Ryan Witters is a Senior Director-Disputes for Aegis Risk, LLC, a division of the Aegis Companies (Aegis) based in Silver Spring, MD. He has more than a decade of experience in the construction industry, mostly working with contractors and owners assisting with the settlement or litigation of construction disputes.

Ryan was born in Evansville, IN and moved to the east coast of the US after graduating from the University of Evansville (UE) with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. While attending UE, Ryan interned with Bowen Engineering, a self-performing general contractor based in Indiana. Upon graduation, Ryan accepted a position with Clark Construction in Bethesda, MD, and began is professional career in the greater Washington, DC area.

Ryan found his way into the world of construction disputes when he began pursuing a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, with a focus in water resources management, at the University of Maryland, College Park. While pursuing his master’s degree, Ryan also obtained a graduate certificate in project management. He learned the fundamentals of schedule and budget management by enrolling in courses in the project management department at the University of Maryland, College Park. About the same time, Ryan began his post-graduate program. He joined a small construction disputes firm in Alexandria, Va., and began his career as a construction disputes consultant.

Ryan soon found himself learning how to apply industry standard methodologies and fundamental best management practices to assess and analyze complex construction disputes. Ryan even stepped into the world of bid protests and developed a firm understanding of the analysis involved to bring resolution for a client involved in bid protests.

Perhaps the most notable case that Ryan was involved with was a project concerning the structural repair and rehabilitation of the Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco. Working on behalf of the owner, National Park Service, Ryan was the project manager handling and preparing the quantum and delay analyses. This was a one-of-a-kind experience. The project required Ryan to make several trips to San Francisco for depositions and trial, and it included behind the scenes tours of the historic prison.

At the height of a global pandemic, Ryan joined the Aegis risk management and disputes team in June 2020. He started as a team manager, bringing with him years of experience handling and vetting construction claims. Since joining, Ryan has produced several expert reports and assisted many clients with preparing requests for equitable adjustment. The Aegis team strives to be thought leaders in the industry. During his time at Aegis, Ryan has helped develop the Aegis risk management podcast series, which is regularly posted to LinkedIn and Aegis’ YouTube page (Risk Management Explained). In addition, Ryan is currently assisting with the development of an automated assessment tool that can help determine schedule risk based on project updates.

Ryan serves as a team leader at Aegis, where he manages projects and helps direct analyses to reach an attainable solution for every client. Ryan’s goal is to always put the client first and to be fully transparent with the final result, even if that may spell not-so-great news for the client. At the end of the day, Ryan strives to develop and sustain relationships with clients that last longer than just one project.

In the past, Ryan has been an active member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law. He has volunteered with Building for Good (B4G), a nonprofit organization that seeks to connect pro-bono or volunteer construction attorneys with charities or other nonprofit organizations with construction law needs.

Ryan is a member of AACE International and is actively looking for ways to become more involved with the association. Ryan has worked with the AACE International Rising Professionals Committee in the past, sitting on a panel in late 2021 to discuss expectations of managers during end of year performance reviews. In the future, Ryan plans to attend more AACE International conferences as both an attendee and as a presenter.

Ryan’s advice to the next generation of young professionals in the project controls industry is to develop your network as studiously as you develop your technical skills. Early in your career, the development of your technical skills is paramount to your future success, but your professional network should not be overlooked. As you create and nurture relationships with your peers, you’ll find those connections useful down the road. The easiest way to develop your network is to get involved with industry organizations such as the AACE International Rising Professionals Committee. You’ve heard the adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Well, it certainly is “what you know,” but it is equally “who you know.”