Ulteig Taps New HR Chief to Navigate Growth and Talent Wars

FARGO, N.D. – April 22, 2026 – In a strategic move designed to reinforce its celebrated corporate culture amidst significant expansion, consulting engineering firm Ulteig has promoted Sara Chapman to the role of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). The appointment signals the employee-owned company's deep commitment to its people-centric strategy as it navigates a period of robust growth and a fiercely competitive market for technical talent.

Chapman will now spearhead Ulteig's comprehensive people strategy, a critical role for a firm that has grown its employee base by 18% in the last year alone and now numbers over 1,700 professionals across North America and Costa Rica. Her mandate is to support this continued growth trajectory while preserving and strengthening the unique culture that has become a cornerstone of the company's identity and success.

A Strategic Move in a Competitive Talent Market

Chapman’s promotion comes at a critical time for the engineering and infrastructure sectors. The industry is facing a severe talent shortage, with projections indicating a need to fill nearly 195,000 job openings annually over the next decade due to growth and retirements. This talent crunch is so acute that some firms have reportedly been forced to decline projects, making the attraction and retention of skilled professionals a paramount strategic imperative.

For Ulteig, which has seen its size increase fivefold since 2016, investing in HR leadership is a direct investment in its business model. As an employee-owned company (ESOP), its success is intrinsically linked to the engagement and dedication of its workforce. The firm's consistent appearance on lists like Engineering News-Record's (ENR) Top 500 Design Firms—where it ranked #116 in 2024—is fueled by its ability to attract and retain top-tier engineers, project managers, and technical experts who are drawn to its mission and work environment.

"Sara's authentic and empathetic leadership style reflects our commitment to preserving Ulteig's strong people-centric culture," said Ulteig President and CEO Doug Jaeger in a statement. He praised her combination of strategic focus and results orientation, expressing confidence that she will "excel in this role and position our HR organization for long-term growth."

New Leadership, Proven Experience

While relatively new to the company, having joined in 2024 as Director of Human Resources, Chapman has quickly proven her value. In her previous role, she managed HR operations, business partnerships, and employee benefits. Her promotion to the C-suite reflects a deliberate internal succession plan.

Chapman brings over 15 years of human resources leadership experience from a diverse range of companies, including senior roles at Electra, Native Roots, and Brown & Caldwell. Notably, her background includes serving as Director of Talent Management and Director of Talent Acquisition at Xcel Energy, providing her with deep insights into the talent dynamics of the energy sector, a core area of Ulteig's expertise.

Accepting her new role, Chapman acknowledged the strong foundation she inherits. "Ulteig has an incredibly strong HR foundation grounded in trust, purpose and a genuine commitment to our people and I'm grateful for the opportunity to build on it," she stated. "Ensuring our employees have the support, resources and experiences they need to grow is essential to continuing Ulteig's tradition of delivering innovative solutions for our clients now and in the future."

Cultivating a Culture of Ownership and Excellence

Ulteig’s reputation as a premier employer is not merely an internal talking point; it is substantiated by extensive external recognition. The company was named a "Top Workplace" by USA Today in both 2024 and 2025, and its Denver office—where Chapman is based—has earned the distinction for seven consecutive years from the Denver Post. Furthermore, the company ranked #14 on Glassdoor's national list of Best Places to Work in 2023 and was named a "Top Workplace for Engineers" by Engineering.com.

This acclaim is built on a culture that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and professional development within an employee-ownership framework. This model gives every employee a stake in the company's performance, fostering a powerful sense of shared purpose and accountability. Chapman's primary challenge will be to scale this award-winning culture, ensuring that as the company continues to expand through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, like its recent acquisition of Affinity Energy, the employee experience remains a competitive advantage.

A Deliberate and Smooth Transition

Chapman succeeds Jim Horn, who has served as CHRO since 2016 and is widely credited as a key architect of the company’s modern, people-centric culture. During Horn's tenure, Ulteig navigated its most significant period of growth, all while embedding principles of inclusion, flexibility, and employee well-being into its operational DNA.

To ensure continuity, Horn will not depart immediately. He will transition to a role as Executive Advisor to both the CHRO and the Chief Experience Officer (CXO), supporting the leadership transition until his planned retirement on July 1, 2026. This deliberate and carefully managed handover exemplifies the firm's strategic approach to leadership and its commitment to stability.

With a proven leader in its most critical people-focused role, Ulteig is positioning itself not just to weather the industry's talent storm, but to harness its own powerful culture as the engine for its next chapter of innovation and growth in transforming the world's critical infrastructure.