquisition in 1975 of Strong, Lamb and Nelson in Calgary, Alberta. Includes Doug LaValley, currently a Water principal in Calgary.

1969

76%

WINTER 2014 3

spark, Stantec’s quarterly employee magazine, celebrates our brand and culture and addresses topics that are related to our strategic plan and are, therefore, important to our continuing success. The executive leadership team, in collaboration with Stantec’s Marketing & Public Relations/Communications team, establishes spark’s annual editorial calendar using our values/strategic plan pillars as themes:

Autumn issue: We Put People First Winter issue: We Are Driven to Achieve Spring issue: We Do What Is Right Summer issue: We Are Better Together

Ongoing employee communications are available on StanNet, on the StanNet Community Sites, and through eBulletins from leadership.

DISTRIBUTION

spark is launched quarterly in an email, from president and CEO Bob Gomes, which provides a link to a PDF version of the magazine. Printed copies are also shipped to employees based on the number requested by each office. If you want to opt in or out of receiving a printed copy, contact your office representative. The spark Distribution Contact List by Office is available on StanNet (About Stantec>spark). To help you understand why we print spark, please read the spark Print Practice, available on StanNet (About Stantec>spark).

EDITORIAL BOARD

Bob Gomes, Vi Becker, Alison Tucker, Kim Austin, Crystal Kerr, Stefan Riches, Heather MacDonald, Travis Park, Cheryl Lund

PUBLICATION ADVISOR

Crystal Kerr, Director, Marketing & Communications

EDITOR

Stefan Riches

CONTACT sparkWe want to hear from you. Tell us what you think and share your story ideas by contacting [email protected] or by calling the editor.

IN THIS ISSUE WINTER 2014

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

Travis Park,Heather MacDonald

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS

Photography Coordination: Sabrina Tong, Jas Sahota, Renee IgnacioDistribution Contact: Amber KellerStylistic Editor, Copyeditor, and Proofreader: Cheryl LundWriters: Attributed within

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statementsAlthough spark is published solely for Stantec employees, we consider it a public document. As with all our public communications, spark may include written or verbal “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable US and Canadian securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to, references to future business strategies and goals, Company programs, client relationships, and project performance. We caution readers of this magazine not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements since a number of factors could cause actual future results, conditions, actions, or events to differ materially from the targets, expectations, estimates, or intentions expressed in these forward-looking statements. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Stantec’s public filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

© 2014 Stantec Inc. Printed in Canada.

ON THE COVERIn 60 years, we’ve grown up, changed, become established, and stayed focused on what matters. This cover celebrates our diamond anniversary and commemorates our evolution.

924

LIVING THE PLAN

In this issue, we explore how we are driven to achieve

16 BC is the new PC Our organizational

realignment: What is it, why is it, and most important, what's in it for you?

20 Sixty Years of . . . Community

To celebrate our diamond anniversary, spark looks back at acquisition and organic growth stories through the lenses of community, creativity, and client relationships

24 What's the Plan? Ever wonder what's in

our strategic plan? Here are some highlights.

AND ALSO . . .

2 Did You Know . . . . . . how we've grown

over the years?

4 From Bob Stantec's Diamond

Anniversary

5 Local Sparks News from

around Stantec

6 Six-Word Stories Unpacked

Featuring Josh Johnson and Allison Wenzel

26 A Round of Applause Milestone service

award winners share words of wisdom

27 In Memoriam Condolences for

those we’ve lost

THE 3Cs

Stories about community, creativity, and client relationships

8 Mean Streets How do you create

order from chaos in Ahmedabad, India? With a little help from the Stantec Research & Development Fund.

12 The Movemberists Cancer changed

project manager Ryan Capelle's life. Twice. Now he wants to help you.

14 A Sound Design Not too loud, not

too quiet—our engineers keep sound levels just right

28 My Communities For Rochelle Brown,

creating communities is about connecting people who share a common goal

12

20

When you see this icon, look for additional content about this topic online.

Sorry, we were wrong!In the last issue of spark, a Community Day image caption referenced Halifax, NS, when, in fact, the photo was actually showing the office team from St. John’s, NL. We regret the error and sincerely apologize to the St. John’s team.

Stantec's Diamond AnniversaryStantec’s 60th year, our diamond anniversary, is significant—a milestone in our evolution. Over the past few months, I’ve reflected on how we got here and what this anniversary means to me.

Stantec was founded back in 1954 in Edmonton, Alberta, by Dr. Don Stanley. I don’t think Dr. Stanley ever imagined that his one-person operation would grow into the 13,000-person company that we are today. Each company we’ve acquired throughout the years has a similar story: one or two enterprising people started a business that helped shape their local communities through creative solutions and client relationships.

As mentioned in the “Did You Know” section, nearly 40% of you joined us through acquisitions. This got me thinking about our collective histories: each firm we acquire brings its own unique history, and these histories together become our history. What we’re really celebrating is the history of every company we’ve ever acquired.

What’s striking to me is that all of our histories were built around three key themes—community, creativity, and client relationships. These themes differentiate us to this day, reinforcing that our brand repositioning was (and is) authentic to who we are. They are the common thread that unites us and drives us to achieve each day.

“We are driven to achieve” is the theme of this issue of spark. Read articles about our 2014 Strategic Plan, the organizational realignment and what’s in it for you, and the first of a four-part series about our 60th anniversary. We have evolved over the years to reflect changing market dynamics and to increase our focus on our clients. These changes have helped us be successful, and the most recent organizational changes will help position us for ongoing success.

The past 60 years have laid the foundation for where our Company can go. And our future continues to be bright.

