Denise Berger
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, U.S. East & LATAM Region,
AECOM
Denise M. Berger is the chief strategy & innovation Officer (CSIO) of the U.S. East & Latin America (LATAM) region of AECOM, a Fortune 500 global infrastructure firm with revenue of US$13.3 billion in fiscal year 2021. A results-oriented leader recognized for her trailblazing service within the A/E/C industry, Denise brings extensive executive experience in strategy and operations.
Denise has a proven ability to create and execute against short- and long-term business plans while driving business performance improvements and cost reductions. Providing oversight of several hundred professional staff working to deliver capital and operating programs,Denise possesses an outstanding ability to motivate and engage diverse teams to accomplish challenging projects. She is also adept at assessing and implementing workflow enhancements and maximizing digital and innovative solutions.
As CSIO, Denise is responsible for driving growth, strategy and digital innovation across the U.S. East & LATAM region — AECOM’s largest region — comprised of over 65 offices, 7,500 employees and $1.7B gross revenue. She remains focused on major cities and key accounts across the Transportation, Water, Buildings + Places, Program Management, Environment and Energy business lines. Ms. Berger joined AECOM in 2020 as the chief operating officer responsible for profit and loss in the northeast region, then compromised of 2,500 employees and US$660 million in revenue.
Denise is the former chief of operations for the engineering department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). In this capacity, she was responsible for the leading the operations of an engineering department comprised of over 570 engineers and architects with an annual budget of US$1.3 billion. This department is a critical contributor to the delivery of the PANYNJ’s US$37 billion, 10-year capital plan.
In 2018, Denise was inducted into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows for her leadership and advocacy of design excellence in transportation and infrastructure projects. In 2021, she was recognized by the international community with a fellowship in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and in 2022 she was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.
A champion of equitable engagement and inclusion, Denise serves on AECOM’s global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Steering Committee, and she is also the chair of the ED&I Committee for Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International. She serves on several boards including Columbia University’s Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space; New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture & Design; and the Women Builders Council. Ms. Berger is also an executive member of numerous organizations and committees, where she provides insight on best practices, finances, standards and governance.
Denise has been recognized across the A/E/C industry, receiving the WTS International Woman of the Year Award, WTS Greater New York Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award, Professional Women in Construction (PWC) New York Chapter Woman of the Year Award, ACE Greater NY Mentor Program Leadership Award, and recently was selected as one of the most Notable Women in Construction, Design and Architecture by CRAIN’s New York Business.