One-on-One with Black & Veatch's John Chevrette

John Chevrette was recently named President of Black & Veatch's management consulting division. In his new role at the nearly 100-year-old global engineering, consulting and construction company, Chevrette will lead a group of professionals focused on providing solutions within the energy and water industries, both of which are extensively served by the firm. Chevrette says the utility industry is in the midst of a "historic shift", and that the recent economic downturn and other major factors have slowed much-needed improvements to the United States' utility infrastructure, which in turn stymies increased efficiency and sustainability. Chevrette shared some of the firm's insight about a way forward, the future of renewable energy adoption, and what's holding it back.

Consulting: What has been keeping you busy at your new role as president of the management consulting division?

Chevrette: Black & Veatch is a terrifically exciting place—we are fortunate to be part of a firm with such deep technical expertise, global reach, and steadfast commitment to excellence in delivery. And yet, we also enjoy a great deal of latitude in defining our consulting strategy and operating model. So it has been a very busy time for all of the professionals on our team in terms of finishing the integration of prior acquisitions, aligning on a common vision for the future of our business, and executing organizational and process changes as we grow our business. We have also been intensively engaged in understanding what types of clients realize the greatest value from the unique strengths of the entire Black & Veatch organization.