HDR Confirms Erin Hunt As President And COO For 2027

OMAHA, United States – Architecture and civil engineering firm HDR has named Erin Hunt as its next president and chief operating officer, with her term set to begin in January 2027. Hunt will succeed Neil Graff, who is retiring after a 35-year career at the company, including his service as president and COO since 2024. The leadership handover prepares the employee-owned corporation to coordinate project delivery across its network of more than 200 global offices.

What Is the Full Scope of This Development?

Erin Hunt will assume responsibility for daily global operations across HDR’s architecture, environmental engineering, and transportation divisions starting in January 2027. Hunt currently sits on the firm’s board of directors and most recently directed the firm’s water business unit as practice president. Prior to that assignment, she managed regional operations covering Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi after starting her tenure as a project manager. Incumbent executive Neil Graff will remain in his leadership role through December 2026 to complete a planned succession period under Chair and Chief Executive Officer John Henderson. Specific operational restructuring adjustments and executive remuneration terms were not disclosed by the company.

Key Development Data

How Does This Compare to Industry Trends?

Executive restructuring across Tier-1 engineering and project management firms takes place amid rising capital outlays for continental transport infrastructure. North American rail modernization spending is projected to grow from USD 8.59 billion in 2025 to USD 8.90 billion in 2026, with the United States market expected to generate USD 6.30 billion of that demand (Source: Fortune Business Insights, 2025). Globally, total rail infrastructure commitments are forecast to reach USD 1.41 trillion across active planning cycles (Source: PwC, 2025). Multidisciplinary consultancies are standardizing multi-year executive succession timetables to manage project continuity across lengthy public-private partnerships and federally funded capital works.

Editor’s Analysis

Promoting a water practice leader to head overall operations mirrors the growing requirement for civil engineering firms to bundle drainage, resilience, and environmental permitting into transit corridor packages. As U.S. rail infrastructure investments expand to USD 6.30 billion by 2026 (Source: Fortune Business Insights, 2025), prime contractors face stricter technical performance criteria on multimodal projects. Setting a multi-year transition horizon avoids administrative disruptions at an employee-owned firm during complex multi-year procurement programs.

FAQ

Q: When will Erin Hunt officially take charge as HDR president and COO?
A: Hunt will assume the role in January 2027. Neil Graff will remain in office as president and COO through the end of 2026 before entering retirement.

Q: What executive positions did Erin Hunt hold prior to this promotion?
A: Hunt served as president of HDR’s water practice and held regional leadership roles overseeing operations in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. She has also served as a member of HDR’s board of directors.

Q: Will this transition alter HDR’s current transportation and engineering project contracts?
A: Contract adjustments or structural reorganisations have not been officially confirmed by the company. The two-year transition window was arranged to maintain operational continuity across active client accounts.