Cover Story
Pointing the way
How Kathleen Shanahan leads WRScompass in the right direction
By Brian Horn
Smart Business Tampa Bay | January 2010
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Kathleen Shanahan is pretty clear with her answer when she is asked what has been her greatest leadership challenge.
The chair of the board and CEO of WRScompass says being chief of staff to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush from 2001 to 2003 definitely fits the bill.
“It’s crisis management every day,” says Shanahan who now leads the environmental, geotechnical and civil construction company.
Yet, the hectic days and moments of trying to minimize disasters aren’t all that Shanahan recalls.
It was the leadership of Bush that actually attracted her to the position in the first place.
“He was the best at delegating as well as following up,” she says.
Bush was also very good at welcoming different opinions and listening to ideas around him to make the best decision or find the best solution for a problem.
“We had an environment where there were very healthy conversations about policy and why and what we were going to try to do,” she says.
Shanahan has taken those lessons and used them to help guide WRScompass from $65 million in revenue in 2005 to more than $180 million in 2008.
Here’s how Shanahan utilizes her management team, delegates and creates a vision to lead WRScompass in the right direction.