From Bob

4

WINTER 2014 5

Local sparks A lot is going on around Stantec, and here are a few highlights. For more (much more) news about what’s happening in your region, sector, and discipline, check out your StanNet Community Sites.

Well Done! The two small schools in Northern California’s Latrobe School District shared a big challenge: a lack of tap water. The district’s established wells—encased in solid bedrock—produced water slower than your average household faucet, forcing the district to buy bottled water for students and staff. That changed recently when our Water engineers, including senior hydrogeologist and geochemist Tom Butler, located a well site at the district’s Miller Hill Middle School. That well produces nearly six times as much as the two previous wells.

Energetic PraiseStantec received kudos from client Nalcor Energy for archaeology fieldwork in Labrador. The work forms part of the regulatory compliance for Nalcor’s Muskrat Falls hydroelectric development that will bring power to Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and elsewhere. Nalcor’s project manager, Marion Organ, paid many compliments to lead archaeologist, Fred Schwarz; health and safety coordinator, Caroline Hong; project manager, Diane Ingraham; and their team. Technically invaluable . . . handled competing priorities under pressure . . . above-par dedication to health and safety . . . respected stakeholders . . . and simply put, worked hard. Kudos indeed!

Whose Week Can You Make Better?At a recent US West leadership meeting, attendees were discussing valuable team members. One person discussed and agreed about was

Leigh Anne De La Cruz (senior project administrator in Bellevue, Washington). Dependable . . . fast . . . stellar attitude. One attendee wondered if Leigh Anne knew what people thought about her, so he emailed to let her know. Her response? “Wow! I had no idea. Thanks so much for sharing that with me. You just made my week!” The moral of the story? Never be afraid to make someone’s week.

North StarStantec’s 120-person North Bay, Ontario, office was named 2013 Business of the Year by the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce. We earned this title based on our financial performance, job creation and retention, employee relations, environmental performance, and community development. The office specializes in mining, but also provides geomatics, surveying, urban planning, and project management services. “I am honored and humbled to accept this award on behalf of the Stantec North Bay office,” managing principal, Andy Pitz, said at the Chamber’s Evening of Excellence. “At Stantec, our promise is to design with community in mind. Coming from our local community, that makes this award even more special.”

“I think most of us know someone who’s been hurt or killed in a car accident,” says Josh, referring to the approximately 40,000 car crash fatalities in the United States each year. “Being part of an intersection redesign that helps bring our families home safely is a passion of mine,” he adds, which explains the genesis of his six-word story.

Since joining Stantec in 2012, Josh has been busy with high crash rate intersection studies and redesign assignments for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. “As consultants, our job is to figure out the best way to mitigate these crashes,” he explains. Sometimes that’s a road reconfiguration that improves sight distances; sometimes it’s adding or changing signals; sometimes it’s installing roundabouts or implementing a newer concept known as superstreets.

In fact, he’s currently at work on the first superstreet in South Carolina: a U-turn solution that decreases the number of left-turn crashes on busy highways. And it comes with a price tag of $3.5 million instead of the $30 million cost of a traditional overpass. “Safety with big cost savings—that’s great,” Josh says.

Safety is top priority, of course, but Josh is also passionate about reflecting the distinctive character of the surrounding communities—whether that means preserving live oaks in Charleston or beachside palms on Pawleys Island.

Saving lives and saving trees. A nice way to make a living.

JOSH JOHNSON

Charleston, South Carolina Engineer-in-Training

High crash rate intersection made safer.

by Marti Mueller

Six-Word Stories Unpacked

6

Many of you have already submitted your six-word stories about community, creativity, and client relationships to our Mission12K project. Here, we tell the “stories behind the stories.”

ALLISON WENZEL

Calgary, Alberta Human Resources Business Analyst

Supporting immigrating candidates, emerging cultural transformation.The culture at Stantec is ever evolving, but thanks to the work of human resources (HR) practitioners like Allison Wenzel, that evolution has taken a leap forward in recent years. “We used to be able to meet our staffing needs with local candidates, but now, with labor shortages in several markets, we’re looking at applicants from around the world,” Allison says. “We’re still transforming, but we’ve come a long way in four years.”

To ensure Stantec has the best talent, Allison and the HR team ease the transition for potential employees from abroad. “Many times, not just one person but the entire family is making a major life change. They need to know what the city is like, where the schools are, what the lifestyle will be. With this information, they can make better decisions,” says Allison. Immigration applications can take a long time to process, meaning business operating units need to plan staffing needs well in advance.

After the new team member arrives, the HR team’s job isn’t over. HR still has to coordinate the immigration application process with legal professionals to renew work permits and assist with permanent residency applications. And all the while the HR team supports Stantec’s new employees so that rather than dealing with immigration officials, they can focus on solutions for clients.

Now, as Stantec continues to grow, HR pros like Allison will be relied on to keep looking beyond borders to attract top talent and support our cultural transformation.

by Matt Stuart

Check out the six-word story project on StanNet and the

new stantec.com, and if you haven’t already,

submit your own six-word story at

http://mission12k/

WINTER 2014 7

Streets

MeanHow do you create order from chaos in Ahmedabad, India? With a little help from the Stantec Research & Development (R&D) Fund.

Six million people share the streets of Ahmedabad—in cars, motorcycles, and rickshaws, as well as on bike and foot.

by Alison Smith

8

WINTER 2014 9

Walking along the streets of Ahmedabad, India, is . . . an adventure. A lack of useful sidewalks.

Cars, rickshaws, bicycles, animals everywhere. No logical traffic patterns. Cars whiz by you from all directions. A camel-drawn cart crosses your path while a cow lies down next to a fruit vendor.

