Earlier this week, Ashraf Fahmy, CallisonRTKLās new Chief Financial Officer, was up till midnight going over project proposals with his firmās team in China.
Despite the spread of the novel coronavirus worldwide, CallisonRTKLāwhich operates seven of its 21 offices outside of the United Statesāhas seen an uptick in business lately from China and the Middle East, and from the healthcare sector in the U.S.
The firm, a subsidiary of Arcadis NV, is in the midst of implementing an operating model to improve profitability, whose priority is strengthening business development, client engagement, and talent investment. Last year, CallisonRTKLās gross revenue was flat at 301 million British pounds (US$399 million), its net revenue was up 1% to Ā£222 million, and its cash flow was off 3% to Ā£16.7 million.
Fahmy asserts the company is in good shape financially, with a āstrongā balance sheet. Its agenda, he says, continues to be to expand its global footprint. āThat hasnāt changed, and the virus has brought it to the forefront.ā
He elaborates that CRTKL is leveraging its global network of offices āand our expansive resources.ā This model allows CRTKL professionals to work effortlessly across the firm as a platform and allows its partners to connect at any intersection.Ā Ā Ā
CallisonRTKL lately is refocusing its resources on markets and sectors that are recovering or have remained strong. Fahmy points out that CallisonRTKLās offices have multiple practices, which they can switch into as demand warrants.
Fahmy previously worked for CHA Consulting, a small engineering consultant, where he was Senior Vice President of Finance; and for Amec Foster Wheeler, where he was CFO. He says he joined CallisonRTKL because of its practice diversification, its geographic reach, and its ādynamicā senior management team led by president/CEO Kelly Farrell, who was hired in 2018. āOur management is not afraid of making decisions,ā he says.
To stay ahead of the coronavirusā impact on the construction industry, CallisonRTKLās āNo. 1 priority,ā says Fahmy, is to provide services to its clients across the globe. While its employees are all working from home at the moment, āweāve never lost communication with our clients,ā even when thatās meant providing services in China with āminimum exposureā to its associates.
One of CallisonRTKLās major business sectors is retail, which the virusā spread has destabilized. Fahmy couldnāt say what retailās future might be as a result. The same is true of hospitality.
That being said, CallisonRTKL, says Fahmy, is working on a solutions that include converting hotels and convention centers into temporary healthcare facilities. Other initiatives revolve around wellbeing in hospitals and offices, resilience and sustainability, mobility, and āhuman centricā design. āThese are the four pillars of all of our practices,ā he says
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