VanOverberghe joins Suffolk as senior vice president, national design build

Boston, MA Suffolk has hired Ken VanOverberghe as senior vice president, national design build. VanOverberghe will be responsible for all aspects of Suffolk design-build projects nationwide. VanOverberghe will partner closely with Suffolk’s regional leaders to expand the integrated delivery services, elevate the client experience and position the company for sustainable growth as demand for the design-build delivery method continues to accelerate.

Suffolk’s hiring of VanOverberghe comes at a pivotal moment as clients throughout the country are increasingly turning to the design-build method to deliver their projects. According to the Design-Build Institute of America’s 2025 Utilization Study, design-build is expected to grow to 47% of all U.S. construction spending by 2028, making it the most widely used project delivery method. As this shift accelerates, Suffolk continues to make strategic investments in talent to meet rising demand, elevate project performance, and position the company for sustainable growth in an evolving built environment. 

“The future of great buildings depends on great collaborators. Ken has an innate ability to translate a client’s vision into a design-build strategy that unlocks its full potential,” said Chris Lanzisera, senior vice president of Suffolk Design. “We’re entering an era where integration, creativity, and technical rigor matter more than ever. Ken has built his career around bringing teams together, challenging assumptions, and turning complexity into clarity. I am confident he will be an extraordinary asset to our clients and our Suffolk Design team.”

In 2020, Suffolk launched Suffolk Design, an innovative in-house design-management practice that is today comprised of over 90 licensed architects, engineers, and design technologists focused on streamlining traditionally fragmented handoffs between architects and builders, reducing risk, and accelerating delivery on large, complicated projects.

VanOverberghe brings more than a decade of senior design-build leadership experience from Jacobs, where he oversaw a portfolio of complex infrastructure and transit projects across the Eastern United States and Canada. As vice president of operations for Design Build, he was responsible for more than $250 million in design delivery. Over his tenure, he built a reputation for turning around high-risk, schedule-challenged megaprojects by restoring on-time and on-budget megaprojects, including commuter rail and transit programs across Indiana, Texas, Washington D.C. and Virginia. VanOverberghe’s skillset in strategic planning and hands-on execution positions him as a critical leader for Suffolk’s national design-build expansion.