Woolpert has promoted Neil Churman to chief executive officer. Churman has served as Woolpert’s president since early 2024, leading Woolpert’s business operations and mergers and acquisitions program. He succeeds Scott Cattran, who has led the company since 2015. As part of the firm’s long-term succession plan, Cattran will take on a new role in Woolpert as executive chairman, supporting Churman with company strategy and continuing to lead its board of directors. 

Churman’s background is in driving strategic growth and operational excellence in the architecture, engineering, geospatial, and technology services industries. Churman was recruited by Cattran in 2022 and brought on as the company’s first chief corporate development officer. Churman has since led the company through five strategic acquisitions, adding over 800 employees and expanding the company’s capabilities across the U.S., Europe, and Australia. In 2024, under his operational leadership as president, the company delivered the strongest financial performance of its 114-year history. 

Prior to Woolpert, Churman held roles at TRC Companies, 7 Mile Advisors, Morrissey Goodale, and Michael Baker International. Churman is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, where he earned a Master of Business Administration, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering. Churman will continue to work out of the firm’s Pittsburgh office.

“I am honored to take on this role and am humbled by the responsibility to carry forward our legacy of over 100 years of supporting critical programs for our clients. I’m also committed to strengthening our culture and ensuring we create a great place to work for all our global employees,” Churman said. “Woolpert has built a culture anchored by support, innovation, and a commitment to high performance, and we will remain on that continued path to success. I am proud to be a part of our fantastic global team, to continue the path forged by such an outstanding leader like Scott Cattran, and to lead us into the next chapter of this great company.”

Cattran started at Woolpert in 1999 and steadily moved up through the company. When Cattran was named CEO, the company had just over 600 U.S. staff members, recorded annual revenue of $97 million, and was listed as 135th on Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms, a key industry metric. Entering 2025, Woolpert has more than 2,700 staff across five continents, an annual revenue of more than $650 million, and is ranked 47th by ENR. Cattran also led Woolpert’s successful private equity partnerships, including its current relationship with BDT&MSD Partners, and expanded the company shareholder program, adding over 500 new owners to ensure more staff members benefited from the company’s success.

“When I stepped into the CEO role about a decade ago, we developed a vision to not only be the leading architecture, engineering, and geospatial company in our industry, but one of the best companies in the world. Due to the hard work of all Woolpert employees, we are on an unprecedented trajectory in our 100-year+ history to achieve that very vision,” Cattran said. “Neil’s background of effectively integrating industry-leading acquisitions, leading operations and organic growth, and his commitment to building a world-class culture make him the absolute right leader to continue championing this vision. As I take on my new role as executive chairman, I look forward to supporting Neil and the entire global Woolpack continue forward with this ambitious pursuit.”