In November, after a thorough and diligent search process, the CIRI Development Corporation Board of Directors announced Richard “Rich” Driggs as the new president and CEO-elect of North Wind Group (North Wind). He assumed the role of president and CEO on Jan. 1 and succeeds Christoper Leichtweis, who served as North Wind’s president and CEO from 2013 to 2023.
Rich comes to North Wind from engineering and consulting-services company Michael Barker International, where he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO). He previously served as COO of WSP, a multinational engineering and design firm. Under his leadership, both companies grew their core earnings by more than 30%.
Rich holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Purdue University and executive certificates from Columbia Business School, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
“We are excited to welcome Rich as North Wind’s new president and CEO,” CIRI President Sarah Lukin said. “I am confident his experience and vision will have a positive impact on the services we provide to North Wind’s customers and foster CIRI business growth, especially outside Alaska.”
About North Wind Group: Founded in 1997, North Wind has grown to a group of companies that employ more than 2,000 scientific, engineering, management and professional personnel at 35-plus offices across the continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. Headquartered in Idaho Falls, Idaho, North Wind has been a wholly owned subsidiary of CIRI since 2010. Learn more at northwindgrp.com.
