Thomas J. Spearing III is President of Hill's Project Management Group (Americas).
Mr. Spearing has over 25 years of operational and business development experience in engineering and construction management. Before his current position, he was Hill's Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Hill, he worked for more than ten years with STV Group, Inc., an engineering and construction management firm, most recently as Principal in charge of their Western Region. Before that, Spearing was their Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Growth Officer. Before joining that firm, he was a Vice President of business development with Hill.
Spearing earned his B.B.A. in computer and information science from Temple University, a B.S. in construction management and a B.S. in civil engineering from Spring Garden College, and a M.S. in management from Rosemont College. He is a member of the American Public Transportation Association, the Women's Transportation Seminar, New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the Southern New Jersey Development Council, and the New Jersey Alliance for Action, among others.
Raouf S. Ghali President, Project Management Group (International)
Raouf S. Ghali is President of Hill's international project management operations. Mr. Ghali has over 22 years of experience in project cost control, financial analysis, planning and scheduling, procurement and contract administration, claims analysis, accounting and procurement. He has worked on commercial buildings, office buildings, defense facilities, food processing facilities, and theme parks, including development of EuroDisney in Paris, France. Mr. Ghali has extensive knowledge of starting up projects and successfully managing all field construction and project matters. He is also fluent in five languages and has worked throughout the United States, Europe, Far East and the Middle East.
Mr. Ghali heads the international construction management organization with over 500 staff members in more than 12 countries supporting public and private clients on large mixed use developments, healthcare, specialized buildings, infrastructure rehabilitation, transportation and environmental projects. As the Project Executive for Palm Island, a multi billion dollar real estate development in Dubai, Mr. Ghali has been directing the sizable team throughout the project from its capital dredging program to the development of the Island. With over 30 ongoing assignments Mr. Ghali provides expertise for public private partnerships, build operate and transfer (BOT) schemes, feasibility studies and due diligence. His experience with projects funded bu the European Union, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), World Bank and European Investment Bank provides a seamless process between the Beneficiary and Funding Institution during the implementation of the assignment.
Mr. Ghali has a B.S. degree in Business Administration/Economics and an M.S. in Business Organizational Management from the University of LaVerne.
Mohammed Al Rais Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Middle East Operations
Mohammed Al Rais is Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Hill's Middle East Project Management Group. Mr. Al Rais has over 32 years of experience in the design, construction and management of complex capital projects throughout the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Canada. Mr. Al Rais was previously Vice President acting as Hill's regional manager for it's Abu Dhabi operations.
Mr. Al Rais' project experience includes airports, hotels and resorts, office buildings, residential developments, retail facilities, civil and infrastructure projects. Al Rais has managed all aspects of the construction process and is an experienced liaison between clients, regulatory agencies and contractors. Mr. Al Rais is fluent in both Arabic and English, and has extensive experience in working with both the public and private sectors throughout Canada, England and the Middle East. He is particularly experienced in the construction and unique logistics of high-rise projects, and in the management of several concurrent projects at disparate locations.
Mr. Al Rais earned a B.S. in city and regional planning from the University of Engineering and Technology in Pakistan and a M.S. in project management from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
William W. Brubaker Senior Vice President and North Africa Regional Manager
William W. Brubaker is Senior Vice President and North Africa Regional Manager with Hill International.
Mr. Brubaker has over 30 years experience in the construction industry managing major capital improvement programs for large public agencies. Prior to joining Hill, he was Director of Facilities Engineering and Operations for the Smithsonian Institution where he managed 1,900 employees and was responsible for 650 buildings and structures with annual operating and capital budgets exceeding $400 million.
Prior to that, he was Director of Facilities Engineering for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration where he directed all NASA facility activities including the oversight of 5,500 buildings worth $20 billion. Before that, he worked for 16 years in various positions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Mr. Brubaker earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Virginia, his M.S. in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his M.S. in business administration from Boston University. He is a registered professional engineer in Florida, a member of the National Academy of Construction, and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Donald R. Boyken FCCC, FRICS Senior Vice President and South Regional Manager
Donald R. Boyken is Senior Vice President with Hill International in charge of the firm's Southern Project Management operations. Mr. Boyken provides project coordination and comprehensive cost, value and progress evaluations on major construction projects. He feels strongly that program managers and project managers must work with the design team, construction team and the owner to achieve proactive solutions that are functional, efficient and cost effective. As Chief Executive Officer of Boyken International, Don has the ultimate responsibility for the technical review and quality assurance of the firm's work. Don's extensive construction experience also provides opportunities for him to serve as an expert witness for the firm's dispute-resolution assignments.
Mr. Boyken has been involved with construction since 1970 and is a Certified Cost Consultant and a Certified Inspector, Environmental Assessments & Audits. He is a fellow in the Royal Institution of Charter Surveyors (RICS) as well as the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI). He was previously the chairman of the Certification Board of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International and belongs to the American Institute of Constructors, the American Society of Testing and Materials, the American Arbitration Association and the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute, among others.
He is a graduate of Virginia Tech, with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Auburn University.
Eric C. Butterworth Vice President and Managing Director
Eric C. Butterworth is Vice President and Managing Director of Hill's project management operations in the United Kingdom. Mr. Butterworth has nearly 40 years of experience in project management for public and private-sector building, civil engineering, pipeline, mechanical engineering, and petrochemical projects throughout the United Kingdom and overseas.
Prior to this role, he was a Vice President with the UK Region of Hill's Project Management Group. Butterworth earned his M.Sc. in project management and a Post-Graduate Diploma in property development from South Bank University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Association for Project Management.
Ranjit K. Chakravorti PhD, PE, BCEE Senior Vice President
Dr. Ranjit K. Chakravorti founded TRS Consultants, Inc. in 1987, and is responsible for all TRS activities, including business development, contract execution, and client and employee relations. In January, 2010, TRS was acquired by Hill International, Inc. (Hill). Dr. Chakravorti became Senior Vice President of Hill.
He has over thirty-five (35) years of experience in project development, engineering management and business development for multidisciplinary engineering and construction support services. TRS provides construction management and web-based labor compliance management application services for transportation (highway, bridge & bridge, rail, port and airport), public works, buildings and environmental projects. TRS has provided construction management services on highway, bridge and public works projects on over 160 projects with a construction value of more than $ 1.8 billion.
Vincent J. D'Ambrosio Senior Vice President of Business Development
Vincent J. D'Ambrosio is Senior Vice President in charge of business development for the Project Management Group (Americas). He has over 12 years of experience in the construction industry and has been responsible for selling over $9 billion of construction projects, including mixed use developments, educational, national security and border crossings, forensic laboratories, and municipal and governmental facilities.
Mr. D'Ambrosio was instrumental in helping launch Hill International Real Estate Partners, the firm's real estate development affiliate that is developing the 1,510-foot American Commerce Center in Philadelphia. He was recently named by Building Design & Construction magazine to its annual "40 Under 40" list, which recognizes the top 40 rising young professionals under the age of 40 working nationwide in the architecture, engineering and construction industries.
Prior to his years in business development, Mr. D'Ambrosio played an integral role in construction management operations. His experience includes managing cost reporting and engineering systems for projects, negotiating contract amendments, developing a system to track quality of work performed, writing bid packages, developing budget estimates, writing scopes of work, and completing project closeout procedures. His operational experience includes governmental buildings, hotels, office buildings, prisons, and airport terminals.
Mr. D'Ambrosio earned his B.A.E. degree in architectural engineering, with a focus on construction management, from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the ACE Mentor Program of Eastern Pennsylvania.
José Manuel Albaladejo González Senior Vice President and Managing Director
José Manuel Abaladejo González is Founder and Managing Director of Gerens Hill International. Mr. Albaladejo manages Gerens Hill's project management operations in Spain and has more than 30 years of experience within the construction and real-estate industries. Mr. Albaladejo has successful experience in the creation and management of unique broad scope projects in Spain. His extensive knowledge and experience in the construction and management of large scale projects has contributed to his numerous leadership positions within the industry.