“If you’re walking—or even driving—it’s risky,” says urban designer Neha Karode. For years, designers in our Ahmedabad office wanted to do something about the problem, but this wasn’t their focus. They worked mostly on private building and development projects, getting little opportunity to work on public sites.

R&D to the RescueBut then in late 2010, Burt Hill—with its Ahmedabad office—joined Stantec. As Ahmedabad staff learned about their greatly expanded network of resources and capabilities, working on public streetscapes and intersections became a possibility.

So when business center managing leader, Gopinath (Gopi) Akalkotkar, heard about Stantec’s Research & Development (R&D) Fund, he talked with his team about getting the project off the ground. With improving safety and creating a walkable city for Ahmedabad’s six million people the chief goals, senior urban designer, Saumil Mevada, applied for an R&D Fund grant—and was successful!

Laying the GroundworkWith the necessary financial support, Gopi and Saumil assembled a team, starting with hiring Neha Karode and enlisting staff in the office, including

Streets

architect, Damini Patel, and junior architect, Priyanka Dave. The team undertook an exhaustive course of research into the conditions of the city’s streets and identified examples of what is and isn’t working in other intersections in India and across the globe. The goal? To conduct a case study of a select site, complete with solutions to discuss with the city— at no cost to the client.

Top: Birds, cows, cyclists—they all stake a claim to Ahmedabad’s streets.

Bottom: Many sidewalks aren’t exactly pedestrian friendly, forcing walkers into the street.

10

The team studied Iskon Circle, a busy intersection of a major artery with satellite roads, service lanes, and a tangle of pedestrian walkways, vendors, and storefronts. For months, they visited Iskon Circle several times, talking to people, observing behavior, and documenting and photographing everything.

They identified several key issues in Iskon Circle, pinpointing traffic movement and parking as the biggest concerns. With no clear hierarchy among users—and no traffic signals, crosswalks, or usable sidewalks—pedestrians and bicyclists could be sharing a lane with cars and trucks. What’s more, few parking spaces but many open areas meant drivers parked their cars haphazardly, further muddling traffic patterns.

Creating the VisionAfter studying best practices from around the world, the team developed three design concepts for the intersection (see next page), each representing a different level of intervention and some sort of identifiable gateway for the city. “The whole idea is

to help create a safe environment that also creates a sense of place,” says Saumil. The team presented its research and preliminary concepts internally to other senior staff members, and after further refinements, the research was presented to the city last fall. So far, the reception has been positive. The next challenge is getting the funding from the city to move the ideas forward. “We are now trying to get more people in the city interested and excited about this,” says Gopi. “This was just a starting point. We want to do more projects like this that could help make a difference to our community.”

The plan may already be working. The team presented its Iskon Circle research as part of an interview with the city for a project to create guidelines for a central business district—and won! “We’ve wanted to do this kind of work for the city but never had the resources to pursue it,” says Saumil. “The Stantec R&D Fund grant made it possible for us to do that.”

The Iskon Circle research team included (l-r) Damini Patel, Priyanka Dave, Neha Karode, Saumil Mevada, and Gopinath Akalkotkar.

Today, the intersection at Iskon Circle is a mishmash of pedestrians, cars, rickshaws, and bicyclists, all using the same open corridor. Our team developed three alternatives for redesigning the intersection to be more organized, welcoming, and safe.

WINTER 2014 11

Foot Over Bridge The foot over bridge (also referred to as foot-bridge above) concept allows pedestrians to cross above traffic, adds a tensile roof for protection from the weather, and defines architectural guidelines for buildings.

Split Plaza The split plaza concept more clearly defines travel lanes and adds attractive sidewalks and art to create a sense of belonging.

Central Plaza The central plaza concept adds clear overhead traffic signals, signage, and a large landscaped island. The concept removes billboards and overhead cables to streamline sight lines.

“I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in early 2010, five months after I first started to feel symptoms,” says Ryan Capelle, a cancer survivor and project manager in our Minneapolis, Minnesota, office. “When you go through something as life changing as cancer, you learn a lot of lessons. As I lay there in fear for my life, I learned about what matters, about all the things I took for granted.”

That was the first time cancer changed Ryan’s life, but his story—told in full on our Video Hub—doesn’t end there. “Sadly,” he continues, “once I realized that my cancer was treatable and once I started on the path toward getting healthy again, life started to take over, and I found myself slowly forgetting the lessons I’d just learned. Before I knew it, I was back into my old busy life, taking things for granted and not slowing down to pay attention to my own health.”

Ryan had been in that pattern for four years when he decided to let cancer change his life a second time. Like many Stantec employees, Ryan had participated in Movember every year, but this year he made a conscious decision to share what he’s been through. “This message is for anyone who’s wondering, who’s not feeling right but is putting the signs on the back burner. Don’t hesitate; don’t take that risk; slow down and realize what’s essential in life. Then see your doctor and get that screening done.”

Screenings are particularly crucial to Ryan, who wasn’t diagnosed until several months after first sharing symptoms with his doctor. “Next year, join Movember so that you too can help other people become aware of men’s health issues and raise money for research to develop simpler screenings—including blood tests—that are safer, less expensive, and more effective.”

Cancer changed project manager Ryan Capelle’s life. Twice. Now he wants to help you.

The Movemberists

Four years have passed since Ryan Capelle was diagnosed with cancer. Now cancer free, Ryan decided in 2013 to speak out about his experience. “I’m no longer holding back because sharing might help someone else,” he says. “You don’t have to donate money to make a difference. Talking about cancer or mental illness with your family is an excellent way to contribute to the cause.”

We thank Ryan for generously sharing his story with Stantec. To hear more about what he experienced and learned during

his battle with cancer, go to our Video Hub, accessible on the StanNet home page.

12

by Philippe Roulston

In our Rocklin, California, office, Brian Wickes (left) provides moral support to Jason Foster (right) as he enhances his natural facial hair growing skills.

The mustache mafia. Don’t mess with this crew from our Vancouver, British Columbia, office as they grow their 'staches to combat prostate cancer and raise awareness about men’s health. Back row (l-r): Douglas Stimson, Philippe Roulston, Donald Nguyen. Front: Darren Miller.

No mustache? No problem. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, office made sure all employees, regardless of their mustache-growing abilities, showed support for Movember. Back row (l-r): Brian Wiebe, Stasa Veroukis, Deanna Pelland, Steven Zacharuk. Front row: Leo Korenbaum, Wayne Byczek, Mike Boissonneault, Justin Dahl, Trevor Calley.

Talk about a statement 'stache! Jeff Grob with his handlebar mustache is just one of the New York, New York's Movember team. Jeff is joined by Ben Lague, Danny Cohen, James Ariola, Aaron Ruccio, Jude Cecilio, Justin Racelis, Luigi Napolitano, and Juno Garcia.

WINTER 2014 13

Not too loud, not too quiet— our engineers keep sound levels just right

A Sound Design

14

Stantec’s acoustics engineers helped solve anticipated noise problems in the new emergency and psychiatric emergency departments at Nanaimo Regional Hospital in British Columbia.

by Greg Burchell

WINTER 2014 15

Being able to hear accurately in a hospital setting is crucial. So when Stantec’s architects and interior designers were designing the new emergency and psychiatric emergency departments at Nanaimo Regional Hospital in British Columbia, they brought in our acoustics engineers to help.

“We work with the architects from the design stage until the construction drawings are prepared,” explains Kana Ganesh, an acoustics engineer working out of the Markham, Ontario, office. “We take the drawings at fifty percent, when they’re conceptually thinking ‘this can be drywall, this can be glass, and we’ll have a tile ceiling.’ We’ll run a simulation and tell them where there could be a problem.”

Noises can be too loud—such as in hospital and healing environments— or noises can be too quiet so sound is not "masked"—like in an open office where you can hear everyone else’s phone calls, and they can hear yours.

Acoustic engineers solve noise problems in three ways: absorption, blocking, and controlling. For example, a loud HVAC unit in a building can generally be controlled mechanically. If not, the sound can be absorbed through a number of different materials placed strategically in the sound wave’s path. But if that unit is owned by someone else, acoustics engineers have to look at blocking the noise.

Being involved in the design stage gives acoustic engineers a lot of flexibility in how they customize a space. As the field of acoustical engineering grows, more and more institutions are seeing an acoustic advantage.

For example, Kana’s team recently completed an open-concept library project that needed to separate a kids’ area on one side from a study area on the other, with the checkout in between. The bookshelves already installed didn’t block the noise. “We can’t control the kids,” Kana laughs. “They’re kids!” So the team installed sound absorption panels after using computer models that determined how much sound the

panels would need to absorb to create a comfortable environment.

Defining the quality of the speech at hospital care stations and then providing optimal acoustical quality is a challenge. For the Nanaimo Regional Hospital, a few variables were considered: distance, surface finishes, voice level, and background noise. Some of these variables were not controllable, such as distance and voice level; however, surface finishes could be changed.

CATT Acoustics software was used to predict the Speech Transmission Index (STI) at the care stations. The STI indicates whether selected materials on various surface finishes will provide “good” speech intelligibility. It also helps to ensure optimal acoustical conditions for nurses in care stations so that they can hear each other and can hear patients calling from their rooms.

The past decade has seen rapid growth in the acoustics field, and many hospitals now have a section in their specifications devoted to acoustics. “This wasn’t the case several years ago,” Kana says, noting that the biggest growth has been in the education and healthcare sectors. “Fortunately for us, Stantec works in both.”

Our acoustic engineers need to model sound levels outside of the hospital to understand how noise from the surrounding neighbourhood will affect the indoor environment, as well as how mechanical systems on the roof (marked in blue) impact the nearby homes (marked by blue and white balls).

Middle top: Variables like distance between people, voice levels, and surface finishes all affect speech quality. The first two can’t be controlled, but surface finishes can. For the hospital’s nurse care stations, our acoustics engineers used CATT Acoustics software to predict the Speech Transmission Index (STI) of a range of surface materials for the stations.

Middle bottom: The engineers use computer modeling software that was developed in-house to analyze how sound will transfer through a building from its source. In this image, the ducts and ventilation of an HVAC system are shown. These transfer sound throughout the building.

What’s the best way to end a year of change? Start another year, of course. In case you missed the emails from leadership, we are changing how we’re organized. Similar to our brand repositioning, this realignment is evolutionary, not revolutionary, representing the next logical step of our strategic plan. The change is connected to our strategy in two main ways: the three Cs and the four values.

First, the three Cs:• Tofurtherstrengthenourbrandin

each community we serve, we’re giving regional leaders more time to focus on local efforts

• Toencourage creativity, we’re providing more opportunities for design and technical staff to advance their careers

• Becauseclient relationships are so vital, we've organized ourselves around the sectors and business lines that our clients operate in

And second, the four values, the pillars of our strategic plan.

All that may be well and great, but you’re probably wondering, “What’s in it for me?” Fair question. Read on to find answers to that question and more. And if we haven’t anticipated all of your questions, be sure to ask your supervisor for more information.

is the newBCPC

by Stefan Riches

16

Our organizational realignment: What is it, why is it, and most important, what’s in it for you?

