As infrastructure investment continues to accelerate and digital transformation reshapes how projects are delivered, the AEC industry is entering a defining period of change. Firms are balancing rapid technology adoption with persistent labor shortages, expanding portfolios, and increasing expectations around quality, speed, and precision.
In this environment, success depends on more than technical capability. It requires intentional workforce development, embedded quality processes, and a strategic approach to innovation that strengthens both internal operations and client outcomes.
In this edition of From Vision to Reality, we sit down with Coriann Salas, PE, Corporate Program Manager at WGI, to explore how AI and automation are moving from experimentation to everyday application, how proactive talent strategies are helping close emerging skills gaps, and why embedding quality throughout the project lifecycle is critical to long-term performance.
Coriann shares her perspective on the forces shaping the next 12–24 months and how WGI is positioning itself to lead through growth, digital integration, and disciplined execution.
1. What is your outlook on the current state of the AEC profession? How do you see the industry evolving over the next 12–24 months, and what role will WGI play in shaping that future?
Digital technologies will transform the AEC industry over the next 12 to 24 months, with BIM, digital twins, and AI adoption accelerating in response to market demand, investment, and workforce constraints. Industrywide labor shortages remain strong while infrastructure spending continues to grow, especially in high-growth regions like Florida and Texas.
In this environment, WGI has positioned itself as a leader by advancing AI-driven workflows and efficiencies, integrating digital delivery, and building a future-ready workforce through strategic talent development, upskilling initiatives, and employee-centric retention strategies.
2. What changes are you seeing across the AEC profession, and how do they present new challenges or opportunities?
The largest current change in the AEC profession is AI and automation. Artificial intelligence is quickly moving from pilot projects to everyday applications, optimizing design, scheduling, QA/QC, and predictive analytics.
At the workforce level, AI and automation create opportunities to redirect talent toward problem-solving, while also supporting upskilling and career growth as digital fluency becomes an essential skill. The result is a more innovative and future-ready workforce that can deliver higher-quality results with greater speed and confidence.
3. What unique opportunities does WGI face as we move through the remainder of the year and into 2026?
In 2026, WGI has a unique opportunity for growth. Expanding our organization creates more promotions, greater exposure to larger and more complex projects, and increased responsibilities, giving employees pathways to expand their expertise.
WGI is focused on creating an environment where employees can grow, advance, and thrive.
4. What challenges does WGI anticipate looking ahead to 2026, and how is the firm preparing to address them?
Persistent talent shortages are making it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain the specialized engineering and technical talent we need. At the same time, the rapid adoption of digital technologies is widening skills gaps and forcing us to accelerate upskilling across the organization, so our teams can keep pace with evolving expectations.
Moving forward, WGI is looking to use proactive strategies like leveraging AI-driven sourcing tools to help us identify hard-to-find engineers and designers more quickly, targeting our technology training to ensure our teams can take on digital project delivery, and strengthening engagement efforts such as career pathing conversations and project rotation opportunities to help retain high performers.
6. How is WGI leveraging innovation to maintain its leadership position in the AEC profession?
WGI leverages innovation both to work smarter internally and to deliver stronger results for our clients. Internally, we use AI-enabled and advanced technology tools, automated workflows, and digital delivery platforms to streamline processes, reduce rework, and free our teams to focus on problem-solving.
Externally, we apply these same technologies, like BIM, digital twins, advanced visualization, and data-driven insights, to improve accuracy, accelerate schedules, and offer clients more forward-thinking, resilient solutions. Together, these innovations keep WGI positioned as a leader in the AEC industry.
7. What lessons from recent projects are shaping your approach as we look toward 2026?
Recent projects have reinforced two critical lessons that will help guide our approach through 2026. First, our acquisition integrations underscored the need for consistent communication and deliberate cultural alignment to avoid confusion and ensure seamless compliance across teams.
Second, our project experience demonstrated that quality must be embedded throughout the workflow rather than treated as a final checkpoint. By applying structured QA/QC procedures, maintaining clear communication, and conducting rigorous cross-discipline reviews, teams delivered quality packages that reduced rework and consistently exceeded expectations.
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The AEC profession is evolving at a pace that demands both adaptability and intention. As digital tools become embedded in everyday workflows and infrastructure demand continues to rise, firms must align innovation with workforce readiness and ensure that quality remains foundational at every stage of delivery.
Coriann’s insights reinforce that growth alone is not the objective. Sustainable success comes from developing people, closing skills gaps through targeted upskilling, leveraging AI to work smarter, and embedding structured QA/QC practices across expanding teams. By combining proactive talent strategies with disciplined digital integration, WGI is strengthening its ability to scale while maintaining consistency and performance.
As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, the firms that thrive will be those that treat technology as an enabler, quality as a constant, and people as their greatest competitive advantage.
Stay tuned for more perspectives from the leaders shaping WGI’s future in upcoming editions of From Vision to Reality.