Prior to joining Gerens Hill, Mr. Albaladejo was International Managing Director for Entrecanales y Tavora responsible for overall management, implementation and development of international construction initiatives. Before that, Mr. Albaladejo spent more than 5 years as Managing Director for Bovis Lend Lease responsible for team training, introduction and implementation of Bovis in Spain.
Mr. Albaladejo earned his Master's degree in Architecture from Madrid Architecture University (ETSAM) and Senior Management Program from IESE Business School. He is also proficient in English and French.
Michael V. Griffin P.E. Senior Vice President and Pennsylvania Regional Manager
Michael V. Griffin, P.E., is Senior Vice President and Pennsylvania Regional Manager of Hill International. Mr Griffin is responsible for Hill's project consulting services offered from Hill's Philadelphia Office, covering the mid-Atlantic portion of the United States. Mr. Griffin has extensive experience in the planning, design, and construction of major building, transportation, and heavy civil construction projects.
Mr. Griffin's expertise in the application and interpretation of technical specifications has been utilized to assist project owners in developing clear and concise contract documents. In addition, Mr. Griffin has conducted seminars for owners and contractors, speaking on a wide range of contract administration and construction claims topics.
Mr. Griffin has testified as an expert on several occasions concerning interpretations of contract plans and specifications, standards of professional practice, construction scheduling and delay analysis, productivity studies, and damages calculations, before arbitration panels and in Federal and State Courts.
Prior to joining Hill, Mr. Griffin served as a Construction Resident Engineer for the City of Philadelphia, responsible for construction management and administration of an FTA-funded, $70 million section of a commuter rail tunnel project.
Mr. Griffin has a B.C.E. and M.C.E. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University, and an M.B.A. from La Salle University. He is a Professional Engineer registered in the states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Mr. Griffin has been elected to the national Board of Directors of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).
Robert C. Hixon, Jr., P.E., CCM, F.CMAA Senior Vice President and Director, Federal Buildings Group
Robert C. Hixon is Senior Vice President and Director of the Federal Buildings Group with Hill International. Mr. Hixon is responsible for managing Hill's Washington, DC regional project management operations as well as coordinating all of Hill's project management efforts for U.S. federal government facilities worldwide.
Prior to joining Hill, Mr. Hixon was responsible to the Commissioner of the GSA Public Buildings Service for the successful completion of a program of over $1.5 billion of construction per year and implemented the criteria, standards and procedures for Construction Excellence that are in use by all GSA regions today. During his tenure at GSA, he served on the Construction Industry Institute Board of Advisors, the Construction Users Roundtable, and he was Co-Chair of the Federal Facilities Council Committee on Acquisition and Project Management. Mr. Hixon's skills led him to the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to lead the project team on the Capital Visitor's Center project.
Hixon earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute and his M.A. in Public Administration from Pepperdine University. He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia as well as a certified construction manager. Hixon is a former ex officio member of the Board of Directors of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), and has been recognized by the CMAA as both a Fellow and as their 2003 Person of the Year.
Timothy J. Judge is Senior Vice President of Strategic Development for Hill International's Project Management Group. He will be working out of Hill's office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Judge has more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry with most of his career spent managing construction projects and developing new work throughout Europe and the Middle East. His projects include the Burj Al Alam Tower, Universal City development and the landmark Palm Jumeirah, all in Dubai. His experience also encompasses projects located in Oman, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Kingdom, including the innovative Masdar development in Abu Dhabi and Duqm Port in Oman.
Prior to joining Hill, Mr. Judge was a Director with WSP Group where he headed up their Project & Program Management Group. Prior to that, he was a Director with Parsons Brinckerhoff responsible for the overall performance of their Urban Development business in the Middle East.
Mr. Judge earned his B.S. from Aston University and his M.B.A. from Cranfield School of Management, both in the U.K. He is a chartered Civil Engineer and a member of the (U.K.) Institution of Civil Engineers.
Abdo E. Kardous Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific Operations
Abdo E. Kardous is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific Operations with Hill International. He has over 25 years of experience in project management, design/engineering, interdisciplinary coordination, contract administration, quantity surveying in both design and construction phases, estimating and contract administration for commericial and residential facilities, mixed use facilities, renovation and rehabilitation projects, office buildings, hotels, highways, educational and laboratory facilities. He is responsible for managing some of Hill's premier projects such as Hamad Medical City, The City of Arabia and La Ville Contemporaire.
Mr. Kardous is a member of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Transportaion Engineers. Mr. Kardous earned his B.S., Magna Cum Laude, in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Kardous was awarded Hill International's Project Manager of the Year award in 2001.
Mario Maciel CCM, PMP, LEED Senior Vice President and Northern California Regional Manager
Mario Maciel, CCM, PMP, LEED AP is Senior Vice President and Northern California Regional Manager with Hill's Project Management Group operating out of the company's San Ramon, California office.
Maciel has over 30 years of experience in planning, project management, business development, and oversight. Prior to joining Hill, he spent six years with Harris & Associates, Inc., most recently as Vice President and Northern Region Manager.
Maciel earned his M.B.A in finance and management and his B.A. in business management from Saint Mary's College and his B.A. in philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Certified Construction Manager, a Project Management Professional and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.
James W. Palmer is Senior Vice President and Director of Hill's Transportation Group. Mr. Palmer's broad-based experience in rail transportation translates into nationally recognized, award-winning projects. He possesses a unique ability to develop solutions and transform difficult situations using strong analytical skills and control systems. Mr. Palmer's background includes the integration of design, construction, maintenance and operations, as well as aggressive and efficient team building. His work with state transportation and planning departments, as well as top-level positions with major transportation corporations, exemplify his commitment to efficiency and results-oriented performance.
Mr. Palmer earned his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario and he is a registered professional engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
D. Clarke Pile P.E. Senior Vice President and New York Regional Manager
D. Clarke Pile is Senior Vice President and New York Regional Manager of Hill International. Mr. Pile is New York's Regional Manager responsible for all operations of Hill's New York office. Mr. Pile, a Professional Engineer, has over 30 years of experience in construction and program management and has successfully met stringent time lines and has streamlined operations to maximize profitability. Mr. Pile is a specialist in simultaneous project completions with construction budgets in excess of $500 million. He also possesses excellent administrative skills to implement policies and procedures, manage senior level personnel, and manage internal financial controls.
Prior to joining Hill, Mr. Pile was a Senior Vice President where he managed corporate marketing and business development for a national construction firm and also served as a New York Regional Manager for a national construction management firm. He has had total accountability for operations, profit and loss and marketing for an office of 200 employees, having $25 million in net annual professional fees. He provided senior guidance on policy making, implemented marketing strategies, project staffing, and quality assurance. He negotiated contracts for major projects and subconsultant agreements, implemented policies and procedures, and resolved complex issues.
Mr. Pile is a member of the New York Building Congress. Mr. Pile earned his B.S. in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and he is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.
Stuart S. Richter Senior Vice President and New Jersey/Southeastern US/Caribbean Regional Manager
Stuart S. Richter is Senior Vice President of Hill International. Mr. Richter is responsible for Hill International's construction management, program management, and project consulting services in New Jersey/Southeastern US/Caribbean. He currently operates out of both Hill's NJ headquarters as well as Hill's new Miami, FL office located at: 601 Brickell Key Drive Suite 600, Miami, FL 33131.
Mr. Richter has extensive experience in the planning, design and construction of major buildings, mixed land use hospitality, transportation, education, health and heavy civil construction projects. Mr. Richter's 33 years of experience in operations management, marketing and management consulting enables him to provide clients with expert counsel on operational process, marketing, sales, management, human resources, productivity, technology, communications and training issues.
Mr. Richter has personally directed numerous audits, benchmarking studies and project delivery team assessments. He is highly adept at evaluating management development and enrichment programs and the strengths and capabilities of employees, to ensure that clients are effectively using their personnel to achieve maximum personal and corporate potential. Mr. Richter has led numerous task force teams assisting his clients in providing greater marketing and organizational effectiveness and efficiency enabling them to achieve greater bottom line results. Mr. Richter's clients include New York City School Construction Authority (SCA), New Jersey School Development Authority, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York, PSEG, Philadelphia International Airport, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, among many others.
