Recently launched 1898 & Co. makes raft of additions, promotions
1898 & Co, the management and technology consulting arm of design and engineering firm Burns & McDonnell, has hired a raft of consulting talent in the wake of its October launch. The consulting division also made several key promotions.
Angling to get in on the high-demand and high-margin areas of technology and management consulting, Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell launched its 1898 & Co. division several months ago. Clients can now receive a wider range of professional services at the more than 100-year-old architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) services company, with new offerings in business strategy, digital transformation, and cybersecurity consulting. The firm began developing its consulting division in 2017, and officially launched it in October 2019.
"1898 & Co. was launched by Burns & McDonnell to better serve clients by looking beyond projects and programs and delivering the strategic insights that will help them prosper in a time of rapid disruption," said Chris Underwood, general manager of 1898 & Co.
Following the launch, the firm has been aggressively building up the division’s talent and capabilities, making a number of high-level hires and promotions.
"We are firmly focused on enabling the future for our clients and believe the new additions to our team will help us show our clients the way forward," Underwood added.
1898 & Co. particularly bulked up its oil, gas & chemicals (OGCC) sector consulting team with four new hires.
Rick Mena joined as managing director and leader of the OGCC team, bringing nearly 15 years of experience in oil sector consulting and business development, with a particular focus on petroleum refining.
Martin Brandt joined as a director, leading opportunity definition for oil & gas clients. He previously spent 14 years at a large AEC firm, serving as refining director for the Americas.
Jerry Price joined as a director focusing on business case assessments, bringing more than a decade of experience advising refining and petrochemical clients internationally.
Paul Ruwe joined as a director, leading transaction advisory services. The seasoned energy consultant brings 40 years of experience across strategy, due diligence, project feasibility, and market assessments, among other areas.
1898 also promoted and hired several consultants across its broader business, digital transformation, and security consulting offerings.
Lucas McIntosh was promoted to managing director of 1898, leading the emerging advisory consulting practice, which helps clients with business, operations, and technology adoption problems. McIntosh has over 18 years of experience in business strategy, operations, data analytics, and technology evaluation, and has worked for many of the largest investor-owned utilities in North America.
Kent Herzog was promoted to managing director for the Northeast US region, where he will lead a team of more than 30 professionals. He has nearly two decades of experience in advisory, engineering, and construction, and has worked on more than $1 billion in projects during his career.
Joey Nichols was promoted to leader of the grid modernization and distribution planning practice. He has more than 13 years of experience in utility operations and engineering, having worked as a consultant for large investor-owned utilities as well as municipal utilities.
Dirk Mahling joined the firm as a principal consultant working on digital transformation strategy. Mahling has been a technology consulting executive for nearly 20 years, previously serving as CIO and VP of technology and strategy at two utilities companies.
Matt Morris joined as a director and leader of the critical infrastructure cybersecurity practice. He brings 25 years of cybersecurity and digitalization experience, serving in leadership roles at startups and multinational corporations.
