Three Questions with Board Member Patrick McCann
In this series, we’re talking with members of our Board of Directors (BOD) to get their insight on corporate governance at Tighe & Bond. Today, we spoke with external board member Patrick McCann, who has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the environmental, engineering, and construction business. Pat served as the chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Compensation Committee on Tighe & Bond’s BOD. As his terms come to a close, we would like to thank him for his contributions to our industry, and for his part in guiding Tighe & Bond’s many successes.
Q: Tell me about your experience aS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A: I was one of the first two external Board members, along with Bob Herchert. The former CEO, Dave Pinsky, wanted to develop more of a mature corporate governance structure as the company grew. I came to the Board through a personal recommendation from a mutual colleague based on a profile the leadership team had developed.
Board members can serve consecutive three-year terms; I served two terms and then one extra year to provide more continuity after Bob Herchert left his term a year early and for stability during the pandemic. I’m finishing my term this month. I enjoyed my time on the Board and will miss the company and people.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR TERM?
A: I’m on other Boards, but this has been special. The company performs year after year; it’s a high-performing firm, and it has been really fun to be a part of it. The culture of the Board is collaborative and respectful, and we were just the right size. It has been a good experience. I’m doing Board work to give back after 35 years of experience, and I wanted to impart lessons learned in the industry. As a Board member, I believe it’s important to share ideas on what worked for you in your career. That’s been rewarding, and the company has been receptive to ideas and discussion.
One highlight of my terms would be the CEO transition. I was part of the team that worked on developing a profile and evaluating candidates, then ultimately selecting Bob Belitz and working with him on his transition into the role. I think Bob really lives the core values, espousing employee ownership, and is a great leader.
Q: GIVEN YOUR INDUSTRY INSIGHT, TELL ME WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE TIGHE & BOND’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION.
A: I like to talk about Tighe & Bond’s secret sauce. I do think that part of my job as an external Board member is being able to identify that, as sometimes leaders within the company are too close – it’s my role to encourage internal Board members to recognize the strengths you have and don’t mess it up!
There are two main ways I’d identify Tighe & Bond’s value proposition: from a client and employee perspective:
- From a client perspective, Tighe & Bond provides excellent client service. The large companies are focused on the mega projects, whereas Tighe & Bond is extremely responsive but has the technical depth of a larger company. From a client’s perspective what a great combination: Tighe & Bond offers a high level of bench strength, combined with a high level of responsiveness, and that’s been demonstrated in the firm’s client feedback. Small and big companies can’t do that, and medium-sized companies can’t always achieve that; your clients aren’t seeing that elsewhere. The opportunities to grow are so many. Tighe & Bond should maintain that discipline to stay with their strengths: client selection is important.
- From an employee perspective: so many companies talk about their culture. Tighe & Bond is not so big that staff are a number. You can make an impact, which is important. There’s also an opportunity for staff to learn; there’s growth opportunities. Couple that with the potential for top-tier compensation and benefits, and it’s a great company to work for.