Tim
Augustine

For nearly three decades, I have had a front-row seat to how organizations really grow, not the tidy version in a strategy deck, but the harder, more human work of turning ambition into results. I grew up in the Midwest and am an Air Force Veteran.  I started my career with a small software firm in Chicago, and helped grow worldwide, I went on to earn my MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, studied mergers & acquisitions at Harvard, and spent the last 20+ years leading Atwell and various organizations through the kind of change that tests an organization's discipline as much as its vision.

I have led company positioning initiatives, M&A integrations, repositioned companies in shifting markets, and scaled businesses in industries where mistakes are expensive: real estate development, renewable energy, mission critical data centers and Hydrocarbon firms among them. Different sectors, same throughline: strategy only works if the people responsible for it can actually carry it out. That is the lens I bring to both operating roles and the boardroom, pairing rigorous execution with a genuine focus on the people doing the work.

I have become something of an advocate for a simple idea: the future of work is not just about strategy, it's about culture, building high-performing teams, bridging multigenerational workforces, and leading change with enough clarity that people can actually follow it. It is the work I find most rewarding, especially when navigating disruption.

That is also the thinking behind Knocking Smarter, Landing a Job in the Age of AI, my latest book, and likely my last focused on the corporate climb itself. From here, I'm turning my attention to a new series on the topics I also care about: scaling with intention, growing into new markets, and building people strategies that hold-up under real pressure.

If you are leading through a moment like that, I would welcome the conversation.

 I am currently the Chief Corporate Officer and Partner of Atwell, a national consulting, engineering, and construction management firm. A national firm with over 2500 team members, ranked #70 on ENR’s Top 500 AEC Design Firms in the country and recognized by Zweig Group in its Top 10 “Best Firms to Work For” and fastest growing “Hot Firm” lists, Atwell supports the asset development lifecycle in such industries as real-estate and land development, commercial and digital infrastructure, power and energy.

 With more than 30 years of corporate leadership and board governance experience, I support Atwell’s strategic direction and culture.

Executive Leadership at Atwell

Tim is the Chief Corporate Officer and Partner of Atwell, a national consulting, engineering, and construction management firm. Ranked #70 on ENR’s Top 500 AEC Design Firms in the country and is recognized by Zweig in its Top 10 “Best Firms to Work For” and fastest growing “Hot Firm” lists, Atwell supports the asset development lifecycle in such industries as real-estate and community development, commercial and digital infrastructure, power and hydrocarbons.

With more than 25 years of corporate leadership and board governance experience, Tim supports Atwell’s strategic direction and culture.

Driving Growth & Expansion

Over the years, I have built and implemented a scalable growth framework, one that redefines a company's core purpose, sharpens its position in a shifting industry, clarifies its services, and aligns resources, operations, and succession planning around a culture that can actually carry the whole thing forward.

 I have always believed growth works best as a balance: strong organic expansion paired with a disciplined, deliberate approach to M&A. At the center of that belief is something simple: invest in people first. Talent, culture, and leadership are what make performance sustainable, not just achievable in a given quarter. Before I take on an acquisition, I want to understand the "why" behind it, how it serves the long game, not just the short-term numbers. And once a deal closes, the real work begins, with building an integration model that thoughtfully brings people, projects, and processes together, so a team can capture the synergies everyone promised in the deck without losing whatever made that company worth acquiring in the first place.

Culture & People Strategy

I have spent much of my career convinced that people-centered growth is not, a nice-to-have, it's the strategy. That conviction shows up in the work I do around organizational performance, go to market strategies, organizational design, team formation, and culture as a growth lever in its own right.

 I have led M&A due diligence and integration work built around a simple question: how do two cultures actually come together, not just on paper, but in how people communicate day to day? I have guided human capital planning and led strategic planning sessions for executive teams, and I have sat on steering committees mapping out what the future of work: remote, hybrid, or somewhere in between, actually looks like for a given organization.

I have also spent time as an executive coach, helping leaders find a style that fits both who they are and the culture they are trying to build.

 I hold an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, am an Air Force Veteran and completed the Mergers & Acquisitions Program at Harvard University.

Leadership
& Governance

Tim brings strong leadership, advisory and board experience having served on the Board of Directors for Atwell, RVi Planning and Landscape Architecture, PHC, Open Heart Magic and Delta Sigma Pi National Leadership Foundation.

He is a US Air Force Veteran, an MBA graduate of Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business and a graduate of the Harvard University Merger & Acquisition Program.

Corporate Strategy

At the core of his corporate strategy is a disciplined strategic planning framework designed to align vision with execution and ensure sustainable growth. This framework is built around key guideposts that drive clarity and performance across the organization

Strategic Planning Framework

Tim’s strategic growth framework is built on key guideposts that drive clarity and performance across the organization. Throughout Tim’s career, he has played a pivotal role to help scale organizations to make the transition from an entrepreneurially oriented company (few leaders make most of the decisions) to a professionally managed growing company. These guideposts include:

Business Definition (What we do and what are we known for?)