In addition, Mr. Richter lectures extensively throughout the country on marketing, management evaluation, assessment and business development programs. He has published articles on similar subjects in Management Review, Presentation Advisor, and numerous other publications. Mr. Richter is a member of the faculty of Rutgers University, where he teaches in the School of Business for undergraduate and graduate students. He has received the University's "Distinguished Professor Award" for his work at the Camden campus. Mr. Richter is a board member of Woodcrest Country Club in Cherry Hill, NJ and of the Southern New Jersey Development Council.
Mr. Richter has a B.A. in History from Montclair State University, and an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Rutgers University.
Bruce A. Schlaitzer R.A. Senior Vice President and Managing Director
Bruce A. Schlaitzer, R.A. is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the European Region for Hill's Project Management Group. Schlaitzer has over 35 years of experience in the construction industry.
Prior to joining Hill, Schlaitzer was an Executive Project Director with Bovis Lend Lease International Ltd. Prior to that, he was Design and Construction Executive with Parsons Brinckerhoff Middle East, Senior Vice President of Project Development for Kerzner International, Managing Director of Design and Construction for Europe for Tishman Speyer Properties, and President of Schlaitzer Associates. Schlaitzer has helped manage such notable projects as Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Canary Wharf in London, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Euro-Disney Theme Park in Paris.
He earned his B.S. in architecture from the University of Washington and is a registered architect in Washington State.
Michael B. Smith Senior Vice President and Southwest Regional Manager
Michael B. Smith is Senior Vice President and Southwest Regional Manager in charge of Hill's offices in California and Arizona with the company's Project Management Group.
Mr. Smith has more than 27 years of experience in project management for transportation and building projects, including a strong background in program controls, project planning, cost control, estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and claims management on both public- and private-sector projects. Smith joined Hill through the acquisition of KJM & Associates, Inc. in May 2007, where he was Vice President in charge of the Southwest Region. Prior to joining KJM, Smith was with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. as Program Controls Manager. Before that he was the Southwest Regional Controls Manager for IT Corporation.
Mr. Smith earned his Certificate in Management Practice for Engineering and Technical Professionals from the University of California at Irvine. Mr. Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the Support Sky Harbor Coalition Phoenix, AZ, and Board of Directors of Friends of Transit Phoenix, AZ.
John G. Spitz Senior Vice President and U.A.E. Regional Manager
John G. Spitz is Senior Vice President and U.A.E. Regional Manager with Hill International. Spitz is responsible for overseeing all of Hill's project management operations in the United Arab Emirates and will be based out of the company's Dubai, UAE office. Spitz has nearly 30 years of experience in managing the design and construction of various types of projects, including high-rise commercial and hotel towers.
Prior to joining Hill, he was Vice President of Construction and Development for Liberty Property Trust (NYSE:LRY), where he led the team responsible for the design and construction of all Philadelphia region projects, including the award-winning Comcast Center skyscraper. Prior to that, Spitz was Vice President of Design and Construction of the Arden Group where he managed the design and development of various luxury commercial projects including the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. Before that, he was also a Senior Project Manager with both R.M. Shoemaker Co. and Keating Building Corp. Spitz earned his B.S. in building sciences from Auburn University.
Jacek P. Zurawski MRICS Vice President and Managing Director
Jacek Zurawski is Vice-President/Managing Director of Hill International Sp. z o. o. He has over 17 years of experience in project management, construction cost management, process management and permit management, 10 years with with Euromost Polska, Hill International Sp. z o. o. predecessessor.
Prior to joining Euromost Polska, Mr. Zurawski was Chief Engineer of Coordination on the Warsaw Metro project, Construction Department Director at Bumar Warynski S. A. and Technical Director at Yareal Polska Sp. z o.o.
Mr Zurawski holds a M. S. in Electromechanical Engineering from The Moscow Construction Institute. He is also a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, UK.
In the past, Mr. Zurawski has been involved in the Holland Park, Microsoft and Servier projects. He has also been overseeing the Public Procurement and Project Management Departments and resource allocation process at Hill International Sp. z o. o.