George Little to Retire from HDR: Eric Keen Will Be Next Chairman and CEO

OMAHA, Neb.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–During an all-employee meeting today, HDR Chairman and CEO George A.
Little, P.E., announced his decision to retire effective December 31,
2017. George recommended Eric L. Keen, P.E. as his replacement, and the
board unanimously agreed. Keen currently serves as the firm’s president
and chief operating officer.

Little has been with HDR since 1989, when he joined the firm’s
Minneapolis office as a project manager. From there, he became local
office manager, then operations director for the engineering company,
developing its quality assurance and quality control programs. He was
one of the original investors who bought the company back from foreign
ownership in 1996.

Under Little’s guidance – six years as CEO and 14 years as president of
the engineering company – HDR has grown revenue and profits every year.
Today, HDR has revenues of $2 billion and is ranked No. 8 in the Engineering
News-Record Top 500 Design Firms survey, widely considered the
industry benchmark.

An electrical engineer by trade, Little has over 35 years of industry
experience including extensive experience in project management and
design for large power and energy projects. In 2010, he was inducted
into the Engineering Hall of Fame at his alma mater, the University of
Alabama-Birmingham. He serves on the boards of many industry and
nonprofit organizations, is for the current past chair of the Greater
Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and currently chairs the Design Professional
Coalition, an organization of senior executives from leading
design/engineering firms.

“I’ve accomplished more than I could have hoped for in my career with
HDR,” Little said. “We recently refreshed our brand, transitioned to a
modern enterprise business system, and our new corporate headquarters is
underway. Most importantly, our financials are strong, as is our
employee ownership model. This felt like the right time to transition to
new leadership, and I’m confident in Eric’s ability to lead the company
into its next hundred years.”

Keen joined HDR in 1993. Trained as a civil engineer, he has spent his
career helping deliver some of the United States’ most notable
infrastructure projects. He was instrumental in developing the firm’s
transportation alternative delivery practice and was previously the
director of the firm’s transportation group. In 2012, Keen started the
HDR Foundation, an employee-funded and administered charitable giving
organization. The foundation has given more than $1 million in grants to
date.

“The fact that HDR has only had seven CEOs in its remarkable 100-year
history says a lot about our firm,” said Keen. “I am humbled by this
opportunity, and wish to thank George and the HDR board for their
confidence. The future holds great things for our company, and I look
forward to working with the best people in the industry.”

About HDR

For more than a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape
communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise
spans 10,000 employees, in more than 225 locations around the world—and
counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction
services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our
optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and
drives our future.

Contacts

HDR
Jackie Fox, 402-926-7058
jackie.fox@hdrinc.com
or
Mary
Zgoda, 402-399-1372
mary.zgoda@hdrinc.com