Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi), a leading provider of forensic engineering and consulting services, is pleased to announce the following promotions to firm Principal, effective January 1, 2023. As Principals, these employees join the dedicated team of individuals that represent the current and future generation of technical leaders at ESi—shepherding our strategy and shaping our future, while ensuring that we are doing the right thing for our staff and our clients, our teams, and our communities.
"This is a diverse and deep bench of leaders who have distinguished themselves both for their technical expertise and their ability to foster cross-functional collaboration in service to our clients,” said CEO Mike Seyle. “We celebrate them, not just because of their accomplishments, but because of how they lead every day. These promotions recognize their contributions and reflect our faith in their ability to develop and execute the strategies that will enable ESi to continue bringing best-in-class solutions to our clients.”
- Amy Gray, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI has established a 10+ year track record of people-focused leadership across a variety of roles, including Manager of Miami Operations, Manager of North Carolina Operations, and her current role as Director of the Thermals group in our Fire and Explosions discipline. Amy is well-known for her expertise in thermal-fluid sciences, and has investigated numerous large-loss, complex projects, including fuel gas explosions, tank and boiler ruptures, and incidents involving chemical processing plants.
- Andy Thielen, P.E. is a seasoned industry veteran with 37+ years of engineering experience in building construction and HVAC, plumbing, district heating, and cooling systems. Andy’s commitment to mentoring others, combined with his deep knowledge of the construction industry and value-based mindset have played an integral role in establishing ESi’s industry leadership in key areas of our Civil/Structural practice and have helped drive the growth of our Minnesota office.
- William (Bill) Broz, P.E., MBA, LEED AP has a distinguished 40+ year career in forensic engineering consulting and construction claims management and is a “go-to” resource for clients with large, complex projects involving commercial, residential, and industrial facilities. Before joining ESi, Bill held senior business and technical leadership positions at Exponent, ARCADIS, CTG Forensics, and McGowan Broz Engineers.
- Chris Brand, P.E. is an accomplished engineer with 20+ years of experience in mechanical and materials engineering and a career history of successfully leading by example. He was instrumental in the successful integration of Crane Engineering and currently serves as Regional Operations Manager for our Minnesota office. Chris is well-known for his commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and capturing new opportunities for development and growth.
- Jim Panko, P.E. has 18+ years of experience in civil/structural design and forensic engineering and is sought after for expert consultation in areas relating to building and site design, structural and building envelope failure analysis, and premise liability. Jim’s work spans multiple industries, and he has served as the engineer-of-record for projects involving structures used for the Department of Defense, Department of Corrections, and healthcare, education, industrial, agricultural, mixed-use retail, and residential purposes.
- Matt Kenner, P.E. pairs strong technical expertise in multidisciplinary accident investigation with a wealth of operational knowledge of ESi, gained from firsthand experience progressing from early career consulting to senior leadership roles as Director of Aviation and most recently, Senior Director of our Aviation, Rail and Applied Mechanics disciplines. Matt is a past member of the ESi Board and has been actively involved in our Strategic Planning Committee and mentorship programs, developing cross-functional multi-disciplinary teams to further implement our strategy and vision.
- Scott Nesvold, P.E. has a demonstrated history of strong technical leadership and a wealth of knowledge gained from 20+ years of investigating structural issues and damage, and consulting on the design and analysis of fire protection systems. During his time at ESi, Scott has been integral to the continued growth of our Civil/Structural discipline, recruiting and mentoring numerous other consultants with a focus on high quality service and delivery. Along with his promotion to Principal, Scott is also being promoted to Senior Director of our Civil, Structural, and Environmental discipline.
“Each of these individuals brings a combination of technical savvy, operational excellence, and client focus,” said Seyle. “But it’s their spirit of collaboration and inclusion that strengthens our culture, inspires our people, and creates value for our clients, communities, and shareholders. Across the board, they represent the best of ESi and we’re excited to have them as part of our technical leadership team.”
