Lisa Hess, a veteran financial leader, has joined HFA Architecture + Engineering as chief financial officer based in HFA’s Fort Worth office.
Lisa Hess
According to the firm, Hess brings more than 18 years of finance, accounting, and management experience in sectors such as engineering, construction, law, and technology to her new position. Hess’ areas of expertise include transforming financial workflows through tools and systems based on automation, analytics, and data visualization.
“Lisa boasts extraordinary management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and she is passionate about embracing change and positioning for the future,” HFA President & CEO Dave Wilgus said in a statement.
HFA COO Ryan Ray pointed out Hess’s emphasis on listening, honest feedback, and creating a supportive atmosphere for her teams.
“Lisa is a firm believer in empowering people to reach their maximum potential,” he said in a statement. “That makes her a strong fit for the people-centric culture here at HFA.”
Transparency, guidance, and growth
The firm said her initial goals as CFO include laying the groundwork for bringing more automation and analytics to HFA’s financial workflows.
“I want to provide more transparency and understanding behind the numbers, so that everyone—not just the C-suite but also our project and team leads—can make better decisions,” Hess said.
She said that transparency supports her second immediate area of focus as CFO.
“I want to provide guidance and direction to firm leadership regarding our growth strategies,” Hess said. “When you have those key performance indicators in place and you understand both your opportunities and your business risks, it allows you to grow at just the right pace to maintain long-term sustainability.”
Previously, Hess was CFO of Mackie Wolf Zientz & Mann PC, a mortgage banking law firm operating throughout Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Hess was with that firm for nearly 10 years, having started as its controller/director of finance & accounting in 2014.
Additionally, she held accounting and finance roles at the Dallas Stars professional hockey team; the technology company eGistics; the French international engineering and compliance firm Bureau Veritas; Brinckerhoff Construction Services Inc.; the engineering consultancy Landis + Evans Partners; and Citigroup Inc.
HFA is a nationwide architecture and engineering firm with offices in Bentonville, Arkansas; Fort Worth, Franklin, Pennsylvania; and Mexico City.
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