In her new position, Ms. Van Pelt is responsible for the oversight of programs including strategy, talent acquisition, employee development, succession planning, compensation and benefits for an organization with 7,800 employees in the U.S. and Latin America. She will be based in WSP’s Chicago office.
“Recruiting, developing, engaging and retaining the very best professionals is a key focus for WSP USA,” said Gregory A. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of WSP USA and Latin America. “Megan’s expertise in building talent, performance management and culture at companies ranging from 400 to 130,000 employees will be a great asset to our organization.”
Prior to joining WSP USA, Ms. Van Pelt was with Starwood Retail Partners, where she led all facets of human resources for the company’s corporate headquarters and 30 properties across 15 states. She was a member of the company’s executive leadership team, providing guidance on leadership development, succession planning, compensation and integration of acquired companies.
Ms. Van Pelt has experience working with several WSP USA partners and clients, including Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and Lend Lease Americas. At JLL, she served as a senior vice president and head of human resources, responsible for strategic human resources needs for JLL’s brokerage, capital markets, asset management, project delivery services, public institutions and retail businesses. As executive vice president and head of human resources in the Americas at Lend Lease, she was a member of the executive leadership team, responsible for such strategic human resources initiatives as organizational development, compliance, compensation and benefits, talent management, and learning and development.
Ms. Van Pelt received a B.S. in business administration from Xavier University. She is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management.
About WSP USA
WSP USA, formerly WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, is the U.S. operating company of one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms—WSP. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment sectors. With nearly 7,000 people in 100 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com.