Tom Shen, Shen Milsom & Wilke

New York, NY A proven leader who is dedicated to improving the user experience, Tom Shen was the perfect choice to be appointed as Shen Milsom & Wilke’s (SM&W) new president and CEO earlier this year.  In a market as highly competitive as the A/E/C industry, Shen has managed to build long lasting client relationships while maintaining a strategic and creative approach to stay ahead of cutting-edge technology.  His promotion to CEO signals a transition to a new generation of leadership.

In 2003, Shen was asked to lead the San Francisco office, the only SM&W office on the west coast. “We had to have a good long-term plan to fill that position, and ultimately we selected Tom,” said Fred Shen, SM&W’s founder and chairman. “He has personified the firm’s commitment to providing unparalleled value to clients.” Tom spent seven and half years growing the San Francisco office, building a highly competent team and turning the office into one of the most profitable across the firm.  He built key relationships with west coast based architects, developers and end-users, which were leveraged to win high profile projects like the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco, and the Stamford School of Medicine Li-Ka-Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge. 

Shown (from left) are: Tom Shen and Fred Shen.

In addition to focusing on local opportunities around the Bay Area, Tom also set his sights on large opportunities overseas. He was instrumental in landing the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Consisting of 37 million s/f, supporting up to 40,000 women students, with 14 various degree programs including a College of Medicine and a 700 bed full-service hospital, the project remains the largest in the firm’s history. “With PNU under Tom’s belt, I thought, he could very well lead the firm to future success.” In late 2010, Shen relocated back to New York to assume the role of managing partner before becoming CEO.

SM&W has grown exponentially since its inception in 1986 as a single discipline acoustical consulting firm in New York City.  At the time, there were two forces that shaped the vision of the firm according to founder Fred Shen; the emerging global economy and the convergence of specialty disciplinary services in building designs.  Today, SM&W consists of 15 offices worldwide and delivers an efficient, single point of responsibility with cost effective solutions that include acoustics, audiovisual, IT, medical equipment planning and physical security consulting services. 

Tom Shen discussing Shen Milsom & Wilke’s vision for the future.

Shen’s approach to leading the firm takes a slightly new direction with a focus on the rapidly evolving technology. “Our industry is facing a paradigm shift, and I am positioning SM&W to remain at the forefront of technology in order to provide creative and cost-effective solutions for our clients. We are developing new approaches and service offerings in order to stay ahead of the curve of technology. Traditional consulting services are becoming more and more commoditized and SM&W needs to look beyond the commoditization in order to stay relevant and continue to provide value to our clients,” he said. His plans include the development of the firm’s business vision, strategy and leadership to ensure the company’s continued growth and success. 

Recently, Shen joined the Young President’s Organization (YPO) in New York City where he meets regularly with other members. “It’s been a positive experience thus far, to be able to share ideas and experiences as well as gain insight from like-minded individuals. It’s interesting to hear other perspectives from different industries,” he said.  In addition, Shen remains an active player within the A/E/C community, and is affiliated with a number of industry organizations: NY Building Congress, American Institute of Architects (AIA), CoreNet Global, and InfoComm International.

2016 marks 30 years for SM&W as a leader in technology and acoustical consulting.  To honor this milestone, SM&W recently held an anniversary reception at Carnegie Hall, a longtime client of the firm, for staff and clients to celebrate its legacy of innovation. 

“It was truly a privilege to hold our event at Carnegie Hall,” said Shen. “To be back in that space, a true New York City landmark, while recognizing our clients, partners and staff was an honor.” 

SM&W worked on audiovisual systems design for the Judith and Arthur Zankel Hall and the Studio Towers Renovation within the performance venues at Carnegie Hall.  In addition to hosting a reception, the firm launched an anniversary website that showcases a video of Fred Shen sharing his early experiences starting the firm, and a video of Tom Shen discussing the firm’s core values and vision for the future. Included on the site is an art gallery created by children of the SM&W staff to demonstrate what they think the world will look like when they grow up.

Shen has spent the last two decades playing a critical role in many of the firm’s most complex and demanding projects, producing quality results and developing innovative solutions to meet the long-term needs of his clients. Since returning to New York in 2010, he has been focused on developing an operational structure across SM&W which has fostered increased team collaboration, work efficiency and has improved the overall quality of the firm’s work product.  Moving forward, he plans to continue his commitment to SM&W’s mission and core values.

“I am looking forward to leading the firm into the future. The changes facing our industry are exciting, and SM&W has embraced those changes and developed a structure that leverages increased collaboration across our consulting disciplines.” said Shen.  “Excellence in technology design will define our future.”