Emad Sarieddine Civil Engineering Emad Sarieddine, PE, is now Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Kier + Wright (K+W). Since joining in 1999, he has guided teams, strengthened culture, and driven growth. As COO, Sarieddine oversees operations, optimizes systems, ensures quality, and mentors future leaders, maintaining K+W’s high standards across all Read More
Alex Bhathal Lisa Bhathal Merage ALEX BHATHAL LISA BHATHAL MERAGE CO-FOUNDER CO-FOUNDER / MANAGING PARTNER RAJ CAPITAL RAJ CAPITAL WHY: Siblings founded Newport Beach-based RAJ Sports, a subsidiary of RAJ Capital. Parents Raj and Marta are entrepreneurs who built swimwear empire. Awarded a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) expansion franchise Read More
Nektarios Matheou Civil Engineering Nektarios Matheou, PE, steps into his new role as Principal at Kier + Wright (K+W). With nearly 15 years at the firm and two decades in the industry, he’s helped shape K+W’s collaborative culture, mentored rising talent, and guided strategic growth through his leadership, client focus, Read More
Bobby Azamian BOBAK “BOBBY” AZAMIAN CEO/CHAIRMAN / CO-FOUNDER TARSUS PHARMACEUTICALS WHY: Spearheaded the development and commercialization of Xdemvy, the first FDA-approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids caused by mites. Raised $101M in IPO in 2020; company so successful that it was able to raise another $125M in Read More
Adam Mahoney Civil Engineering Kier + Wright (K+W) has promoted Adam Mahoney, PE, PLS, to Principal in a newly created role centered on Technical Design and Implementation. With over 20 years at the firm, Mahoney is a dual-licensed expert known for mentoring teams, solving complex challenges, and strengthening the company’s Read More
Loretta Rivas Construction With 20+ years in preconstruction estimating, Loretta Rivas guides projects from concept to construction. She delivers accurate budgets, design input, and value engineering aligned with market trends. As Director, Rivas will continue to service our clients’ preconstruction needs while providing oversight of all budgeting deliverables for Oltmans’ Read More
Kamran Ansari (left) invented a wearable device to alleviate his sister Nadia’s (right) pain KAMRAN ANSARI FOUNDER FLUXWEAR INC. WHY: 20-year-old co-founder of wearable tech startup FluxWear Inc. with his sister Nadia Ansari. Invented a neuromodulation device, designed as a hat, to alleviate his sister’s chronic pain using pulsed electromagnetic field Read More
Thanh Nguyen Construction With over 30 years in construction, Thanh Nguyen specializes in e-commerce, healthcare, and logistics. At Oltmans Construction Co., he has advanced through key roles including operations director. Now as Director of Business Development, he will strengthen client partnerships and support growth in the rapidly evolving e-commerce and Read More
Darin Anderson DARIN ANDERSON CHAIRMAN & CEO SALAS O’BRIEN WHY: Guided the growth of Salas O’Brien, an Irvine-based engineering services firm that is one of OC’s fastest growing. Roll-up strategy has helped firm in four years triple annual sales to $562M. Salas O’Brien currently has $20B in annual construction value Read More
Dan Almquist DAN ALMQUIST CEO/PRESIDENT ALMQUIST WHY: Founded development company that is changing Orange County retail spaces. Opened Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton in 2020, where locals and visitors can choose from more than one dozen food-and-drink tenants. Last year, completed River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano, a Read More
