2/21/2024 – Austin, Texas – SAM, the nation’s leading provider of professional Geospatial and Inspection services across the utility, transportation, and broader infrastructure markets, announced today that Sam Shakir has joined the company as CEO. Chris Solomon, SAM’s President and CEO since 2017, has transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors as part of a planned succession strategy focused on accelerating growth and expanding SAM’s reputation as a trusted, knowledgeable, and innovative partner for holistic Managed Geospatial Services™.
This leadership change signals a new chapter of growth for SAM, which has evolved over the last three decades into the industry’s leading provider of professional Geospatial and Inspection services, propelled by significant organic expansion, as well as investments in applied technology and strategic acquisitions. Today, SAM stands at the forefront of innovation, renowned for transforming complex spatial data into practical, accurate, and high-fidelity deliverables, supported by the most advanced technology. As Executive Chairman, Solomon will maintain a key role in the company’s strategy and innovation efforts alongside Shakir and the executive team.
“We have built a premier team of seasoned experts and leaders, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished at SAM over our rich thirty-year history,” said Solomon. “I am excited to become Executive Chairman of the Board and continue to support the company’s vision and growth with a strategic objective to redefine and transform how infrastructure assets are managed throughout their lifecycle. I am also pleased to welcome Sam Shakir as our new CEO. Sam’s strategic acumen, growth mindset, and commitment to people make him the ideal fit to lead SAM into the future.”
Sam Shakir is an accomplished executive leader with 30 years of experience driving growth and innovation in global business environments. Shakir was most recently President, Operating Plant Services and Environmental Services of Westinghouse Electric Company. Before Westinghouse, he served as President and CEO of Orano USA, a prominent technology and services provider in the nuclear industry. Shakir has extensive experience in driving substantial growth in tech-enabled utility and renewable services businesses and has a shared focus on safety, quality, and innovation.
“Joining SAM as CEO is an exciting opportunity to lead a company at the forefront of the rapidly growing Geospatial and Inspection services industry serving vital infrastructure markets,” said Shakir. “I am honored to join such a distinguished team, and I look forward to working closely with Chris Solomon and the entire executive team to expedite SAM’s trajectory of success. Our focus will be on continuing to expand our reputation as the go-to partner for holistic Managed Geospatial Services™, while leveraging our cutting-edge technology and industry-leading professional services to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”
About SAM
As the nation’s largest professional Geospatial and Inspection services firm, we provide practical, accurate, and high-fidelity deliverables to enhance decision-making, mitigate risks, achieve strategic objectives, and drive costs out of our clients’ business. Our vision is to advance spatial data acquisition, improve analysis capabilities, and develop predictive analytics to redefine and transform how infrastructure assets are developed and managed throughout their lifecycles.
SAM’s licensed professionals transform petabytes of complex spatial data into intelligent insights in a holistic Managed Geospatial Services™ framework. Managed Geospatial Services™ is the digital ecosystem that simplifies the complicated so our clients can achieve the impactful outcomes that drive their business forward.