Rick Lanoha leads Kiewit Corporation as its CEO and President, A role he stepped into at the start of 2020. Today, he’s at the center of one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and engineering companies. But his story isn’t one of shortcuts or overnight success. It’s a journey that began in the field, where he once wore a hard hat like everyone else, and climbed, step by step, through decades of experience, grit, and trust earned from the ground up.
Humble Beginnings and Hands‑On Experience
Rick’s journey with Kiewit began in 1986 as a part‑time employee while he was studying construction engineering at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. After graduating, he joined full‑time as a field engineer in Southern California, a role that gave him direct exposure to job site realities.
He quickly advanced through several roles: superintendent and project manager. He helped lead major projects like the High Desert Power Plant in Victorville, broadening his field work and leadership skills in complex work environments.
Climbing the Ranks, Coast to Coast
In 2000, Rick became area manager, and by 2002, he was vice president and district manager of the group then known as Kiewit Pacific Co. In 2003, he relocated to Boston to serve as district manager and president of Mass. Electric Construction Co., a Kiewit subsidiary.
Over the next decade, Rick moved through a series of leadership positions: senior vice president of Kiewit Corporation, division manager of multiple subsidiaries including MEC Industrial, MEC Transportation, and The Industrial Company (TIC), and manager of Kiewit’s Southeast District and Kiewit Engineering.
In 2009, Rick was elected to Kiewit’s Board of Directors. Soon after, he was named executive vice president of Kiewit Industrial Group, overseeing divisions like Kiewit Oil, Gas & Chemical and Kiewit Power. In 2012, he assumed the presidency of Kiewit Energy Group, responsible for power and energy infrastructure projects.
COO to CEO: A Stewardship Transition
By 2016, Rick had risen to President and COO of Kiewit, managing operations across the enterprise. When Bruce Grewcock retired at the end of 2019, he passed the leadership torch to Rick, effective January 1, 2020. Grewcock praised Rick’s deep experience, his focus on safety, and his commitment to using technology and process discipline as hallmarks of strong stewardship.
Introduced as only the sixth CEO since company founder Peter Kiewit, Rick was recognized not just for his technical acumen but for embracing the company’s core culture, built on longstanding values of integrity, excellence, people, and stewardship.
Vision and Leadership Style
Under Rick’s leadership, Kiewit continues its focus on iconic infrastructure, from transportation and power to industrial and water projects, while remaining diversified across geography and project size. The company’s scale now spans across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia, with revenues reaching over $17 billion in 2023 and a workforce of more than 31,000 employees.
Rick emphasizes the importance of both large and small jobs. He supports smaller contracts (under $10 million) not only for financial stability but also because these projects accelerate staff training and give employees hands-on exposure across estimating, permitting, procurement, and field operations lessons that strengthen performance on larger, more complex work.
A People‑Attuned Leader
Rick is known for his open leadership style, grounded in experience at every level of the field and management. On internal surveys, he earns a CEO approval score of 79 out of 100, a rating that puts him in the top 5 per cent of CEOs at comparably-rated companies, a sign that his team trusts him and his decisions.
He is also known for nurturing a culture rooted in mentorship and ensuring younger colleagues get hands-on chances early in their careers. That reflects Kiewit’s long tradition of stewardship, leaders seeing themselves as caretakers, not just bosses, ensuring the company’s culture remains intact as it grows.
Values and Broader Roles
Rick earned his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering in Omaha. He continues to serve on Kiewit’s Board and chairs its Executive Leadership Committee. In fall 2019, he joined the Board of Valmont Industries, reflecting his broader influence in infrastructure and industrial sectors.
Why His Story Matters
Rick’s path from working as a part‑time field engineer to leading a Fortune 500, employee‑owned engineering and construction firm, tells a story of hard work, mentorship, and deep respect for the craft of building. He has blended operational discipline with fresh leadership and kept Kiewit’s values alive as the company expanded into new markets and delivered projects of growing scale and complexity across North America.
At age 52, Rick Lanoha is the latest steward in a century‑old leadership lineage: one of only six chief executives since the company’s founding in 1884. His steady rise reflects long‑term dedication. His leadership continues to strengthen the firm’s reach, its commitment to safety and technology, and its belief in giving employees opportunities at all levels.
He carries forward the spirit of Peter Kiewit himself, not chasing the “biggest,” but aiming to be the “best,” building not just infrastructure but a legacy of craftsmanship, accountability, and care.
