Stewart President Nick Ellis Named CEO
Raleigh-based Stewart, an interdisciplinary design, engineering, surveying and planning firm, announced the promotion of President Nick Ellis to the role of CEO. In his new capacity, Ellis will oversee business operations and drive forward the firm’s strategic vision to strengthen communities across the Southeast.
Outgoing CEO Willy Stewart will continue in his role as founder and chairman, with focus on expanding the firm’s regional presence and impact.
“Nick is an exceptional leader who has fully embraced Stewart’s core values of trust, humility, respect, excellence, accountability and discipline,” said Stewart. “His creativity and insights have already enhanced our services and brought added value to our clients, and I look forward to working alongside him and the rest of the executive leadership team as we move into this exciting next chapter.”
Under Ellis’ leadership as president, Stewart has streamlined business operations, achieved new efficiencies and strengthened relationships with clients.
“We continue to design and build the infrastructure that shapes communities — from hospitals of the future to next-generation workplaces and beautiful, inclusive parks,” said Ellis. “Our commitment to this meaningful work will continue to guide us as we grow and evolve as an organization.”
Ellis has more than three decades of experience in transportation, commercial real estate, economic development and construction. Before joining Stewart as president in 2023, he was a senior vice president at TranSystems, a Kansas City-based firm specializing in transportation planning, design and construction. He also held executive leadership roles at SEPI and spent 21 years at Kimley-Horn and Associates, one of the nation’s largest planning and design firms, where he was instrumental in driving the firm’s national expansion and growth.
Ellis’ commitment to shaping communities is also reflected in his nonprofit leadership. He is the former chairman of Living with Autism, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2010 that provides services for adults with a range of developmental disabilities. He also serves as vice chair of Catapult, an organization dedicated to providing human resources advisory services across diverse industries.
About Stewart
Stewart is located throughout the Carolinas, comprising nearly 150 employees with seven office locations. With a unique interdisciplinary collaborative approach that results in stronger and more creative design solutions, Stewart serves domestic and international clientele, offering a full range of services to meet the needs of its clients, including:
- Civil Engineering
- Community Planning
- Geomatics
- Landscape Architecture
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation
Founded in 1994 by Willy E. Stewart, PE, the firm is owned by a select group of professionals who are personally involved in our clients’ success. Stewart has developed a rich culture of servant leadership, summarized by the acronym, THREAD: Trust, Humility, Respect, Excellence, Accountability, Discipline. These core values are at the heart of how we work with each other, our clients, our partners, and our community. THREAD has evolved into a curriculum that is taught to employees through our THREAD Institute.
The company has been recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work in the Triangle and Charlotte markets by American City Business Journals. Engineering News-Record has nationally recognized Stewart as a Top 500 Design Firm. For more information, visit www.WeAreStewart.com or follow Stewart on LinkedIn and Instagram.
