Pros
We do have good people - I can't say "better" because I don't have a frame of reference In many ways our reputation of being a leader in the environmental field is earned. We are a strong, profitable company, with a great client base.
Cons
I have been here a long time, so I can attest to the evolution of the company, especially in the US; from the early 2000's where we sometimes didn't even issue purchase order to subs, to the hyper-bureaucracy of Project Management that we live with now. Neither extreme, in my opinion, is good business. During the Neil McArthur years, the obsession with revenue and profitability to the detriment of clients and especially staff created a entrenched management mindset that still exists. We have lost a lot of talent, and in the end the talent is what our clients hire, not the company name. True, the downward pressure from clients on rates and margins means we have to be vigilant, but that is still an outward focus, not an inward focus that has been so prevalent. I truly hope Peter's revamp of focusing more on the staff and less on "numbers" takes root; there are some positive signs so far. We will see if that attitude can survive the normal first quarter dip.