WINTER 2014 17

We changed from five practice area units (PAUs) to three business operating units (BOUs). We wanted to better align ourselves with our clients. Within our BOUs, we are introducing business lines, which contain• Sectors—theexpertiseourclientslookforin

their markets• Disciplines(formerlyknownaspracticeareas)—the

professional and technical skills we need to deliver quality services

Buildings Sectors:

Airports & Aviation Commercial Education & Institutional Healthcare Industrial Buildings Science & Technology

InfrastructureSectors:

Community Development Bridges Roadways Transit & Rail Water

Energy & ResourcesSectors:

Mining Oil & Gas Power

1

2

4

5

6

3

The Realignment: Six Things You Should Know

We changed from five regional operating units to three and added seven geographies, with a geographic leader (GL) for each. This makes our regions easier to manage so we can focus on the key differentiator that’s made us so successful—our connection to local clients and communities.

Business is the new practice The regional operating unit leader (ROUL) position stays the same, but three business operating unit leaders (BOULs) replace the five practice area unit leaders (PAULs). Each BOUL will be supported by several business leaders (BLs), who, in turn, will be supported by regional business, sector, and discipline leaders, as needed.

BC is the new PC Did you know that “PC” stands for people, practice, and profit center? But we often heard PCs called “profit centers.” Although profitability is important, it’s not our sole objective, one reason why “profits” are no longer a core value. Instead, at Stantec, “we are driven to achieve.” We want leadership to run a business that thrives on many levels—engaged staff, quality work, strong client relationships, and, yes, profits. Therefore, PCs are now called BCs—business centers.

We are better together Multiple reporting relationships between these leadership roles will ensure collaboration between all sides of the business.

One size doesn’t fit all Stantec’s business is diverse. Each BOU has distinct economic drivers, client cultures, and project management and delivery approaches. Generally, Energy & Resources is driven by commodity prices and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) project delivery. Infrastructure and Buildings are driven by urbanization and public funding, with project delivery ranging from design-bid-build to public-private partnerships. Added to that, Stantec’s maturity in each sector we serve varies.

This realignment respects those differences. From the business operating unit down to the business center, each group will determine the number and mix of leaders it requires based on its needs, size, and maturity. It is not our intent during this realignment to fill every role for every circumstance. In some cases, one person will actually take on more than one leadership role. And we'll course adjust as we go along.

2

3

4

5

6

Helps you execute our strategic plan “The realignment helps put us in front of clients in a way that’s more organized and that makes more sense to them,” says president and chief executive officer, Bob Gomes. “Understanding local conditions and relationships makes us a successful firm, and designing with community in mind means leveraging our knowledge and relationships to bring the right mix of services from across Stantec to help our clients.” “So I hope that as a result of this realignment, employees feel part of a larger company but retain the community focus they’ve developed throughout their careers.”

The Realignment and You: Five Impacts and Benefits

1

3

4 Improves the organization of our Functional Services teams Our Functional Services teams— People + Practice, Information Technology, Financial Services, Risk Management, Marketing and Communications, Operations Support, and Corporate Development—are central to our culture and success. Throughout 2014, we will align those teams with the overall organizational changes.

“Each team will determine how it can add the most value to the organization, identify the level of service required, and continue to find ways to be cost effective and efficient in delivering those services,” says chief financial officer, Dan Lefaivre.

Watch StanNet and leadership emails for more as these changes unfold.

May give you some new leaders By now, you will have received several communications from Bob Gomes, your BOUL, and ROUL, and possibly other leaders. All announcements down to the BC level should be complete by the end of March, and you can expect ongoing communications from your leadership teams after that.

Changes where you fit in the organizational structureEveryone is part of a new BOU, apart from those in the original Buildings group. The new Buildings BOU is largely the same, but for the addition of the Industrial Buildings group and airside Airports & Aviation group (e.g., runways and non-terminal buildings). And we’re all part of redefined regional operating units and geographies.

2

18

5 Provides opportunities and fosters collaborationCathy Kingdon was hired in 1991 as a waste management engineer, but right after she started, a major client received an environmental control order because of some contamination issues. “I was immediately shifted to resolving the client’s issues, which resulted in about two years of fieldwork,” she says. “And I’ve worked mainly on contaminated sites ever since.”

When Cathy started with Stantec, she had no idea that contaminated sites would be her destiny. But then, there were only 500 people at Stantec, and in the Environmental Services group, junior staff were expected to get as much experience as possible. “I was given lots of exciting opportunities and made many lasting relationships with clients,” she says. Cathy thinks the realignment will help improve the communication between the many talented people at Stantec. “We’ll no longer work within our silos; we can all learn from each other.”

Tawney Farmer, a Community Development project manager in Rochester, New York, has worked out of the Phoenix, Arizona, office on a large border crossing project and has received assistance from several other Stantec offices for shopping mall projects across the US East. But closer to home, a struggling economy is currently preventing growth and opportunity in Rochester.

The realignment can’t bolster the economy, but it was designed to foster collaboration, which can, in some cases, provide opportunities to tap into BCs that are experiencing slowdowns. “We actively look for work-sharing opportunities for our employees,” says Brian Larson, geographic leader for the US Northeast and a Buildings business leader. “I am sure the realignment will help strengthen our internal network. There will always be areas of the business that face challenging market conditions—that’s the reality—but we’ve seen time and time again that work-sharing can be successful, so having an active internal network will help us identify those opportunities more easily.”

For employees like Chuck Gopperton, a Water associate in Phoenix, Arizona, career opportunities took time. “When I joined Stantec in 1996, there were no other Stantec offices in the US, and so collaboration was limited to working with the roadway, aviation, and irrigation groups in Phoenix,” he says. “But in the past several years, I’ve worked on both domestic and international projects with groups in many different offices across the US and Canada and have gotten to know quite a few good engineers in other parts of the Company. I expect this to continue as Stantec grows.”

Cathy also expects her career opportunities to continue. “I’ve always appreciated that Stantec provides limitless opportunities if we’re willing to try new things and respond to the needs of our clients,” says Cathy. “Each time we’ve doubled in size, more exciting projects have come my way. But I would say that growth on its own isn’t going to result in opportunities. It’s everyone making a commitment to providing quality services to our clients.”

Cathy KingdonEdmonton, Alberta

Tawney FarmerRochester, New York

Chuck GoppertonPhoenix, Arizona

Brian LarsonBinghamton, New York

WINTER 2014 19

Sixty Years of . . . Community

To celebrate our diamond anniversary, spark looks back at acquisition and organic growth stories through the lenses of community, creativity, and client relationships

by Stefan Riches

What does Stantec’s 60th anniversary mean? “Stantec was a small engineering company that started in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1954,

and we grew into a much larger firm,” says president and chief executive officer, Bob Gomes. “Along the way, we absorbed the histories of companies we acquired. When staff talk about Stantec projects, they include projects completed by acquired firms before those firms joined Stantec. Their stories became our stories. As we celebrate Stantec’s diamond anniversary, let’s acknowledge not only the ways we’ve grown organically, but the companies we acquired as well.”

To help us understand the impact that strategic hires and acquired companies have had, spark is launching a special four-part series that celebrates our growth over the past 60 years, as follows:

• Winter2014:SixtyYearsof...Community• Spring2014:SixtyYearsof...Creativity• Summer2014:SixtyYearsof...Client

Relationships • Autumn2014:StantecintheFuture Although only a few firms are highlighted in these articles, we do know that every firm acquired and every person hired has contributed to the strong position in the industry we now enjoy. We would profile every acquisition and each person if we could.

20

1954657687980901020142060

WINTER 2014 21

Vollmer Quick FactsFounded: 1959 by

Arnold Vollmer

Acquired: April 2007

Size: 650 people

Sectors: Transit & Rail,

Roadways, Bridges, and

Community Development

A New York State of MindVollmer acquisition establishes Stantec in New York City

“Stantec approached us about the acquisition in 2006. I’d never heard of them—neither had our clients,” says Transportation vice president, Stu Lerner, a former Vollmer and Associates executive. Nevertheless, Vollmer became interested in joining Stantec because both firms were built on the seller/doer model, both supported community engagement activities, and each had something the other wanted.

Acquiring Vollmer got Stantec into one of the largest communities in North America—New York City. Joining Stantec helped Vollmer grow outside of that community (an advantage for many acquirees). “We wanted to do larger projects in other locations,” says Transportation principal, Susan Walter. And they did: former Vollmer staff worked on the Ottawa LRT, Washington Metro’s Silver Line, and the South Fraser Perimeter Road in British Columbia.

And there are many more successes. “Before joining Vollmer, I went through a major acquisition with another firm, but the Stantec acquisition was much better orchestrated,” says Susan. “Stantec focuses on people. Stantec leaders say that when we buy a firm, we’re buying the people. We don’t want them to leave.”

Furthermore, Stantec leaders didn’t rush the transition. “When we were acquired,” says Stu, “Stantec told us to keep doing what we were doing, and over time, they would change our leadership structure to what it needed to be. And that’s exactly what happened.”

Is there more awareness in New York about Stantec now? “Yes, especially with the new brand. I think we’re bringing a lot of community focus into our New York office,” says Susan. Stu agrees: “When you’re in college comparing job offers with your friends, you want to say that you work for the biggest and “baddest” company. It’s better to work for a publicly traded 13,000-person firm than for a smaller firm.”

195465768798090102014

22

Blazing a West Coast Trail Architectura acquisition expands our Vancouver and Buildings presence

“We were the largest architecture firm in western Canada, but we felt we’d have more opportunities and more markets being with an even larger organization,” says Buildings senior vice president, Stanis Smith (former chief executive officer of Architectura).

Architectura’s design presence is still felt around Vancouver: on the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University campuses, at the upscale Oakridge Centre shopping mall and Burnaby’s Metrotower Office Complex, and at the Vancouver International Airport. As well, employees were (and still are) active with arts and business organizations, design panels, and not-for-profits. “People here care deeply about the city’s development and culture,” says senior associate, Janice Hicks, homegrown Vancouverite and former Architectura employee.

Joining Stantec provided many opportunities. The Airports portfolio (in both terminal and retail design) expanded across North America. And when existing sectors such as Education slowed down, they diversified into new ones. For example, Healthcare sector leader, Bruce Raber—already with Stantec in Vancouver when Architectura joined—brought former Architectura employees onto healthcare projects across Canada. And Peter Salusbury, who was responsible for Architectura’s ISO programs, led the initiative to successfully implement those programs throughout Stantec. Former Architectura employees also worked on Vancouver’s Seymour Capilano Water Filtration Plant and are helping to design the prominent Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC. “We would not have won many of these projects as Architectura,” says Stanis. Volunteer opportunities have also increased. “Employees really embraced Stantec in the Community Day,” says Janice.

As well as solidifying Stantec’s presence in Vancouver, Architectura influenced the direction of Stantec’s growth. “We saw that Stantec was serious about the building design business, and we wanted to help shape that growth,” says Stanis. “When we joined, the entire industry woke up to Stantec’s plan and other prominent firms came on board. Now we’re one of the world’s top building design firms.”

North of 60FSC Architects and Engineers acquisition solidifies Stantec in the North

“FSC started to see opportunities come up that were difficult to respond to,” says senior principal, Rod Savoie, former chief executive officer of FSC. “With Stantec’s support, we could tap into a much larger resource pool and pursue newer types of work in the North.”

And they do see the benefits. Since joining Stantec, FSC employees have been involved in various biomass studies and heritage building projects, Nunavut’s Iqaluit Airport redevelopment, and more. “We’re taking on leadership roles for some major projects, whereas in the past, we likely would have served only specialty roles,” says senior principal and former FSC chief operating officer, Kevin Hodgins.

Employees are also enjoying career growth that had leveled off at FSC. For instance, Megan Fisher and Paige Williams had administrative roles with FSC, and they now work in Human Resources and Marketing, respectively.

Stantec and FSC were a good fit: FSC had a highly robust community engagement program—pro bono design services for Habitat for Humanity, long-term food bank sponsorships, and support for cultural centers, ski clubs, and winter festivals. FSC has grabbed onto Stantec’s community spirit and refreshed brand wholeheartedly.

Also, both Stantec and FSC were built on the seller/doer model and offered a broad range of services across the Buildings, Energy & Resources, and Infrastructure business lines. FSC gained access to Stantec’s Aboriginal Partnerships (which Stantec inherited from the Jacques Whitford acquisition—see Inform [Winter 2013] for more).

Stantec added employees to cross-sell and deliver integrated services. What keeps those permanent staff there? “The North is dramatic—the places, climate, terrain,” says Kevin. “Our communities are isolated and have to subsist on their own. We’re in a small town without much outside influence, so we get involved with opportunities at a high level, taking them where we want.”

Architectura Quick FactsFounded: 1973

Acquired: January 2003

Size: 91 people

Sectors: Airports & Aviation,

Education & Institutional,

Commercial, Science &

Technology

FSC Quick FactsFounded: 1976

Acquired: October 2011

Size: 77 people

Sectors: Airports & Aviation,

Education & Institutional,

Healthcare, Community

Development

WINTER 2014 23

Five years ago, Stantec’s Transportation team had almost no presence in southern California. But that didn’t stop newly hired vice president, Art Hadnett, from pursuing—and winning—the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LA Metro’s) seven-year assignment to provide construction management on a multibillion dollar program of highway, transit, and maintenance facility projects.

Art’s team has not only expanded to over 60 Stantec employees—an organic growth story to be proud of—but has also helped introduce LA Metro to a new approach to communication for one of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects: the over one billion dollar I-405 freeway program.

“We knew the program would have a huge impact on the Los Angeles community during construction; it wouldn’t be easy for anyone,” recalls Ned Racine, former Stantec new media officer for the I-405 project (now LA Metro’s social media manager). The I-405 in southern California is one of the busiest and most congested freeways in the United States, with an astounding 350,000 or so vehicles per day. And LA Metro had to shut it down.

An Effective Tweetment

Stantec uses social media to prevent “Carmageddon” in the Los Angeles community

44,000 TweetsTravelers wouldn’t have much choice of practical alternate routes, so to mitigate the impact of the closures, we communicated extensively through social media. “We needed to keep the community informed so they could make appropriate choices when faced with route closures,” says Ned. And so Ned put together a comprehensive social media plan, confident this would be the most complete and timely way of warning locals and visitors of upcoming work.

“When I came on, Twitter was used to communicate significant closures only,” says Ned. “Then I decided to cover all closures, then all closures every weekday, then seven days a week, then we went to morning and afternoon closures, so twice per day, every day.”

The results were significant. During the two Mulholland Bridge demolition closures—easily the most disruptive of all the works, resulting in the nicknames “Carmageddon 1” and “Carmageddon 2”—the campaign resulted in 60% diversion and 50% diversion (respectively).

“This success became a rallying point for travelers—they could actually adapt to this major disruption,” says Ned. “They were mature enough to get out of their cars, stay in their communities, or otherwise avoid a tremendously important freeway, and I think it gave the people of Los Angeles a big burst of pride.”

by Philippe Roulston

The 608-foot-long Mulholland bridge had to be demolished and rebuilt one side at a time. For each demolition, tons of soil was spread under the historic bridge to protect the valuable I-405 road surface during demolition.

Excavators with hammer-like attachments (lower left of image) pounded the deck of the Mulholland Bridge until only this girder remained. Underneath, a virtually empty I-405 curves north toward the San Fernando Valley in southern California.

Ever wonder what’s in our strategic plan? Here are some highlights.

What’s the Plan?

24

WINTER 2014 25

Last year, our Strategic Planning team completed a deep dive to identify strategies for success over the next 5 to 10 years. The result? Our new strategic platform, which encompasses the purpose, promise, values, and voice that lies at the heart of our brand repositioning initiative.

We update the plan every year. This year’s plan focuses on how we will achieve the goals we set in 2013 and outlines new initiatives for 2014. But even though the plan gets updated each year, our primary

› Leadership Development› Career Streams› Blended Learning › Diversity and Inclusion

› Created People + Practice group to tie people strategy to professional practice

› Formalized succession planning

› Introduced career streams› Created Diversity and

Inclusion Committee

› Finalize succession plans for leadership

› Decrease voluntary turnover› Improve employee

engagement (measured by our annual employee survey)

› Develop Diversity and Inclusion plan with outside consultant

› Organizational Evolution › Client Development Strategy › Account Management› Must Win Program

› Defined our purpose and promise through our rebrand

› Launched internally our business operating unit and regional realignment

› Report financial results by business unit

› Continue implementation of brand repositioning

› Grow revenues with our top clients at both the global and national level and the local and regional level

› Increase number of Must Win projects awarded

› Quality Management › Safety Culture › Innovation › Sustainability Initiatives

› Introduced annual ethics and integrity training

› Added “Step 0” to our PM Frameworks

› Improve ISO compliance audit results

› Decrease total recordable injury rate (TRIR)

› Increase research and development (R&D) tax credits

› Reduce environmental impacts (measured in tons of greenhouse gas per employee)

› Sector and Regional Growth Plans

› Acquisition Strategy › Organic Growth Initiatives › Operational Effectiveness

› Grew net revenue by 18.7% in Q1 to Q3 2013 compared to Q1 to Q3 2012*

› Achieved 10.1% organic growth in Q3 2013 compared to Q3 2012*

› Acquired 5 firms in 2013 * Full 2013 results will be released in late February

› Achieve net revenue and earnings per share growth of 15%

› Achieve both acquisition and organic net revenue growth

› Achieve return on equity of 14% or greater

2014 Emphasis

Recent Accomplishments

business objective—to be a top 10 global design firm—remains the same, as does our overall strategy—to be a world-class provider of consulting services while maintaining our strong presence in the local communities we serve. In other words, to design with community in mind.

