WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, is boosting the firm’s aviation business with the recent arrival of aviation veterans Matthew Mead, Omo Esemuede and Christopher Johnson to leadership roles.
Mead, who will serve as the firm’s vice president, national senior aviation planning project director, brings more than 35 years of aviation leadership to the firm’s Los Angeles office.
Esemuede was named vice president, Pacific Northwest District aviation lead and will build upon more than 16 years of international aviation and infrastructure experience in his new role, based in Seattle.
Johnson, who joins the firm’s Denver office as vice president, West Region aviation principal, has more than two decades of aviation management experience on projects across the U.S.
“Matt, Omo and Chris are strong, highly accomplished aviation professionals who have successfully provided innovative leadership to high-profile, multi-billion-dollar airport and airfield programs throughout the U.S. and around the globe,” said Theo Gargagliano, senior vice president, national market leader for aviation at WSP. “We are thrilled to have them join our aviation team during a time of tremendous growth in the aviation business for the firm.”
Mead will guide and assist senior technical and project management staff to address client needs on assignments such as airport master plans, terminal plans and airfield plans. He will also provide business development leadership to improve the firm’s pursuit strategy development, proposal management and client management activities.
Prior to joining WSP, Mead served as senior managing director for a national aviation services firm, following 30 years with an international transportation group where he had served in numerous capacities, including vice president. He has worked on more than 50 airport projects worldwide and has more than $30 billion of construction experience involving the planning, design and construction of large air carrier airports that includes projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Denver, Lisbon, Abu Dhabi and Guam.
Mead graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with an associate degree in flight technology and a bachelor’s degree in aviation management.
Esemuede will be responsible for the management and growth of the firm’s aviation business in a region that covers projects in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Alaska. He will build relationships with existing and new aviation clients in the region, develop strategies to benefit those clients, and position the firm for growth and expansion through new aviation project opportunities in all disciplines, including planning, design, strategic consulting and program/construction management.
He arrives at WSP after serving in a similar role for an engineering services firm, where he provided program management for a $13 billion airport redevelopment project and led the development of an integrated infrastructure master plan to support $3-5 billion of projects. He has also served as a water resources technical leader for another international engineering services firm, and as a project director on aviation projects in the Middle East that include a $2 billion program at Hamad International Airport in Qatar, and a $4 billion terminal project at Kuwait International Airport.
Esemuede graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. He is an associate member of the American Association of Airport Executives and a member of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.
Johnson will be responsible for growing and supporting the firm’s aviation work in the western U.S., specifically for the large hub airports within the region. The focus of his new role is the development, implementation and management of strategies that focus on aviation opportunities in all disciplines, including planning, design, strategic consulting and program/construction management.
He arrives at WSP from his role as an aviation market lead for a U.S.-based construction company, where he was responsible for the national aviation construction market and projects that included work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, airplane manufacturers and airport terminals. His prior experience included leadership positions for an international engineering services firm, and management positions for two national airline companies.
Johnson is a graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and organization, and from the University of Denver with a master’s degree in real estate finance and construction management. He is a member of the Airport Consultants Council, and an affiliate member of the American Association of Airport Executives.
