Jacobs: If/When

Transformation has become an over-used buzzword for companies and consultants in the last five years, but the market-proven truth is that companies, and by extension, employees, are now required to be more agile and resilient — and willing to upskill.

So, how do large companies manage significant, lasting changes across their operating model during times of transition with organizational performance, innovation and collaboration as priorities? Success is driven by engaged and empowered employees, but it requires the right leadership, corporate culture and silo-busting collaboration. There’s one golden thread that runs through all three: the power of collective purpose.  

My name is Arthur Jones, and I’m joined by our guests Shelie Gustafson, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Jacobs, and education and leadership development coach Michael Chavez, who is Founder & Managing Director at Broad Vista Partners.  

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If/When podcast series: If/When podcast series
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Shelie Gustafson
Michael Chavez

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Like most markets and industries globally, the water sector is facing greater and more complex challenges due to climate change, population growth, rising costs and a shortage of incoming talent. 

The question is: how can water companies deliver the best value for customers by turning these challenges into opportunities for people and places? 

In this episode, we unpack innovation, core values and close collaboration between Jacobs and Northumbrian Water, which supplies 2.7 million people with water and wastewater services in North East England, and 1.8 million people with water only in Essex and Suffolk. 

My name is Arthur Jones, and I’m joined by our guests, Heidi Mottram, CBE, CEO of Northumbrian Water Group, and Kate Kenny, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Buildings & Infrastructure Europe at Jacobs.

Follow Jacobs:
Website: jacobs.com
If/When podcast series: If/When podcast series
LinkedIn: @jacobsconnects
Instagram: @jacobsconnects
X: @JacobsConnects

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Diana Anderson
Matthew Holmes

More episode details available here. 

Conventional healthcare design is no longer fit for purpose. The pandemic exposed critical cracks in its foundations, exposing the need for deeper research, connected care and community integration.

The question is: How do you build resilient healthcare that benefits patients, health carers and communities?  

The future hospital blueprint must go beyond concrete, steel and material decisions, as social factors and architectural design are as crucial for healing and well-being as medicine.

In this insightful conversation, several Jacobs teammates, including Matthew Holmes, Global Director of Health Infrastructure at Jacobs, and Dr. Diana Anderson, Dochitect and healthcare principal at Jacobs, discuss the role of design and  technology in healthcare, and explore future trends. 

Follow Jacobs:
Website: jacobs.com
If/When podcast series: If/When podcast series
LinkedIn: @jacobsconnects
Instagram: @jacobsconnects
X: @JacobsConnects

Follow our guests:
Diana Anderson
Matthew Holmes

More episode details available here. 

In this insightful conversation, several Jacobs teammates, including Vice President, Global Head Corporate Sustainability Tawny Chritton Keene, Director, Global Corporate Sustainability – Talent and Culture, Bo Storozuk, and Graduate Environmental Consultant Reem Habib, discuss how every role within an organization can contribute to a more sustainable future. Whether you’re an engineer, data analyst, project manager or part of an administrative team, your actions can make a huge difference.

Follow Jacobs:
Website: jacobs.com
If/When podcast series: If/When podcast series
LinkedIn: @jacobsconnects
Instagram: @jacobsconnects
X: @JacobsConnects

Follow our guests:
Tawny: @tawnychrittonkeene
Bo: @bostorozuk
Reem: @reem-thamer-89a744204

More episode details available here. 

Hollie Janson Schmidt is a Principal and the Global Solutions Director of Sustainability, Resilience & Climate Response for the Americas Region at Jacobs. She provides consulting and advisory services to a wide range of public, private, and federal clientele. She is also the Director of the Sustainability, Resilience & Climate Response Business Advisory as a trusted business partner for the company’s internal project delivery and growth as well as external client services. 

In her 28 years of practice, Hollie has honed an integrated planning and delivery approach, with a particular focus on large-scale, complex projects. Hollie provides resilient solutions either as a preventative or recovery service for large-scale clients who are experiencing vulnerabilities to natural and man-made shocks and stressors. She addresses ESG and climate response while holistically considering the physical, human, and business aspects of the challenge.

Jilma Jiménez is a visionary, engaging, and inspirational leader with more than 30 years of experience in the management of engineering companies and projects. Her diverse and extensive background encompasses various roles within the engineering consulting field. Now as Vice President and Market Strategist of Jacobs’s Global Program Management, she applies her wealth of expertise to assess organizational performance and lead initiatives that sustain competitive advantage, enable strategy implementation, and support senior executive decision-making. In addition to her multifaceted engineering career, Ms. Jiménez is an expert in the realm of infrastructure construction supply chain management having spearheaded supply chain strategies for multibillion-dollar construction programs. Jilma’s strategic thinking and adaptability have been key in navigating the complexities of the construction industry particularly since the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. Her proactive approach to mitigating risks, leveraging opportunities, and applying strategic escalation pricing techniques sets her apart as a trusted expert. Jilma’s expertise isn't confined to construction programs; she also stays ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovative contracting models to enhance efficiency and sustainability in the construction supply chain.

Marc DeSchamp is a Program Manager and leader in the Jacobs Transportation Decarbonization Practice. His particular focus is on delivering solutions to clients grappling with the challenges of fleet electrification. Through 15 years in the transit industry, Marc has managed transit bus procurements, led strategic planning efforts, and served as Program Manager for transit bus and facility programs. Marc currently leads the development of NY MTA’s Zero Emissions Fleet Transition Plan, which will serve as a roadmap to decarbonizing the largest transit fleet in North America. Marc holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Northeastern University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife and two young children.

EPA citation: Carbon Pollution from Transportation | US EPA

Peggy Whitson, Ph.D., America’s most experienced astronaut, flew on three NASA long-duration space flights and Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), accumulating 675 days in space, more than any other American astronaut or woman astronaut in the world.

Whitson has over 37 years of space and science experience with NASA and is currently serving as director of human spaceflight for Axiom Space. Throughout her career, Whitson has held various positions to include NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, two-time commander of the International Space Station (ISS), chair of NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board, chief of NASA’s Operations Branch, and deputy division chief for both NASA’s Medical Sciences and the Astronaut Office.

On Ax-2, Whitson become the first female commander of a private space mission, adding to her accomplishments as the first female commander of the ISS, the only woman to serve as ISS commander twice, and the first woman, non-military chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office. During her three previous space missions to the ISS (Expeditions 5, 16, 50/51/52), she conducted 10 spacewalks, logging over 60 hours. Throughout Whitson’s career, she has contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science.

Whitson received degrees in biology and chemistry from lowa Wesleyan and a doctoral degree in biochemistry from Rice University. She has been honored with numerous awards, including NASA medals in Leadership, Outstanding Leadership, and Exceptional Service; Forbes 50 over 50 (2023); TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World (2018); and Women in Aviation Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).

Tom Skerritt, Emmy winner (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series) for his series PICKET FENCES, is one of the most versatile and acclaimed American actors in movies and TV. At UCLA Film School, he acted in theatre and began writing for screen as a means to understand the full embrace of his primary interest, directing film. While acting on stage, he was seen and hired to be in a small film where he met Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack. Soon after, he met director Robert Altman, with whom he mentored as a filmmaker, which led Tom to be cast in the movie version of M*A*S*H. This led to a distinguished and decades-long career, starring in such acclaimed films as TURNING POINT (for which Tom won the National Board of Review’s Best Supporting Actor Award), ALIEN, TOP GUN, STEEL MAGNOLAS, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, CONTACT, TEARS OF THE SUN and THE DEAD ZONE. The recipient of UCLA’s Lifetime Achievement Honor in 1994, Tom is also a veteran of may television programs, including appearances on MADAM SECRETARY, THE WEST WING, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, CHEERS, WILL & GRACE and THE GOOD WIFE.  In 2007, Tom received a Life Achievement Award from Wayne State University, which was followed with a Laureate Award from The Rainier Club in Seattle. In 2011, he received the Saturn Best Guest Actor Award - TV.

Legendary film actress Veronica Cartwright began her career as a child actress in the classic films THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (directed by William Wyler), Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS and SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN. A veteran of many beloved films, Veronica has appeared in over 50 movies and her resume includes two science fiction classics in the 1970's, Philip Kaufman's remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and Ridley Scott's masterpiece thriller, ALIEN. Veronica starred as Betty Grissom in the epic dramatization of NASA's space program based on Tom Wolfe's novel, THE RIGHT STUFF, also directed by Kaufman. She made an indelible impression on moviegoers in 1987 with her standout performance in THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. Among Veronica's many television credits are the hit shows CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI CYBER, BOSCH, RESURRECTION, GREY’S ANATOMY, WILL & GRACE, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, GOTHAM KNIGHTS, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, THE GOOD DOCTOR and THE X FILES. Veronica has been nominated four times for an Emmy Award with one win. At age 15 she won an Emmy for Best Actress in a television movie called TELL ME NOT IN MOURNFUL NUMBERS. She was nominated again in 1997 for her guest starring role of Mrs. Huston in two widely acclaimed episodes of ER. In 1998 and 1999 the Television Academy nominated her twice for her pivotal role of Cassandra Spender on Fox's THE X FILES.

In her role as Digital OneWater Strategic Growth Lead for Jacobs, Dr. Jennifer Baldwin is responsible for unifying Jacobs’ portfolio of digital tools that support an integrated and collaborative OneWater approach to water management. Dr. Baldwin also serves as the U.S. South Conveyance and Storage Regional Solutions Lead for Jacobs and is a principal technologist specializing in assembling and leading large program teams and planning and successfully delivering multi-billion-dollar water and wastewater infrastructure programs. She has over 20 years of experience, providing process mechanical expertise and quality assurance/quality control on a variety of infrastructure development projects, specializing in wastewater conveyance facilities such as pump stations and storage facilities.

Joshua Registe is a lead data scientist and professional engineer, recognized for his expertise in environmental engineering and advanced analytics. With a unique blend of skills in both domains, he stands at the forefront of cutting-edge AI solution development for Jacobs Intelligent O&M and external clients, tackling intricate environmental challenges head-on. Joshua's contributions span a wide range of critical areas, including solids treatment, disinfection, coagulant optimization, nutrient removal, energy optimization and more. Employing advanced statistical techniques, predictive modeling, deep learning, and scalable computing, he leverages the power of data to deliver unique and complex solutions. In addition to his role as a lead data scientist and professional engineer, Joshua takes pride in mentoring and guiding aspiring professionals in the field. Through his guidance, he fosters the next generation of environmental engineers and data scientists, ensuring the industry's continuous growth and advancement.