Robert Slimp
CEE Hall of Distinction: 2021
As chairman and CEO of HNTB Corporation, Robert Slimp oversees and directs
the employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm’s strategic direction and leads more
than 5,000 multidiscipline professionals in more than 70 offices across the United
States.
HNTB Corporation is a $1 billion, 107-year-old leader in U.S. transportation, serving
public- and private-sector clients with a specific focus on these markets: departments
of transportation, tolls, tunnels, bridges, intelligent transportation systems, aviation
and transit and rail. Under Slimp’s leadership, HNTB professionals solve clients’
most complex technical, financial and operational challenges, delivering a full range
of mobility infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design,
program management, construction management and architectural services.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Since joining HNTB in 2005, Slimp has held executive-level positions of increasing
responsibility with HNTB at the local, regional and national levels. He joined HNTB
as the firm’s office leader in Austin and San Antonio. He then was promoted to serve
as president of the firm’s Northeast and Southeast divisions, where he led multidisciplinary
staff in more than 30 offices.
Since becoming CEO in 2013, the firm’s positive growth trajectory accelerated with
gross revenue increasing
73 percent in that timeframe. HNTB consistently ranks in the top 20 in the listing
of the top 500 design firms by Engineering News-Record, the industry’s leading trade
publication.
Before joining HNTB, Slimp worked for another national infrastructure firm designing
projects and managing
design teams on projects in Louisiana, Texas and other states across the country.
Slimp knows that a strong transportation infrastructure system creates jobs, promotes
economic development and advances America’s competitiveness in the international marketplace.
He frequently speaks on these topics and engages in advocacy for equitable transportation
with key elected officials across the country and in organizations such as Accelerator
for America, United for Infrastructure and other groups.
Slimp also is passionate about developing people and serves as a mentor to many within
HNTB. His inclusive leadership style reflects his view that diversity of thought,
experiences and personal characteristics leads to
better outcomes.
Slimp also is personally engaged in efforts to attract more students to the engineering
profession. In 2018, he
and his wife Shelly established a personal foundation within the LSU College of Engineering
to award scholarships
to qualifying women engineering students.
Slimp graduated from LSU with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He and his
wife have two children,
Wesley and Ava.
