Three Questions with Board Member Peter Grabowski
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 board member and Tighe & Bond’s Chief Operating Officer Peter Grabowski. Peter also serves as the Chief Risk Officer and is responsible for Tighe & Bond’s enterprise risk management program. He has more than 28 years of experience with a variety of water projects and was the former leader of the firm’s Water Business Line.
Q: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Peter Grabowski, PE
A: I am currently in my second term (each term is three years) as an At-Large Director on the Board. To date, I have served on the ESOP Administrative Committee (former chair), the Audit Committee, and the Governance/Nominating Committee (GNC) as Chair. My terms on the Board have been an awesome learning experience due to the input and advice of our External Directors.
In the past four years, we have implemented governance practices around safety, enterprise risk management, and conflict of interest policies, as well as advanced Stockholder/Board interactions through various workshops and Stockholder meetings. We have also updated our Stock Ownership Program to reflect current best industry practices. Further, the Directors’ discussions regarding merger and acquisition transactions have been very informative regarding our current AEC industry.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR TERM?
A: As Chair of the GNC, I have been fortunate to lead the search for two External Directors, which has been extremely educational with respect to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) practices; data management and delivery technologies; as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives.
It was gratifying to see our firm add two phenomenal Directors – Lisa Robert from RS&H and Greg McIntyre formerly from Jacobs. From developing the External Director recruitment framework in the GNC Charter to creating an External Board Director Profile to conducting candidate interviews, I enjoyed shaping an efficient and successful process. Both External Directors possess enterprise-wide leadership, strong understanding of governance as well as the engineering and environmental consulting business, insightful and independent judgement, and excellent interpersonal skills. The journey resulted in two incredibly talented individuals that provide the Board with valuable input into the governance of Tighe & Bond.
Q: GIVEN YOUR INDUSTRY INSIGHT, TELL ME WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE TIGHE & BOND’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION.
A: I am amazed at the depth of Tighe & Bond’s service offerings in conjunction with our ability to remain attentive to clients. We can compete with national firms on a qualifications basis and still provide the client service of small firms. Tighe & Bond is extremely agile in the marketplace and is diversified in its service offerings, which creates a strong backbone for success.