Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are often led by people who came up through the work itself. They know how projects get designed, managed, permitted, priced, staffed, and delivered. But the business questions can be harder to solve: when to transition ownership, how to protect margins, how to develop future leaders, how to value the firm, and how to grow without losing control of performance.

Greg Hart has spent his career close to those questions. He began as an environmental scientist before moving into AEC consulting, where he has advised hundreds of firms on mergers and acquisitions, ownership succession, and business valuation. Today, as President of PSMJ Resources, he leads a firm that has spent more than 50 years focused exclusively on improving the business performance of AEC organizations.

PSMJ’s work spans advisory services, executive education, and market intelligence, with expertise in strategic planning, business development, project management, financial management, talent optimization, leadership development, M&A, and ownership transition. In this conversation with The Consulting Report, Hart discusses PSMJ’s data-driven approach, the importance of turning insight into action, and how AI is changing the business questions facing AEC firm leaders.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Consulting Report: PSMJ is focused exclusively on the AEC industry. How would you describe the firm’s core areas of specialization?

Greg Hart: PSMJ Resources, Inc. (PSMJ) is a leading advisory services, executive education, and market intelligence firm focused exclusively on the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. For more than 50 years, PSMJ has helped AEC firms improve financial performance, operational efficiency, and long-term value.

The organization’s expertise spans the core business functional areas, including strategic planning, business development, project management, financial management, talent optimization, leadership development, mergers and acquisitions, and ownership transition. PSMJ produces the AEC industry’s most comprehensive financial performance benchmark data, has taught 50,000+ AEC project managers on the best practices of project management, and has advised some of the AEC industry’s most recognized and successful firms on a wide range of topics.

“PSMJ is intellectually curious, but not academic.”

The Consulting Report: What distinguishes PSMJ’s approach to advising AEC firms?

Greg Hart: PSMJ has built a legacy around data-driven insight, experienced advisors, and a bias for action.

First, its data advantage is significant. Through proprietary benchmarks like the AEC Financial Performance Benchmark Survey and tools such as the Quarterly Market Forecast survey, PSMJ provides high quality leading indicators (not just lagging metrics) that directly inform strategy and decision-making.

Second, PSMJ has a collection of expert advisors, coaches, and leaders who bring decades of proven AEC industry experience. Many of them have worked in successful executive roles in AEC firms and bring unmatched passion, curiosity, and experience to every engagement. Competitors often fall short here; PSMJ embeds that real-world experience in hands-on advisory and its industry-leading training programs to ensure that ideas translate into measurable performance gains.

Third, its bias for action in AEC is deeper and more operationally grounded. PSMJ doesn’t generalize fluff; its content, tools, and advisors are purpose-built for AEC firms, from project-level performance to ownership transition.

The Consulting Report: How would you describe your firm’s culture?

Greg Hart: PSMJ has a culture that is best described as performance-driven, practical, and deeply client-centered.

At its core, PSMJ operates with a results-first mindset. The focus isn’t on theory or abstract strategy, it’s on what works in the real world for AEC firms. That creates a culture that values measurable outcomes, accountability, and continuous improvement.

It’s also highly practitioner-oriented. Many contributors and advisors come directly from the AEC industry, so the culture emphasizes credibility, operational relevance, and “been there, done that” experience. Ideas are expected to stand up to real-world scrutiny.

PSMJ is intellectually curious, but not academic. Data, benchmarks, and market intelligence play a central role, but always in service of practical application to help clients make better decisions faster.

Finally, it’s a community-driven culture. Through peer groups, events, and training programs, PSMJ fosters collaboration among AEC leaders, positioning itself not just as an advisor, but as a connector and catalyst for shared growth across the industry.

“Ideas without action demotivate everyone.”

The Consulting Report: Has the increasing prevalence of AI changed the types of client mandates you are hired for?

Greg Hart: Yes and no. The shift is more evolutionary than substitutional. AI hasn’t radically reshaped how firms develop and drive strategy, but it has started to have some impact on how AEC firm leaders think about the future and emerging business models—pushing away from selling time and more towards selling value.

Strategic planning may be one of the most obvious areas where conversations around AI and the business impact are becoming more common. It isn’t always AI in a vacuum, but rather how AI fits into business development, project management, recruiting, financial management, knowledge management, and so on.

In short, AEC firm leaders are seeking more clarity and guidance around use cases, ROI measurement, and change management. To put a finer point on this, as adoption increases, AEC firms also need policies, standards, and client-facing positions on AI-related ethical, legal, and contractual risks. This is a broader executive-level issue, not just an IT issue.

“We also recognize that leadership is a learned discipline, not an innate trait.”

The Consulting Report: What leadership principles guide how the firm operates?

Greg Hart: There isn’t a single source that has significantly influenced how we lead at PSMJ. However, we do have a set of core principles that the entire leadership team subscribes to in running the organization. Some of these are very specific and action-oriented (e.g. we strive to respond to internal and external inquiries in less than 24 hours) and some are broader and more philosophical (e.g. ideas without action demotivate everyone).

In any case, our leadership style is pragmatic, performance-driven, and motivated by results. We also recognize that leadership is a learned discipline, not an innate trait. As such, we are constantly seeking to attract and develop bright, energetic, and curious talent. Culturally, the style is direct, candid, and occasionally contrarian.