GeoHeroes - Stewart Osgood

GBA Podcast

GeoHeroes - Stewart Osgood

About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Stewart Osgood, the former president and CEO of Dowl. Osgood recounts his career journey, starting from his upbringing on a Vermont dairy farm to his unexpected path into engineering and his eventual leadership of a significantly grown company. He discusses his approach to retirement and leadership, emphasizing planned obsolescence and the importance of cultivating a team environment. Finally, he shares his perspective on the geotechnical engineering profession, including concerns about risk aversion and a need for more innovation, and offers advice to those entering the field.

Series Summary
In this podcast series Guy Marcozzi will interview past, present, and future leaders in the geoprofessional industry to explore their personal and career journeys. The goal is to understand what motivates these individuals and what insights they have for the future of the profession. The podcast will examine the skills and qualities that have contributed to their success, as well as their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

About Our Guest
Stewart Osgood - Stewart is the former President and CEO of a top 150 engineering firm with 550 employees located in 20 offices in the western U.S. During Stewart’s 22 years of leadership the company grew 10-fold in real terms. The company has 50 employee/manager owners and is poised to poised to continue under this ownership model long into the future. Stewart also oversaw the leadership transition to the next generation with the selection and successful turnover of top spots in the organization including CEO, COO, CIO, CPO, CRO, and Chairperson of the Board. Stewart founded and developed an Emerging Leader training program at the firm as a means of training and inducting next-next-gen leadership, and created a synthetic equity program to share in the financial successes of the company with up-and-coming early career rainmakers.

Stewart enjoys cycling and home improvement projects. He had two adult children that are early career professionals in technical and legal circles. He and his long-term partner Amy live in Scottsdale Arizona with their two dogs Georgie and Brutus.

Our Host
Guy Marcozzi – Guy Marcozzi is the current GBA president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.

Discussion Topics:

Stewart's Journey

Early Life and Influences:

• Growing Up on a Dairy Farm [1:11-3:25]
• Impactful Mentors [3:25-6:24]

Career Path:

• Transition from College to Career [6:24-10:48]
• Leadership at Dowl [10:48-11:31]
• Company Growth and Transitions [11:31-14:21]
• Planning for Retirement and Succession [14:21-17:20]

Life After Dowl:

• Post-Retirement Plans [17:20-18:55]
• Passion for Cycling [18:55-19:56]

Insights on the Geoprofession

Current State:

• Overview of the Geoprofessional Landscape [19:56-23:14]
• Challenges and Opportunities in the Industry [21:41-23:14]

Forces of Change:

• Alternative Project Delivery [23:40-24:44]
• Disruptive Technology (AI) [24:44-25:29]
• Changes in Demographics and Diversity [25:29-27:19]

Looking Ahead:

• Future of Geoprofessional Businesses [27:19-28:46]
• Advice for New Geoprofessionals [34:44-36:33]

Personal Reflections

Making a Difference:

• Impactful Contributions [32:06-33:23]

Life Lessons and Perspectives:

• Reflections on Career Choices [33:23-34:44]
• Optimism Index [30:52-32:06]
• Favorite Books [29:32-30:46]
• [BOOK] The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford
• [BOOK] Books about Ernest Shackleton by Roland Huntford

Calls-to-action:

• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at [e-mail] with any podcast-related questions or comments

Subscribe

• Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC