Ackert, a former executive of oil-and-gas giants Halliburton and Schlumberger, now is CEO of all WSP Canadian operations. He foresees a $700-million business in Canada this year and said that, while Focus-infused WSP is "not an LNG design house," its 900-person oil-and-gas division is now "one of the biggest shops in western Canada."

Export of that expertise across the border may help WSP to boost its U.S. presence, one of the geographies that is currently "substructure," says L'Heureux.

We have 7,500 engineers in Canada for a population of 30 million," says Philippe Honnorat, a U.K.-based building sector manager. "You just cross the border and the population multiplies by 10, but the number of engineers in WSP divides by five."

Dollin says that while improving economics in the U.S. could boost WSP's organic growth, he anticipates a transformational acquisition "to position us as a key player." Sytchev says, "A lot of cross synergies can be exploited, but it doesn't mean there will be no hiccups along the way."

Shoiry told an ENR audience in May that "organic growth is a day to day challenge."

Growing Global

The push for WSP integration to take advantage of its growing global workforce has boosted human-resources management in the firm.

Jean-Luc Seguin joined WSP last year as vice president of human capital from a previous role at a Belgian contractor. "When I joined, we had no global HR approach," he says. The firm now has HR vice presidents in key regions and is developing compensation strategies for each country and market.

"There is less resistance to change here than in other organizations I have been in," he says.

WSP also is honing its internal and external branding and social-media strategies as it pushes recruitment. In its 2013 annual report, the firm said that 55% of its staff was aged 40 and under.

The designer is expanding an initiative, in which a group of eight to 12 employees with less than five years of experience must develop solutions for a management problem, such as retention and sustainablility, and present their findings to leadership. "This allows us to really see the potential in the company," says Seguin, who adds that a new e-learning global platform will be launched next month and a "boot camp" on key company issues will be held in the fourth quarter. "We want to be the first choice for talented people in the market," he told investors.

Culture Issues

"Over the past five years, and particularly the past two, I have led many initiatives to nurture and develop a collaborative culture that blends a strong regional model with a globally connected business," says Smith, a WSP veteran of two decades. "As professionals, we have an insatiable appetite for self-development and knowledge."

WSP also has sharpened its ethics and governance stance.

Shoiry emphasizes that the Genivar name was dropped in Canada after the acquisition to align the firm better with the WSP brand better known in more global locations.

He disputes some media reports that the change was to distance the firm from issues faced by Genivar in Quebec's recent investigation of municipal construction corruption.

Shoiry says he was one of the few industry CEOs in Canada who supported creation of the Charbonneau commission that is now conducting the ethics probes.

Mindful of what SNC-Lavalin has faced in rooting out its legacy ethics problems, Shoiry says: "You can't change the past, but you can improve the future. The inquiry has reinforced the issue of reputation." WSP due diligence in its M&A transactions includes looking at a prospect's ethics stance, he adds.

"It's not about policing. It's helping to develop reflexes," says Louis-Martin Richer, WSP's new chief risk and ethics officer. "There's no bright line on issues. We want people to understand what bends and what breaks." He says that, last year, Canada tightened its business ethics rules to comply with the strongest global laws and that WSP will complete training for all executives by year's end.

Staying on Track

COO Dollin sees a busy time ahead in keeping company operations on track and profitable to free up its acquisitor-in-chief to pursue his growth strategy.

In its first-quarter report in May, the firm said earnings were up 13% over the same period in 2013, with its profit margin at 9.6% of net revenues, compared to 9.1% for first-quarter of last year.

It wil release its next earning report on Aug. 6.

"Profitability improvements will come from being smarter rather than running faster," Dollin says.

According to analyst Lynk, some risks include "worsening organic growth in Canada in a highly competitive market, an inability to consummate further acquisitions and high sovereign debt further constraining public infrastructure spending."

But Dollin says the strategy is "not just about getting bigger and closing the geographic or sector gaps we have through acquisition. We need to get better ... and leverage the skills and knowledge we have across the globe for the best effect."

He points to WSP's roots working for private-sector clients that give the company a very "outcome-focused" sensibility that the company will push to even more  advantage.