CDM Smith Taps 32-Year Veteran Samir Mathur to Lead Technical Future

DALLAS, March 23, 2026 – Engineering and construction giant CDM Smith has appointed Samir Mathur, PE, BCEE, a 32-year company veteran, as the new President of its Technical Services Unit. The move signals a strategic focus on blending deep institutional knowledge with a forward-looking vision for digital innovation to tackle the world’s most pressing environmental and infrastructure challenges.

Mathur, an environmental engineer who has spent his entire professional career with the firm, steps into the role from his previous position as the global practice leader for water reclamation. His appointment is seen as a testament to the company's culture of internal growth and its commitment to technical leadership in an increasingly complex industry.

A Career Forged in Water and Mentorship

Samir Mathur's journey to the presidency of a key operational unit is a story of deep specialization and consistent leadership. With three decades of experience centered on the analysis and design of water and wastewater treatment facilities, he has been instrumental in delivering some of CDM Smith's largest and most complex wastewater projects. His career path exemplifies the firm's model of cultivating talent from within, allowing expertise to flourish over decades.

In his most recent role leading the global water reclamation practice, Mathur was recognized for fostering a culture of mentorship and ingenuity. Under his guidance, the practice advanced innovative, cost-effective strategies for water reuse and resource recovery. Projects overseen by his practice area have included pioneering efforts to achieve net-zero energy operations at a Massachusetts utility, implementing large-scale disinfection programs in Memphis, Tennessee, and enabling zero-liquid discharge systems for industrial clients and U.S. Army bases. This focus on turning wastewater into a valuable resource—recovering energy, nutrients, and clean water—places him at the forefront of the circular economy movement within the water sector.

His extensive background, supported by master's degrees in environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and physics from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, provides a solid foundation for his new, broader mandate. As an active member of the Water Environment Federation and a frequent presenter at industry conferences, Mathur has consistently shared his knowledge and contributed to the wider engineering discourse.

A Vision for Digital Integration and Talent

In his new capacity, Mathur will oversee the firm's vast technical services, a cornerstone of its global operations. He has articulated a clear vision centered on three pillars: project delivery excellence, investment in talent, and the deep integration of digital solutions.

"I’m excited to support our project delivery excellence, invest in talent as we drive industry leadership and integrate digital solutions as a core part of how we deliver for our clients," Mathur stated upon his appointment. "Our people and expertise are what sets us apart at CDM Smith."

This emphasis on digital integration is not just rhetoric; it aligns perfectly with the transformative trends sweeping the water and infrastructure sectors. The industry is rapidly moving beyond traditional engineering by embracing smart water technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins. AI and machine learning, for instance, are becoming essential for optimizing treatment processes and predicting demand, with adoption rates in wastewater treatment expected to more than double by 2025. Mathur's leadership is poised to accelerate CDM Smith's role in this digital revolution.

Expanding on a Robust Digital Foundation

Mathur is not building the company's digital strategy from scratch. He inherits a robust and rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. A key component is Trinnex, CDM Smith's wholly-owned software and digital solutions subsidiary. Trinnex has been a vehicle for innovation, rolling out AI-driven software tools designed to help utilities manage lead in drinking water, reduce sewerage pollution, and simplify complex operations.

Just last month, the firm significantly bolstered Trinnex by integrating its industry-leading GIS and asset management team into the subsidiary. This strategic move aims to create end-to-end digital offerings, providing clients with powerful, data-driven tools for decision-making in an era where AI and workforce challenges are paramount.

Furthermore, the company launched its "Digital Hub" in 2024, a center of excellence for technologies like augmented reality, automation, and AI. This hub serves as an internal engine for developing and deploying new digital tools for the firm's global workforce. Technologies like "Sky Wave," which combines drone-based geospatial intelligence with machine-learning analytics, are already shrinking project timelines and improving data collection. Mathur's mandate will involve leveraging these existing platforms and driving their adoption across the full spectrum of the Technical Services Unit's projects, from water resources and transportation to environmental remediation efforts targeting persistent challenges like polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Tackling Global Infrastructure Challenges

The Technical Services Unit that Mathur now leads is at the heart of CDM Smith's mission to solve complex global challenges. The unit's scope extends across the firm's core sectors—water, environment, transportation, energy, and facilities—and involves a global team of over 7,000 employees in more than 120 offices.

Mathur's deep expertise in water is particularly timely. With over 700 specialists in the water division alone, the firm is tackling everything from conveyance and drinking water safety to advanced water reclamation and "one water" integrated management approaches. His leadership will be critical in guiding clients through the complexities of aging infrastructure, climate change impacts, and stringent regulations. By combining his veteran perspective on project delivery with the firm's advanced digital capabilities, Mathur is uniquely positioned to drive the development of resilient, sustainable, and efficient infrastructure solutions for the next generation. His ascent to the presidency of the Technical Services Unit reinforces the message that at CDM Smith, deep-seated expertise remains the critical driver for future innovation.