Bowman to retire as CEO of Reston engineering firm

Gary Bowman, who founded Reston-based engineering firm Bowman Consulting Group in 1995, will retire as CEO later this year, the company announced Tuesday.

He also will resign as a board director this year once his successor has been appointed, according to the board of directors, which has started a formal search for the firm’s next CEO. Bowman will serve as a senior adviser during the transition period.

In 2024, former chief operating officer Michael Bruen was named president, succeeding Bowman, who retained his duties as CEO and board chairman. In January 2025, Bruen retired from the company, and Bowman has since stepped down as board chair, while remaining a director.

Started with just five employees in 1995, Bowman Consulting has become a national engineering firm with more than 2,500 employees and 100 U.S. offices, including nine in Virginia, and went public in 2021. Since then, the company has tripled in size and completed more than 35 acquisitions. It was ranked No. 72 on Engineering News-Record’s 2025 list of the Top 500 Design Firms in the U.S.

“Leading this company has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Bowman said in a statement. “I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the culture we’ve established together. Since going public in 2021, we have scaled the business beyond what we envisioned and built a durable national platform positioned for long-term success. I have full confidence that in this leadership succession process the board will select a new CEO with the same discipline, culture and values that built this company.

“In the interim, we will continue to focus on organic growth, expanding our national presence and introducing innovations that position Bowman to deliver even greater impact for employees, shareholders and customers.”

Bowman earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Virginia Tech.