Defining the focus and purpose of the organization.

Markets (Target Industries / Geographic Focus)

Identify target urgent Industries to go after, followed by a thoughtful geographic expansion strategy.

Products & Services (Core Services or Products)

What problems can your firm solve? How big is the market? What services do the urgent industry need and expect?

Resource Planning

Align your people strategy with necessary tools and technology to support the growth.

Management Succession Planning

Develop leadership continuity and succession readiness.

Culture

Defining and cultivating a culture that underpins everything the firm represents while strengthening its reputation as an employer of choice.

Operational Process & Systems

Create and refine work-flow best processes that enable growth.

Product & Service Launch Framework

Combining the Strategic Planning framework with a Pragmatic Product / Services strategy will help diversify your firm and capture market share in your respective industry.  

He has crafted a pragmatic, results-driven approach to launching new products and services focused on market knowledge, discipline and thought leadership.

Market & Quantitative Analysis

Problem Identification and definition, uncover opportunities, assess risk and evaluate acceptance.

Thought Leadership & Positioning

Define proposition, establish credibility, identify differentiation and calculate position.

Launch Metrics

Clear performance goals and success measures.

Execution & Evaluation

Define internal and external education, channel support and key relationship development and evaluate.

Post-Launch Support

Scalable sustained growth and maximize long-term value.

Tim’s Writings

Tim has also served as a contributing writer to Inc. Magazine, Fast Company and Monster.com, writing a series of articles focused on company culture, driving growth, disruptive strategies and managing change.

He is the Author of How Hard Are You Knocking? Book Series published by Oakhill Press. His book How Hard Are You Knocking? Landing a Job in a Rebounding Economy, was recognized by Career Magazine in the “Top 100 Best Career Books of All Time.”

Tim was also a contributing writer for the “Afterword” in the best-selling book Design Portfolios by Mark W. Smith and published by Wiley Books.

Tim is a recognized thought-leader for people strategies, corporate culture and helping organizations grow at scale.

His books and seminar series help professionals navigate their career journey.

His latest project Knocking Smarter: Landing a Job in the Age of AI. Is currently in production with a planned publication date of 2027. It combines his extensive job coaching experience and proven job search best practices with leveraging the latest AI tools to navigate today’s competitive job market

Knocking Smart:
Landing a Job in the Age of AI

Knocking Smarter: Landing a Job in the Age of AI is a practical, empowering guide for job seekers navigating a rapidly changing, AI-driven market. Tim shows how to stop chasing opportunities the hard way and start using AI as a competitive edge, optimizing resumes, preparing for interviews, targeting growing industries, and networking with purpose.

Blending technology with the irreplaceable human traits of curiosity, adaptability, and grit, the book helps readers identify where the future is hiring and how to stand out when it matters most. The rules have changed, but for those ready to adapt and act boldly, the opportunity has never been greater, especially when you learn to knock smarter, not harder.

The Job Market Has Changed, So Must You

Jobs disappear overnight. Algorithms screen resumes in seconds. Industries rise and fall faster than you can update your LinkedIn. Today, landing a job isn’t about effort alone, it’s about intelligence, adaptability, and speed. This book will teach you how to stand out, stay relevant, and get hired in a world evolving at lightning pace.

AI Isn’t the Enemy…. It’s Your New Edge

AI isn’t just tech hype; it’s your most powerful co-worker. Used right, it can craft sharper resumes, spotlight booming industries, and prep you for interviews with precision. But remember: AI can’t replicate your curiosity, empathy, or grit. The goal isn’t man or machine, it’s man and machine.

The Future Is Hiring

Energy, healthcare, infrastructure, cybersecurity, the sectors shaping tomorrow are hiring fast. This book will show you where the real opportunities are and how to knock on the right doors.

Knock Smarter Not Harder

For advisory, speaking, or collaboration inquiries, reach out to discuss how Tim can support your organization’s growth and transformation.

The rules have changed, but the reward remains the same, for those prepared, proactive, and bold enough to knock smarter.

Lets help 1 Million Job Seekers!

My goal is to reach 1 million downloads and help as many people as possible.

Please spread the word and share this link……

Share my QR code with your family, friends, network, especially with students or recent graduates, who are job hunting or planning to look in the next few years.

Together, we can help the next generation of professionals “Knock Smarter” and thrive in this new AI-driven world.

It’s Completely Free

Connect with Tim

For advisory, speaking, or collaboration inquiries, reach out to discuss how Tim can support your organization's growth and transformation.

  • Chief Corporate Officer, Atwell LLC
  • U.S. Air Force Veteran
  • Northwestern Kellogg MBA
Contact Tim Augustine