AECOM Thought Leadership: What it Takes to be a Sustainability Leader
By: Gary Lawrence
Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at AECOM
Last month, the world lost one of the most influential actors in Cold War, Middle Eastern and U.S./China relations. The EastWest Institute lost a fantastic leader. A family lost a cherished loved one. And, selfishly, I lost a mentor and a man that I admired for his breadth of understanding, willingness to learn and commitment to the future. John Mroz trod a humble path in his extraordinary commitment to making progress without ever taking credit for himself. As I reflect the example he set, I urge the world’s leadership to follow in his footsteps if we are to have any chance of achieving sustainability without substantial systems collapse.
Most of John’s work involved seeking peaceful solutions to complex problems. He was a trusted go-between for governments and societal actors in trying to achieve collective positive outcomes. And he was certain about one thing — there is no certainty when we are talking about the future. John showed us that with patience and humility we can find an acceptable balance between technical feasibility, economic viability and the political authority necessary to act.
About AECOM
Ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, with a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM had revenue of $7.9 billion during the 12 months ended June 30, 2014. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.
Media:
AECOM Technology Corporation
Ed Mayer, +1.732.564.3380
Director, Corporate Communications
Ed.Mayer@aecom.com
