AECOM’s Poloni: ‘We can’t afford to ignore diversity’ | Dump Trucks Charlotte NC

This article is one in a series of conversations with women leaders in the construction industry. Click here for past discussions.

As a leader of one of the country’s top construction firms, Lara Poloni has helped plan, assess and develop major infrastructure projects all over the world.

Having risen from urban planner to become president of Dallas-based construction giant AECOM during her nearly 30-year career, Poloni has witnessed major shifts in how columbus oh dump truck company design, manage and build projects, including increased emphasis on sustainability, technology, resiliency and diversity.

“At AECOM, we’ve long recognized the importance of our teams reflecting the communities we serve and, like the broader sector, have seen encouraging progress in driving equity, diversity and inclusion across our global business,” she said. “What excites me most is seeing the benefits of this focus through our people and what we’re able to deliver for our clients.”

Here, Poloni talks with Construction Dive about this historic time for U.S. infrastructure, how the industry has changed over the last three decades and what is still needed to make it more inclusive.

Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What interested you about construction as a career choice?

LARA POLONI: A career in infrastructure provides a world of opportunity. Even as a student, I always had a keen interest in cities and what makes them liveable, and, by extension, the infrastructure that serves them and the social and environmental factors that shape them. Few other fields offer the chance to see your columbus oh dump truck company come to life so tangibly and its impact to be so broadly felt. 

Early in my career, I saw the power and potential of our industry to change lives. The design of a bike or pedestrian path, the development of a new suburban rail station, the layout of a building, the expansion of a major commercial port — all might seem relatively basic, but their impact in improving accessibility, movement of goods and quality of life can’t be understated. As I progressed in my career, I realized these are all very interconnected parts of a city’s ecosystem. 

The ability to shape stronger, more liveable communities was what drew me to my early roles in planning, and it’s what still excites me today as president of AECOM.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

The same things interest me today as when I was starting out — being part of a team with the industry’s best technical leaders. Working alongside many of these leaders taught me so much during my career and I still love hearing about our technical innovations — how they help us win, help our clients with their mission and most importantly deliver great outcomes for the communities we serve. 

Our employees’ passion for what they do — whether that’s designing and delivering high-speed rail systems, conducting archeological surveys or building out clean energy infrastructure — is what led them to AECOM, it’s something you feel in the many conversations we have. It’s what makes working at AECOM such a rewarding experience — and why I’ve spent my career here. 

AECOM’s strategy is Think and Act Globally, and it speaks to the ability we have, as a global organization, to leverage our size, scale and the industry’s best technical professionals to deliver infrastructure solutions. This really comes to life at the local level when I think of projects like the Fair Park Dallas modernization and program management for DFW International Airport where we’re developing the next generation of infrastructure for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 

I think it’s this local focus that really set us apart as a global firm and makes our columbus oh dump truck company so rewarding. No matter the location, our teams make immense contributions to improving their communities, whether that’s the California High Speed Rail here in the United States, HS2 in the United Kingdom, AlUla in Saudi Arabia or the Western Harbour Tunnel in Australia.