Achieving Investment Success
in Australia
Ashraf (AJ) Jahangir, PE
Kleinfelder
Who is Kleinfelder?
Engineers, Scientists & Architects working together
to meet the world’s most complex infrastructure
challenges
Founded in California in 1961
100% employee-owned
68 offices in 3 countries (US,
Australia and Canada), with
1,850 employees
US $330M annual revenue
(turn over)
What do we do?
Professional expertise in:
 Architecture and design engineering
 Environmental sciences and
engineering
 Civil and structural engineering
 Facility and operations compliance
 Geotechnical and geologic engineering
 Project management and risk
management
 Strategic planning and sustainability
 Water, surface water, and wastewater
engineering
 Construction materials engineering and
testing
Who do we serve?
• Serving clients in the Energy, Water, Facilities,
Transportation, and Government sectors
• Top clients include:
 ExxonMobil
 State of California
 Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority
 Antero Resources Corporation
 Oncor
 Pacific Gas & Electric
 Chesapeake Energy Corporation
 Queensland Gas
Corporation/Corbet’s
 City of Cambridge,
Massachusetts
 Regional Transportation
District of Denver
 Naval Facilities Engineering
Command
 Costco Wholesale
 Texas DOT
 California American Water
 British Petroleum
Why Australia?
Global expansion for growth as part of its
strategic direction in 2010
Focused on Australia and Canada because:
1. Similar regulatory environment to the US and
(mostly!) same language
2. Generally stable economies with upsides in
resources
3. Many current clients with significant operations
Kleinfelder’s Entrance into Australia
Mid-2010: Invited to support refinery decommissioning
October 2010: Opened Melbourne office
Brand recognition
 Late 2011: $28M project
win as Prime
 Late 2012: Acquired two
environmental consulting
firms in Newcastle and
Melbourne
 2013: Growth in a slow
economy
Challenges
Consolidating acquisitions and
organic operations
Accounting platforms and
currency reconciliation
Time zone management
Human resources and staffing
Policies & procedures
Shifting perceptions from a US firm to a Global firm
That culture thing!
Kleinfelder in Australia Today
100 employees in Melbourne, Newcastle and
Adelaide
Access to global talent and clients
Revenue (turnover)
2013-14: US $20M
2014-15 Projections = US $30M
Expanding service line offerings
Strengthening legacy client relationships in new
geographies
A Few Thoughts
Fundamentals of a country (market) are more
important than timing
Think big but act small! Especially if you have financial
constraints like most small- to medium-sized businesses
Clear plan with ability to adjust; and secure
leadership first
Use in-country support services (legal, HR, IT, banks, AusTrade)
Follow your clients
Establish teaming/subcontractor agreements early
Respect the culture
Information on the Presenter
M. Ashraf Jahangir,
P.E.
Sr. Vice President
and Director of The
Kleinfelder Group
With almost two decades of technical leadership and experience in
engineering, Ashraf serves as Senior Vice President and Principal
of Kleinfelder. Ashraf began his career as a staff engineer in 1994
with Trinity Engineering, which was acquired by Kleinfelder in
1999. In 2005, Ashraf transferred to the territory of the newly
acquired GSC in the U.S. East Coast, where he became area then
regional manager. In 2009, under Kleinfelder’s new organization,
Ashraf developed and oversaw the company’s Power segment,
then was elevated to Senior Vice President, with functional roles as
both Energy Market Manager and Australia Division Manager. As
Energy Market Manager, Ashraf oversees a $120 million business
unit, with active projects and field offices in the Unites States,
Australia and Canada. As Australia Division Manager, Ashraf is
charged with helping guide the growth of Kleinfelder’s developing
Australia operation. In the summer of 2013, Ashraf was elected as
a director of Kleinfelder’s Board. Ashraf is a Professional Civil
Engineer licensed in Texas and Maryland. He is based in the
greater Baltimore, Maryland area.