CLIENT SERVICE AND ATTENTION DRIVE CARL SCHIPFMANN’S LEADERSHIP Schipfmann takes responsibility for HNTB’s reputation when delivering bridge projects to clients. Whether you are his client, supervisor, coworker or friend, Carl Schipfmann is going to present you with his genuine self. With a reputation as a dynamic leader, Schipfmann dedicates himself to his projects by embedding himself into their intricate, day-to-day details. Schipfmann is a veteran bridge project manager in the Kansas City office whose expertise includes bridge design, inspection and construction administration. He currently serves on the Kansas City design team that is working on the cable-stayed unit of the Kosciuszko Bridge Replacement, a New York City design-build project replacing the bridge spanning New Town Creek between Brooklyn and Queens. He has served HNTB on many bridge-related design projects over the past 22 years, and has provided shop drawing review and answered requests for information to provide clarification on numerous projects, all within schedule constraints. “Carl loves to get in and get his hands dirty with the design,” said Marc Whitmore, project CARL schipFMANN PROJECT MANAGER manager in the Kansas City office. “He thrives on the challenge of figuring out how to KANSAS CITY OFFICE design and build different components of his projects and really shines when handling technical issues.” DETAIL-ORIENTED LEADERSHIP Schipfmann’s bridge teams seem to respond well to his leadership style, which is as much relationship-oriented as anything else. Rather than listening to him bark out orders, his teams become closely knit while learning from the example of his attention to detail and dedication to client service. Whitmore witnessed his leadership abilities as they co-managed the I-70 Manchester Bridge Project in Kansas City last year; Schipfmann served as design manager and Whitmore served as deputy design manager. The pair led the $64 million design-build replacement of twin 2,500-foot I-70 bridges across Manchester Trafficway. “Carl is 100 percent involved in the day-to-day leadership of his projects,” said Mike Hess, Kansas City office leader. “He takes a very central role in delivering them and puts a very high degree of accountability on himself. His leadership style demonstrates the right way to do things – and his staff follows his lead.” A few years prior, on the Missouri Department of Transportation Safe & Sound design-build project, he led by developing innovative approaches to the design and construction process, working collaboratively with the team partners, remedying mistakes immediately that happened along the way, and using his knowledge and experience to mentor and motivate the design team. COMMITTED TO CLIENTS While his fervor for technical details defines his leadership style, Schipfmann’s commitment to client service fuels his professional principles. More recently, the Iowa Department of Transportation came to HNTB after bridge-related delivery conflicts arose from miscalculations from another contractor. At the time, the E.P. True and Grand Avenue bridges in Des Moines, Iowa were being built in stages. After IaDOT identified discrepancies in the way the contractor had built parts of the project, it needed help correcting the errors so the next phase could begin. Schipfmann took action. Over the subsequent weeks, he personally oversaw plan revisions to ensure the project was ready to continue to the next phase when the time came. He now serves as HNTB’s bridge lead for all IaDOT bridge projects and recently helped win a quality-review project with the department. “Carl has a very strong desire to help his clients be successful,” said Steve Hague, Kansas City bridge group director. “He gained the trust and admiration of the IaDOT bridge staff and is trusted by them to get the job done – and to get it done correctly. I think that HNTB reviewing the department’s work from a quality perspective really says a lot about how they trust Carl to get the job done.” TAKING RESPONSIBILITY Schipfmann’s familiarizes himself with his projects’ contract requirements and takes ownership of the work he does on a daily basis. This sense of responsibility carries over into his client relationships, as his attitude centers on the fact that he represents HNTB when interacting with them in the field. “He has a sense of responsibility for the work that he performs and in relationships to clients,” said Hess. “He takes responsibility for the firm in ensuring the work under his direction is done correctly before it goes to the client so that the client’s expectations are met,” said Hess. Hague said he believes Schipfmann’s passion comes from a combination of his client-service commitment and responsibility to HNTB’s reputation. “He’s most fired up when given responsibility over a meaty project that he can get engaged with, especially something that he knows is significant to the client,” Hague said. “Carl’s focus is really on client service, ensuring the client gets what they want. He sees that as a reflection on himself and on the firm.”.