John gavan, S.E.
President/ceo, kpff
John Gavan functions as the President/CEO of KPFF, a 1300-person national structural and civil engineering firm. He began his career as an intern at KPFF in 1988. He has been instrumental in finding new and better ways to deliver projects, to improve the functions of a team, and to improve both processes and projects. He is recognized by clients and team members as a collaborative team player that adds value by bringing an overall understanding of the design and construction process that goes beyond the structural engineering discipline. John is passionate about helping others along their life journeys.
Driven by the heightened issues surrounding equity and social justice in the country, he wanted to find an impactful and tangible way to effect meaningful change in the AEC industry. In 2021, John had the idea to introduce the framework of a leadership development program that he started within KPFF’s organization to professionals of color in the AEC industry, originally through the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). The success of the initial idea led to founding LeaderFlow, a non-profit entity focused on accelerating the pipeline to leadership for professionals of color in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The backbone of the program consists of an intimate year-long series of interactive training sessions facilitated by top industry professionals and leaders. The program has strong national sponsorship and has expanded quickly to multiple cities.