Paul VanDuyne
President, Chief Operating Officer
IMEG
Rock Island, Illinois
Paul VanDuyne has built Rock Island, Illinois-based IMEG into one of the nation’s fastest-growing engineering consulting firms. That’s thanks to VanDuyne’s strategic vision and people-first philosophy, a formula that has guided IMEG’s evolution from a small regional firm to a national powerhouse.
With an electrical engineering degree from Drexel University, VanDuyne began his professional journey at an engineering firm in New Jersey before relocating in the late 1970s to study at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. While earning a doctorate, he worked part time as a draftsman for IMEG’s predecessor, KJWW in Rock Island, earning $5 an hour, fully intending to leave engineering behind.
Instead, he joined KJWW full time as employee No. 16 and eventually combined his engineering expertise and healthcare insight to establish the firm’s design work in healthcare. By 2003, he had risen to lead the company as president. IMEG has since grown from 500 employees in the Midwest to more than 3,100 team members at over 100 offices across the U.S.
IMEG has become known for technical excellence, innovation, and sustainability, including multiple net-zero-energy projects, more than 450 LEED Certified projects, and numerous national and global engineering awards. The firm also has established a college scholarship program for underrepresented students, providing more than 90 awards of $10,000 each in the last three years.
“One of the biggest challenges I’ve encountered and worked to overcome is transforming IMEG from a regional engineering firm into a cohesive, national firm with a deep bench of expertise while preserving the local relationships that define who we are,” VanDuyne said.
VanDuyne is a member of the Design Futures Council, NSPE, IES, and AEE, and serves on IMEG’s Board of Directors. He is also a member of Strategic Coach and Chief Executive Network.
Although VanDuyne was considering retirement in 2014, after joining Strategic Coach, he realized that his ambition was still in full gear. Instead of retirement, he chose to focus on growing the firm. That decision led to a pivotal 2015 merger between KJWW and a California-based firm, TTG, which resulted in the creation of IMEG. It was the first of over 50 mergers and acquisitions he has overseen to date.
“What matters most to me is not the number of deals, but our history of successfully integrating new firms,” VanDuyne said. “My approach is intentionally different from the stereotypical corporate acquisition where one company consumes another and large numbers of employees are displaced.”
VanDuyne personally writes every acquisition letter, explaining the terms in clear language. He only considers an acquisition that has either successful leadership that will remain or upcoming leadership that would like to assume key roles.
VanDuyne is also active in the Quad Cities community. He has chaired the boards of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the Bettendorf Family Museum, The Learning Center, Ballet Quad Cities, and Rivermont Collegiate. He remains involved with his alma mater, Palmer College of Chiropractic, serving as vice chair of the board of trustees. He and his wife, Donna, co-chaired the college’s recent fundraising campaign and led the way with a significant donation.
“Success in this industry has come from a combination of relentless focus on technical excellence, strategic growth, and an unwavering commitment to relationships with clients and colleagues,” VanDuyne said. “From the very beginning of my career, I embraced diversity in our work and thought broadly about where our company could make an impact.”
