Sergio “Satch” Pecori is chairman and chief executive officer of Hanson Professional Services Inc., a national, employee-owned engineering, planning and allied services company. With nearly 50 years of experience in the engineering industry, he has led Hanson’s efforts to provide sustainable and resilient design services on complex projects worldwide. He also is highly regarded in the technical field, serving as an ambassador for the engineering profession in numerous leadership roles.

Mr. Pecori is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies and served as chairman from 2017–18. He also is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), serving on its Industry Leaders Council; serves on the Design Professionals Coalition’s Executive Committee; and is a member of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s board of directors.

He has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Buildings Operations’ Industry Advisory Panel and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. He was appointed in 2011 to a four-year term on the board. In 2013, he was selected to lead the board’s Cyber Policy Task Group. Mr. Pecori has served on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) College of Engineering Advisory Board, the University of Illinois Foundation President’s Council and the University of Illinois Springfield’s (UIS) Business Advisory Council for the College of Business and Management.

He has received numerous awards, including the U.S. Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service in 2015, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2019, ASCE’s Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award in management and the Alumni Award for Distinguished Service from UIUC’s Grainger College of Engineering in 2023.