Beyond Engineering: Recent Episodes
RTM Engineering Consultants
Challenges confronting industry and society today demand solutions that go beyond engineering. Listen as RTM technologists share stories about innovative design, collaborative development and exacting execution that help buildings, businesses, and people working inside them, work better.
What if your career wasn’t just something you did but something you shaped, on your terms? That’s the theme of today’s episode. I’m joined by Jess Iversen and Dan Koelliker, two dynamic leaders at RTM who share how autonomy, mentorship, and culture have allowed them, and many others, to thrive in their roles.
From starting new studios to launching people development programs, this episode is full of insight, candor, and inspiration.
In this episode of Beyond Engineering, we sit down with two of RTM’s newest Principals—Maggie Motto and Courtney Leaf. Though their paths to leadership were very different, both share a commitment to mentorship, a passion for people, and a deep appreciation for RTM’s culture of trust and support.
Maggie reflects on her transition from boutique firm co-founder to RTM leader, while Courtney shares how her journey began as an intern and evolved into shaping a growing team. Together, they discuss the pivotal moments, leadership lessons, and what it means to build others up while continuing to grow themselves.
What happens when you find the right fit?
Jennifer Luce, John Miller, and Rich Clark each led successful firms before choosing to merge with RTM. In this conversation, they open up about why they made the decision, how the integration unfolded, and what it feels like now—years later—to be part of something bigger. From culture and trust to leadership and legacy, this episode is a reflection on what it means to come home to the right professional family.
The engineering industry has evolved over the years, but what is it like for women in the field today? In this episode, we sit down with Kathleen Knutson, Calisse McPherson, and Morgan Erickson—three engineers at different stages in their careers—to explore the changing landscape of engineering for women. They share insights on mentorship, leadership, and how RTM’s culture fosters long-term career growth. From overcoming challenges to celebrating progress, this conversation highlights the strides being made and what’s still to come.
The People-First Approach to Mergers
Mergers aren’t just about growth—they’re about people. In this episode, Justin Ramirez, Director of Strategic Growth at RTM, shares how RTM takes a relationship-driven approach to expansion. From finding the right cultural fit to ensuring long-term success, he breaks down what firms should consider when exploring a merger and how RTM helps leaders make the right move for their team.
Starting off this season of Beyond Engineering, our new host Catherine Jelinek debuts with an inspiring conversation with Tony Mirchandani, CEO of RTM Engineering Consultants. They reflect on RTM’s monumental year in 2024, from welcoming over 100 new team members and completing four mergers to surpassing their ambitious revenue goal a year ahead of schedule. Tony offers a behind-the-scenes look at RTM’s evolution, including their new Centers of Excellence model and their commitment to maintaining a culture of trust, collaboration, and empowerment. He also reveals how RTM is harnessing AI and innovation to create greener buildings, faster processes, and a better quality of life for their teams and clients. With fresh perspectives and thoughtful insights, this episode is a dynamic start to an exciting new chapter for RTM and the Beyond Engineering podcast.
How can you recognize a strong company culture? When company values guide decisions both big and small. In this episode, we’ve compiled insights from three RTM Principals from across the country. Randy Moss, Jeff Hancock, and Rod Finkle share stories from their day-to-day experiences as leaders in RTM, making decisions which reflect RTM’s CORE values.
While some might dread facing down a new challenge, for many problem-solving provides the variety and challenge which keeps them engaged in their careers. In this episode, Dave Piluski, Principal at RTM Engineering Consultants, sits down with senior engineer Adam Marks. The two discuss Adam’s early passion for engineering, how he discovered RTM, and how tackling new challenges daily in his current position keeps him energized and engaged.
This special miniseries takes a deep dive into the Civil Engineering practice at RTM Engineering Consultants. Follow along as we trace the career paths and mentorship relationships of several RTM civil engineers, explore what drew them to RTM and why they’ve stayed, and finally showcase several fascinating civil projects. Through multiple generations of mentors and mentees, we examine the CORE values and seasoned leadership that enables our civil engineers to provide technical expertise with both a national reach and local attention.
To the untrained eye, many crucial elements of a given engineering project may be invisible. In this episode, RTM Civil Engineer Matt Whisler sits down with fellow Principal Dave Piluski to continue their conversation about how RTM civil engineers tackle those critical but invisible elements and reflect on how RTM earns project partners' trust.
Weathering life’s storms takes teamwork, strong relationships, and creative stormwater management. In this episode, Civil Engineer Matt Whisler sits down with fellow Principal Dave Piluski to discuss the collaborative communication that makes RTM’s civil engineering team unique, through the lens of two specialized projects.
We gain wisdom as the sum of our experiences, and just like in civil engineering, it is the inner work that is important. In this episode, Principal and Civil Engineer Matt Whisler sits down with Head of Talent Acquisition Jen Mikulski to trace his career path. From his start building skateboard ramps, Matt shares how he built the career of knowledge that he brings to his position as principal at RTM today.
Both careers and buildings start with simple concepts and grow into impressive constructions. In this episode, Jeff Hancock sits down with Jen Mikulski, head of talent acquisition, to trace how he built his career and elaborate on the skills guiding his continued growth as a principal in RTM’s Dallas office.
When an office runs smoothly, what does it look, sound and feel like? In this episode, Jen Mikulski, Head of Talent Acquisition for RTM Engineering Consultants, sits down with Jeff Hancock, Principal & Office Leader of RTM’s Dallas office. Jeff shares how, as an office leader, he monitors morale, facilitates communication, and balances assignments to keep his team collaborating cohesively.
Our values shape our vision of success and provide the template for pursuing it, and shared values lead to shared victories. In this episode, Rod Finkle, director of corporate development, sits down with fellow RTM Principal Dave Piluski to share how intentionality, connection, and shared passion help him build strong relationships with partners and teammates in his day-to-day work.
What happens to your career, your team, and your day to day happiness when the position is optimized to fit the team member, not the other way around? In this episode, Director of Corporate Development at RTM Rod Finkle sits down with fellow Principal Dave Piluski to share the story of how he discovered RTM, and—more importantly—why he stayed.
Though conventional wisdom tells us that our attitude is the key to tackling challenges, our team and the culture of our workplace are what frame an opportunity as either overwhelming, or energizing. In this episode, Orlando Principal Randy Moss shares his journey from discovering RTM to crafting a role with the company that enables him to continue his professional growth while helping colleagues grow in their own careers.
When we replace our mental image of leadership as a ladder with one of leadership as a web of shared wisdom, we better understand how collaborative leadership supports those involved and offers them support. In this episode, Randy Moss, a Principal at RTM’s Orlando Office, shares how RTM’s CORE values and commitment to mentorship create an energizing environment for top engineering talent at all career levels.
A trusted partnership between engineers and architects requires each side to care about building relationships as much as building buildings. In this episode, we listen to three conversations between architects from trusted partners and their RTM counterparts as they discuss the shared values and distinctive expertise that form the foundation of lasting partnerships.
When is an engineer ready to pass their wisdom down to the next up-and-comer? It may be sooner than they think. In this episode, we listen across four conversations as RTM engineers at all phases of their careers discuss their roles as both mentors and mentees and the way RTM’s conscious culture of mentorship fosters the respect and trust needed for engineers to grow.
According to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), women make up as little as 10% of some engineering disciplines. In this episode, we feature seven women who have worked at and with RTM in roles at all levels of the organization. The secret to their confidence? CORE values.
Learning—like teaching—is a skill. In this episode RTM Intern Hope Huenecke returns to the podcast to sit down with her mentor, Project Engineer Alex Babusci, and discuss how their collaborative communication has made them both better learners and better teachers.
If civil engineers lay the groundwork for a building, what lays the groundwork for a growing company? In this episode, Civil Engineer Luke Keller sits down with his mentee McKenna Mintz to discuss how RTM’s CORE values help both mentors and mentees grow into excellent engineers.
As RTM’s Beyond Engineering closes another year’s run of episodes, this special miniseries reviews advice we shared with students preparing to attend college or university career fairs. Who from RTM could you meet there? What’s the best way to get to know our firm’s culture? Maybe even land an RTM internship? Current and past interns talk about preparing for a fair, investigating cultural fit, building a professional network and learning to excel as engineers throughout their careers.
As another year of RTM’s Beyond Engineering rolls to a close, we’re reflecting on the professional services partnerships that help RTM engineers make both local and global impacts. In this special miniseries, we’ve compiled features with our partners Legat Architects and Ware Malcomb, delving into the shared values that underpin our successful collaborations that help buildings, businesses and the people working inside them, work better.
Without a time machine, it’s impossible to predict any one engineer’s career path, but we may be able to preview RTM Intern’s futures by looking to the past. In this episode, RTM Principal Tim Hedrick sits down with former Intern--and current Project Engineer--Ryan Krohne to discuss what influenced Ryan’s decision to pursue electrical engineering, why he chose to pursue it at RTM, and how career-fair candidates can set themselves up for similar success.
The best partner is one who is dedicated to learning alongside you. In this episode, Kate Lyle, Director of Industrial Cold & Food at design services firm Ware Malcomb, chats with RTM Principal Mike Best about the hidden intricacies of industrial cold storage and the ways RTM & Ware Malcomb support each other in continual learning.
“Grow your network” is standard advice to university students, but what exactly does that mean? In this episode, Tim Hedrick sits down with two RTM interns to discuss the way their networks have contributed to their career journeys. Hope Huenecke and Madison Huschak share the ways they each discovered RTM, how their mentors, friends and professional organizations have helped them develop, and what they hope to learn during their time at RTM.
It’s just as important that a company be a great fit for the candidate as that the candidate be a great fit for the company. In this episode, Karissa Shaner and Tim Hedrick examine how student job-seekers can prepare for career fairs and evaluate potential employers by charting Karissa’s experience on both sides of the recruiting table.
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Does a career fair have to be a nerve-wracking experience? RTM’s recruiting team thinks not. In this episode, Karissa Shaner and Tim Hedrick discuss what a “rockstar” candidate looks like to RTM, share some tips on prepping for the fair, and, most importantly, assure listeners that they were just as nervous on the other side of the table.
When, exactly, does someone become qualified to be a mentor? In this episode, Cory Kucey sits down with his mentee Connor Brennan to discuss their parallel experiences discovering RTM, and the ways the culture of mentorship has supported their career growth, including their experiences developing as mentees and aspiring mentors.
What’s the connection between the learning environment and the global environment? In this episode, RTM principal and series regular Kathryn Duytschaever continues her conversation with Robin Randall, Director of Learning at Legat Architects, discussing the difference between sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Most of us don't think about the design & engineering required to bring our food safely from farm to table across the US, but in this episode, Melinda Thurston, Business Development Executive at RTM Engineering Consultants, sits down with Kate Lyle, Director of Industrial Cold & Food at Ware Malcomb to discuss the ways RTM & Ware Malcomb’s mirrored values allow the two to form a national partnership with a local focus.
A good education starts before the first bell rings, with the thoughtful design of the school itself. In this episode, Kathryn Duytschaever, Principal at RTM Engineering Consultants, and Robin Randall, Director of Learning at Legat Architects, dig into Robin’s area of expertise: building schools that are safe, comfortable, and support all kinds of learners
In this episode, Principal Kathryn Duytschaever connects with Robin Randall, Director of Learning at Legat Architects and long-time design partner, to discuss the way their respect and communication have set the foundation for lasting collaboration.
In this episode, Gloria reconnects with Isabelle Kent, CEO of Philly Startup Leaders, to get to grips with the wealth of programming they have to offer, and the winding path of exploration that led Isabelle to the helm of PSL amid the pandemic.
Building a training environment requires a vision for the future of both the technology students will encounter, and the training they will receive there. In this episode, Principal David Piluski continues his conversation with Jose Vital, Program Coordinator for Harper College’s HVAC/R program, to discuss how their collaboration on the B.E.S.T. Labs is impacting communities both locally and globally.
When engineers build systems, they count on technicians to maintain them. In this episode, RTM Principal David Piluski sits down with Jose Vital, Program Coordinator for Harper College’s HVAC/R program, to discuss how their collaboration resulted in an innovative learning environment for both technicians and engineers.
In today’s episode, we continue the conversation between civil engineering Principal Matt Whisler and his mentee, Project Lead Luke Keller. They discuss the ways their daily collaborations set them up for success on projects around the country and create a culture of responsibility and support within their team at RTM Engineering Consultants.
RTM Engineering Consultants has opportunities for engineers across many fields, and at all stages of their careers. In today’s episode, two civil engineers at RTM—Matt Whisler and his mentee Luke Keller—compare notes on how they discovered RTM, when they realized it was a good fit for their own career goals, and how their expertise helps to literally build a better world for everyone.
In this episode, Principal Tim Hedrick speaks with HR intern Elissa Natale about the ways he identifies collaborative communicators at career fairs and builds overall unity at RTM by recruiting excellent engineers with learning mindsets.
As we approach one year of publishing Beyond Engineering, this miniseries compiles reflections on the CORE values that underpin RTM’s strong culture: how they came to be, how they manifest day to day, and how they put the team in a position to succeed.
As the one-year anniversary of Beyond Engineering approaches, this special miniseries looks back at the journeys our featured guests traveled: Several RTM Principals--and their mentees—share how they discovered the company, and how RTM has supported their growth both as engineers and individuals.
Tim Hedrick, Principal at RTM’s Schaumberg office, may be a familiar name to returning listeners. In this episode, HR Intern Elissa Natale sits down with Tim to discuss his journey with RTM: From the career crossroads that led him to join, to determining company culture still in place today.
In this episode RTM HR intern Elissa Natale tells host Celine Dirkes why she pinpointed RTM Engineering Consultants as the place for her, why she’s chosen to stay, and how she identifies the soft skills that make college engineers great fits for RTM.
In this episode, guests Kathryn Duytschaever and Courtney Leaf discuss the values at the heart of RTM’s successful culture of collaboration, and how the values of connection and integrity put everyone—team members, leaders, architects and clients—in a position to succeed.
The path to career success isn’t always clear to a college-aged engineer. In this episode of Beyond Engineering, returning guest Kathryn Duytschaever chats with her mentee, Courtney Leaf, about Courtney’s career journey within RTM: the challenges she faced, the support she received, and how she’s applying those lessons as a leader herself.
Which is the best path to a long, fulfilling career as an engineering technologist? Trick question. Because RTM’s culture of connection and support empowers and enables team members to choose their own destinations, set their own pace and blaze their own trails to success. Listen as Jim Wicker shares his journey from tinkering teen to business leader with long-time colleague and fellow RTM Principal David Piluski.
Many organizations have a set of shared values that guide their mission and business practices, but what does it look when a company lives those values every day, from hiring on? In this episode, Jessica Iversen and Cory Kucey continue their conversation, digging into how their mentoring relationship highlights RTM’s CORE values in their everyday lives.
How do engineering technologists mentor new team members as they launch their careers? In today’s episode, listen in on a conversation between RTM Principal Jessica Iversen and her mentee, Cory Kucey, about ways their team—and whole organization, from new hires to long-standing leaders —cultivates a culture of connection and support.
Why do engineering technologists thrive at RTM Engineering Consultants? In this episode, David Piluski sits down with his fellow Principal, Kathryn Duytschaever, to discuss how her journey with RTM began, how her career has grown and how she promotes the organization’s CORE values in her current leadership position.
How do teams at RTM Engineering Consultants approach day-to-day work? Listen as David Piluski, mechanical engineer and one of RTM’s Principals, describes how the firm guides collaboration, integration and design by posing five critical questions as each project begins.
Who is an engineering technologist? David Piluski, a mechanical engineer and principal at RTM Engineering Consultants, can answer that question because he is one. Listen as Dave shares his journey from technician to technologist, integrating digital design, communication and project management tools into his work.