Attending Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY, near the Bronx, Yarossi obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering. His first big job out of college was with HNTB—an employee-owned organization of infrastructure firms—in 1973, and 34 years later, he is still with the company.
"I outlasted them all," Yarossi laughed, joking about his significant time with the company. No longer working as a starting engineer, Yarossi is now the president of HNTB.
There are three main companies that HNTB owns and oversees: HNTB Corporation, a transportation, engineering, planning, and construction management firm; HNTB Architecture, Inc., which has design professionals who provide services to the building market; and HNTB Federal Services Corporation, which provides federal-sector clients various services.
"I had the ability to try a lot of new things. I was able to find [my] technical niche and various opportunities that were available to me in engineering," Yarossi recalled regarding his first experiences at the company. "This firm allowed me the opportunity to move into other positions in managing projects. I was the aviation group chairman for a while and then moved to office management [and] then, eventually, corporate management."
Yarossi, whose company now employs more than 3,400 people in more than 60 offices around the country, said that he has worked his way to the top through a lot of hard work and drive.
"My path was not a straight line," he said. "I [volunteered] for whatever [came] along, and that gave me varied experiences."
Yarossi fears that this may not be the case for all transportation companies, but he hopes some still allow a path like the one he was fortunate enough to have for their employees to grow through.
"A lot of young engineers [feel] they need to move around [to get ahead]. I think companies are willing to [promote] within the company, to provide the opportunities for people to find what they can do best within the industry," he said.
The memories Yarossi recalls most come from the beginning of his career. He remembers the teamwork and camaraderie that came with tasks and projects. He also said his start helped him gain the confidence he needed to make it through the challenges and appreciate his workplace.
"I was fortunate enough to be hired by one of the best engineers. It was important to me. It helped me understand the other aspects that went into significant projects," he elaborated. "The partners at this company are probably the main reason I have stayed so long through those periods of times when [one is] tempted to leave. This firm has always had a high level of integrity; you just can't duplicate it."
The lessons Yarossi has learned over the years have also proved to be useful.
"The biggest lesson that I've learned is to be open about anything going on in a project," he explained. "It's truly necessary to ask for help when you need it, and it's best to let everybody know when an issue [arises]."
Yarossi said that he learned a lot from his mistakes and that the best thing to do when you are starting out in the transportation industry is to find a person who is an expert on a topic and ask for assistance.
"When I was young, I tried to stretch [myself] to do things. I would have been better off asking for help. That is what a good office is all about: asking for help and getting varied expertise," he said.
Yarossi is a little wary about the future of the transportation field.
"I believe America's product has always been innovation, and innovators come from engineers," he firmly stated. "I'm worried about the lack of engineers graduating. I'm worried about the lack of engineers in general. People are not choosing to go into this [wonderful] profession."
Yarossi said his job with HNTB has allowed him to support his family and become very successful, but he said schools need to be more in tune with the needs of transportation students.
"We all should be encouraging. I think we need to start at schools and families to get people into engineering. It's a sophisticated business filled with highly successful and imaginative people. The construction industry has also become sophisticated. [Technology has also entered the] transportation industry."
Despite the lack of students graduating in his field, Yarossi tries to remain optimistic and hopes the future will be better.
| Q. What do you do in your spare time? A. I have a wife and a son who is 25 years old, so I like to spend time with my family. I do enjoy the outside; there's always a lot to do. I do not have a lot of spare time, but I'm a major fan of football, so I'm watching that a lot. I like to exercise; however, I don't get to do it as much. Q. What is playing on your iPod right now? A. I listen to The Beatles and a lot of other different music. I listen to a varied assortment of music ranging from the late 60s [to the] early 70s. Q. What was the last magazine you read? A. Forbes. Q. What is your favorite TV show? A. Anything with football. Q. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? A. Coffee. |
"The biggest advice I can give to young engineers [and young transportation workers] is to keep their eyes and ears open for opportunity," he said. "Another piece of advice is to understand that engineering, especially civil engineering, is about improving the quality of life. Quality of life needs to be a part of everything we do. The great thing [about] engineers [and what we do is that we] affect virtually every person's life. Young engineers should see that and grasp it."
As for the future of the company, Yarossi said he sees good things.
"We are going to grow strong, and we see a great market ahead," he affirmed. "Our future is extremely bright. I would hope that when we grow, we still maintain the same culture and quality of standards that we have today."
