GeoHeroes - Saiid Behboodi
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Saiid Behboodi, PE, GE, F.GBA, Principal / Geotechnical Engineer at PBS Engineering and Environmental an Apex Company. Saiid's path was shaped by his cultural background and personal journey. His parents instilled a strong philosophy emphasizing education and being an "A student in society," which influenced his move to the US for civil engineering studies at UMass. Despite facing a language barrier, his solid high school background helped him excel. He chose civil engineering due to its high regard abroad, where civil engineers are seen as "heroes." A move to the West Coast led him into geotechnical engineering through serendipity -- a creative teaching approach helpped him secured his first job. A critical influence on his career and business acumen was his involvement with GBA, where he learned crucial knowledge in loss prevention and risk management, leading to a corporate role. Saiid's personal philosophy, rooted in his upbringing and professional journey, stresses continuous learning, mentorship, social skills, and giving back, emphasizing that relationship is key in business.
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.
Saiid Behboodi, PE, GE, F.GBA is a principal and geotechnical engineer at PBS Engineering and Envrionmental, an Apex company. Saiid was a vice president at Squire Associates before they were acquired by Kleinfelder. At Kleinfelder he served as a national loss prevention officer, NW transportation director and a member of the princiapl professional group. He is a GBA fellow and former President's award winner. With over 40 years of geotechnical engineeirng consulting experiene, Saiid continues to serve as QA/QC reviewer as part of the geotechnical group at PBS.
Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-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:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:23 Saiid's Early Life and Education02:40 Challenges and Experiences in the US05:05 Move to the US06:24 Choosing Civil Engineering08:29 Journey to the West Coast09:55 Career in Geotechnical Engineering17:17 Entrepreneurial Ventures20:16 Involvement with GBA21:53 An Unexpected RewardThe Geoprofessional Landscape & Life Advice
23:40 The Geoprofession Today25:22 Risk Management and Loss Prevention26:49 Embracing Technological Changes30:12 Advice for Young Professionals33:30 Planning for Retirement35:22 Geo Hero Speed Round[BOOK] Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson[BOOK] Pushing up People by Art Williams[BOOK] Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu[BOOK] Untethered Soul by Michael Singer36:21 Optimism index for the geoprofession36:57 Proudest professional achievement38:13 Career regrets39:32 Advice for someone entering the geoprofession45:24 Final Thoughts and GratitudeCalls-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 EpisodesContact us at [email protected] with any podcast-related questions or comments Subscribe
Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribeThis episode was produced by the following GBA Members:
Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC