When George Pfeffer walks onto a jobsite, he does so not as a distant executive but as a builder at heart. His journey from young electrical engineer to CEO of a multi‑billion‑dollar construction firm has been shaped by hands-on experience, quiet determination, and a love for making great things.
Early Spark
A graduate of Brown University with a degree in electrical engineering, Pfeffer initially considered careers ranging from marketing to product development. Yet something about construction called to him, perhaps the summers he spent wielding a hammer, his passion for solving problems, and working with people. That blend made him a natural choice for DPR Construction, which he joined in 1992 as a project engineer.
Through the 1990s, he moved steadily upward. By 1999, he was leading DPR’s largest office in Redwood City as Regional Manager. For seven years, he guided the Bay Area team before returning full-time to field operations, where complex challenges awaited.
The Impossible Mission
One milestone became a defining moment. In 2005, DPR was tapped to build a 450,000‑square‑foot biotech manufacturing facility for Genentech in Vacaville, with a 16‑month schedule that seemed impossible after a rebid. Pfeffer took it on. Working tirelessly on site, he led the team to complete the world’s largest cell‑culture facility two weeks ahead of schedule and on budget.
That achievement cemented his reputation as a builder who doesn’t back down when others might say no.
At the Helm
In 2021, George Pfeffer assumed the role of CEO and President of DPR Construction, following the passing of co-founder Doug Woods. He now leads DPR’s global organization of more than 12,000 people in over 30 offices, with revenues exceeding $6 billion. As a member of the Leadership Team, he works across the DPR Family of Companies, guiding strategy and culture in service of the company’s purpose: “We exist to build great things.”
A People‑First Leader
Beyond its hard numbers and big projects, DPR is known for its culture. Pfeffer champions a working environment that values safety, not just physical, but psychological, too. His top priority is the well-being of his teams and the goal of zero incidents on every project. He weaves belonging, mental health, and confidence into the safety equation, making it a holistic commitment.
He also embraces innovation as key to improvement. Over the past decade, DPR has supported more than 2,600 employee‑driven ideas through its in‑house innovation team. Pfeffer sees problem solving not as isolated but collaborative, linking field tradespeople with innovators to shape new solutions that matter.
Builder’s Mindset
Though he leads a global company, Pfeffer remains a builder first. He says one of his favorite company values is Enjoyment. Why shouldn’t work be satisfying? He’s also drawn to Ever Forward, the idea of improving standards just for the sake of improvement.
He relishes the fact that in construction, you never stop learning. Whether exploring a new topic or peeling back more layers of what you already know, that curiosity fuels him.
When asked what advice he’d share from experience, Pfeffer offers: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
Vision for the Industry
Pfeffer has long believed the construction field is ready for disruption. In a 2017 conversation, he praised prefabrication as a way to cut waste, boost efficiency, and reduce cost. He noted that some unions are embracing it, especially when viewed as a way to improve the process, not replace people.
He also reflected on rising material and labor costs, a trend shaped in part by fewer players in the industry following consolidations. His response: DPR controls more of its labor force to reduce volatility, and embraces lean thinking to drive positive change.
In His Own Words
Pfeffer doesn’t hide his humanity. Once, he admitted he isn’t naturally a “morning person,” joking that though he gets up early, it still takes him a while to get going. That blend of personal honesty and quiet determination shapes the way he leads: approachable, grounded, uplifting.
Today, DPR Construction ranks among the top national contractors, serving technology, life‑sciences, healthcare, higher education, and commercial clients. Under Pfeffer’s leadership, it remains committed to building complex, technical, and sustainable projects, and doing so with integrity and joy.
Yet beyond projects and profits, George Pfeffer leads with personal conviction: that construction is a service business, born of people solving problems together. That culture endures at DPR, not because of an executive memo, but because a builder made it so.
