Wrapping Up a 35-Year Tenure
In 1987, John Moran, a new hire in Syska’s San Francisco office, flew to the New York office for orientation. There the vertical transport specialist met the firm’s principals at their Monday morning meeting. One asked Moran, “Where did you get your engineering degree?” Moran replied that he had no engineering degree and instead held a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business. The principal was unimpressed, stating: “You’ll never make it here.”
But as it turned out, Moran stayed until the end of 2022, when he retired after a 35-year tenure filled with success. His career proved that business acumen and industry expertise can be just as valuable to an engineering company as an engineering degree: At the time of his retirement, Moran was a senior principal and the leader of Syska’s vertical transport group, which has expanded significantly over the decades.
Moran looks back fondly on his time at Syska. There were some tough times -- Syska actually closed the San Francisco office for seven years following the Earthquake of 1989 -- but the positive experiences far outweighed the negative. “If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Moran claims. He also notes that he benefited from the guidance of several mentors, three of whom he met at Syska: Bill Frazier, Director of Vertical Transportation Group; and Bob Caperalli, who headed the vertical transport practice; and Art Ziggis, Vice President.
One of his most memorable projects – Doha International Airport -- recently garnered international attention during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Moran recalls when the site of the airport was a big sand field in the desert. “The project took about 10 years, and every year was fun,” he says. “I learned a lot about the practice of vertical transport and about working internationally. I even had the opportunity to visit the elevator manufacturer’s facility in Spain several times for quality assurance and control.”
Another memorable project was situated closer to his doorstep: The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. There he had the opportunity to spend time with the famed architect Renzo Piano, who was designing a new building for the organization. If Moran had held any preconceived notions about how a “Starchitect” would behave, they were quickly quashed. “This guy was absolutely charming and unassuming,” Moran remembers. “He had no ego whatsoever.”
Moran also appreciated the opportunity to see Piano in action while the two men were meeting outside the building’s entrance, which Piano had envisioned as an Italian-style piazza for gathering, walking, and conversing. “The academy had filled the space with T-shirt shops, hotdog stands, and other food stands, and Piano was quite dismayed,” Moran recounts. “He pulled out a napkin, made a beautiful sketch of how the space was supposed to look and function, handed it to the academy’s director, and said, ‘This was my vision; now fix it.’” (Moran regrets that he did not ask Piano for the napkin.)
Over the years, Moran saw Syska grow and embrace change. “It used to be that when you walked into a room at a Syska office, you’d see a bunch of white men,” he says. “I’m proud of how much the firm has evolved and the extent to which Syska is rolling out effective initiatives to support diversity and inclusion.”
Moran has also observed many changes in the practice of vertical transport during his career. “When I entered the industry, elevators were strictly controlled by electromechanical relay systems,” he remarks. “Now elevators are part of the internet of things. We’ve got smart, energy-efficient systems that enable remote troubleshooting. As buildings get taller, we’ll see even more evolution in elevator systems.” His advice for people interested in entering the field of vertical transport design is to get a bit of seasoning working for a manufacturer before making the transition to consulting.
How does Moran plan to celebrate his retirement? Visiting his grandkids, for starters. He has one grandson, but by April he’ll have two more. Babysitting is definitely on the agenda, and he’s excitedly looking forward to taking his grandsons on an elevator ride – in a system designed by Syska.
James Regan Retires after Four Decades at Syska Hennessy Group
“He’s mentored and inspired his teams over the decades and he’s played an important role in the firm’s growth."
Served as Leader of Eastern Region
James Regan, senior principal and leader of the Eastern region of Syska Hennessy Group, is retired after spending 40 years with the firm.
As leader of the Eastern region, Jim Regan managed more than 250 professionals in nine offices along the East Coast. Under his supervision, the firm completed many award-winning projects in higher education, broadcast and entertainment, healthcare, and critical facilities. His clients included the Royal Bank of Canada, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife, Madame Tussaud’s, Cablevision, the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Simon & Schuster, JFK Airport, Dulles Airport, Ronald Reagan Airport, and many confidential financial firms.
Regan first joined Syska shortly after his graduation from the University of Houston with a degree in mechanical engineering. He knew what to expect from his new employer because his father, John Regan, worked at Syska at the time. In fact, in an earlier edition of Connections we did a story on Jim and his dad. (Read the story here)
“My dad was at Syska for 47 years,” says Jim Regan. “I didn’t quite reach that number, but I came awfully close! I think it’s clear that we both loved our jobs. And we both saw Syska Hennessy as an extension of our family.”
“Jim has been an outstanding leader,” says Cyrus Izzo, co-president of Syska Hennessy. “He’s mentored and inspired his teams over the decades and he’s played an important role in the firm’s growth. I will miss him on both a professional and personal level, as will my colleagues and our clients and partners. But we wish him a happy and enjoyable retirement.”