Here is an overview of the 2014 plan, as well as some recent accomplishments.

We Put People First We Are Better Together We Do What Is Right We Are Driven To Achieve

26

A round of applause!We’re pleased to see so many people at Stantec earning service awards. Warmest congratulations to everyone. We needed extra space to list the many award recipients. Please visit StanNet to see more service award winners.

We have a lot of collective wisdom in our Company that’s worth sharing, so we asked award recipients who submitted a photo to spark to share something they’ve learned that might help others build their career. You’ll see a few of those replies below and can check out more on your regional StanNet Community Site.

Milestone Service Awards

Jack Gorrie Kitchener, ON

Dejan Radoicic Vancouver, BC

Douglas George Mechanicsburg, PA

Liz Fernandez Coral Gables, FL

John Walker Dartmouth, NS

Dave Sanocki St Paul, MN

35 25

20

20 20

20

Build relationships with clients early in your career and continually nurture these relationships through innovation, quality, and client service.

Not a day without a laugh—we should not take ourselves too seriously!

Come to work every day with the desire to learn or experience something new.

Relationships—building and maintaining relationships, both internally and externally, are key to the success of any project.

Do the right thing, and for the right reason.

Listen to what your clients are telling you. Give your clients the attention and respect they deserve, and never take anything for granted.

John Wise Tucson, AZ

30

There are many benefits working for a large firm like Stantec, such as the opportunities for personal growth, the wealth of talent and expertise at our collective disposal, and, finally, learning to be patient and truly working with others. It can be a fun and extremely rewarding experience!

WINTER 2014 27

40Henry Beer, Boulder, CO

35Simon Chan, Edmonton, ABHarry Olive, Fredericton, NBGeoffrey Martin, St Paul, MN

30Donald Silar, Fort Collins, CORodney Kirkwood, Yellowknife, NTDarrell Baker, Dartmouth, NSMichael Crowell, Dartmouth, NS

25Deanna Gerome, Portland, ORCharlotte Smith, Saskatoon, SKKeith Dove, Vancouver, BCMel Farmer, Rochester, NYJarrad Truman, Irvine, CA

20Anthony Zavanelli, Walnut Creek, CAPepito Escanlar, Regina, SKRobert Storrow, Calgary, ABHenry Wong, New York, NYRon Selinger, Regina, SKCindy Rodych, Winnipeg, MBMarjorie Dina, New York, NYCarlton Smith, Long Beach, CARich Stowell, Rocklin, CA

Cindy Vance St Paul, MN

Jim Burns Okemos, MI

John Bollier Thousand Oaks, CA

Ray Morton Kelowna, BC

20 years

25

Dan Back Lexington, KY

Steve Parsons Lexington, KY

Kathy Ste. Marie Kitchener, ON

Marc Voisine Fredericton, NB

Debbie Evans Ann Arbor, MI

Michelle Glaskinclay Kitchener, ON

Jack Myers South Burlington, VT

Missi Cammarata Columbus, OH

Pat Delorme North Bay, ON

Bryce Walker Rochester, NY

years

Dave Walker Vancouver, BC

40 years

Ron Fitzgerald, Geotechnical Technician, Dartmouth, NSFrank Meyer, Vice President, Infrastructure Management and Pavement Engineering, Kitchener, ON

We express our condolences for the recent loss of the following valued employees. Our thoughts are with their families, friends, and colleagues.

In Memoriam

Dave Charlton Guelph, ON

Gary Kristofitz St Paul, MN

30 years

Rochelle Brown is dedicated—from organizing the office toy drive for the Salvation Army to volunteering at Rocmaura, a local nursing home; from helping the Saint John Board of Trade to offering support at the Dartmouth General Hospital. Volunteering is part of who Rochelle is.

Rochelle, the team lead for Stantec’s Geotechnical group in Saint John, New Brunswick, is an active member of many communities. “My communities are the people who surround me,” Rochelle says. “I have the community of people I work with, who have also become my community of friends, and I have the community of people I volunteer with. I connect with people who share a common goal.”

My Communities

by Rachel Sa

Geotechnical team lead, Rochelle Brown, and her dog, Livingston, stop along the Saint John, New Brunswick, waterfront. Rochelle adopted Livingston from the Animal Rescue League. Rochelle encourages people to volunteer: "Do what you can with what you have, but keep in mind that it's not just what you get out of the work; it's the fun you have along the way."

For Rochelle, working with a company that promises to design with community in mind is the perfect fit. “I think it’s fantastic that Stantec has this outlook on community,” Rochelle says. “For Stantec in the Community Day in 2013, our team went to the local food bank and served lunch. People came back with a changed attitude after helping their community. All of us who work at Stantec are very fortunate.”

To learn more about what Rochelle’s communities mean to her, watch for the StanNet feature story coming soon.

For Rochelle Brown, creating communities is about connecting people who share a common goal