CEO of CDM Smith
Timothy B. Wall is not your typical suit-and-tie executive. His journey is rooted in a simple yet powerful belief: hard work beats brilliance when brilliance doesn’t show up. He started his career at CDM Smith as an intern more than 26 years ago and never imagined he’d one day become its Chairman and CEO. He says he “came because we are the best in the industry,” drawn in by bold ambitions and big thinking. But what kept him rooted was deeper. He stayed for the character of the company, the sense that CDM Smith is not just a place to earn a living, but a place where people truly care for their colleagues, clients, and shared future. What has carried him upward isn’t a mystery. It’s a lesson from childhood: don’t be the smartest or the fastest, just never be outworked.