--- title: "5 Questions With An Expert: Mike Hasen" description: An interview-style blog post with Mike Hasen, the Executive Vice President at HVJ Associates®. Read his story of creating value for both clients and engineers. image: https://www.hvj.com/hubfs/Profile_Mike%20Hasen.jpg --- [![HVJ Logo](https://www.hvj.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HVJ%20logo_141x71.png?width=110&height=71&name=HVJ%20logo_141x71.png "HVJ Logo")](https://www.hvj.com/) ** [ Let's talk ](https://www.hvj.com/contact-us) ** ** Geotechnical Engineering Soil, rock, and groundwater conditions at every site are different. We assess the specific site conditions and design earth structures (slopes, channels, and dikes), foundations (retaining walls, bridges, buildings, tanks), and subsurface structures (clarifiers, lift stations, buried utilities, tunnels) to economically achieve the specific project objectives. Learn More → Construction Materials Engineering & Testing Construction material performance is key to the function and durability of any project. We engineer and test materials such as soil, concrete, and asphalt so you get what you pay for and the project performs as expected.     Learn More → Civil/Pavement Engineering A successful project starts with clear understanding of the project’s specific needs. We prepared street rehabilitation PS&E, traffic control designs, pavement designs, and asset management systems based on careful understanding of design requirements.   Learn More → Environmental Geology & Engineering Impact from hazardous waste, wetlands, faulting, and/or NEPA processes are serious concerns for project development. We identify such concerns early in project development, and provide strategies to mitigate impacts and provide the proper regulatory approval so the project can proceed on time and achieve the project goals. Learn More → Roads & Bridges Congestion and failing road surfaces cause delays, vehicle damage, and even driver safety issues. Solving these problems requires our specialized knowledge of pavement and roadway structures. Learn More → Water, Wastewater & Flood Control Drinking water, flushing toilets, and dry streets for granted – until they are gone. We specialize in keeping these systems running effectively. Learn More → Airports, Ports & Dredging Expanding and maintaining ports and airports is crucial to our economic development. HVJ’s specialized pavement, wharf, and navigation channel experience makes it happen. Learn More → Rail & Transit Rail and public transit facilities enable efficient transportation of people and goods. Our detailed knowledge of AREMA requirements keeps projects on track. Learn More → Buildings & Parks Schools, universities, courts, parks, solid waste facilities are all critical to our society. HVJ has specialized knowledge and experience with a multitude of public projects. Learn More → [About Us](https://go.hvj.com/about-us) [News & Resources](https://www.hvj.com/blog) [Locations](https://www.hvj.com/all-locations) [Partners](https://www.hvj.com/partners) HVJ Difference Our engineers provide a unique blend of capabilities and experience because of the support they receive. Employees do not simply exist here. They thrive. Learn More → Culture We are committed learners, empowered to interact based on making strong commitments. We take ownership of our actions and results. Learn More → Benefits We believe in taking care of our employees. We offer a rewarding work experience, opportunities for advancement and competitive benefits. Learn More → Employee Stories Check out what our employees say and learn about the HVJ experience! Great people and even greater teams are behind every project. Learn More → Current Openings We're always looking for talented individuals who fit our culture and can bring new perspectives and experiences to our growing teams. Learn More → Agencies HVJ has been proud to support hundreds of public agencies meet and exceed service expectations from their constituents.  Learn More → Consultant Clients We’ve developed ongoing teaming relationships with many consulting firms based on delivering outstanding client satisfaction. Learn More → Providers Our success strongly depends on our business associates that provide the products and services we need. Learn More → HVJ Difference Our engineers provide a unique blend of capabilities and experience because of the support they receive. Employees do not simply exist here. They thrive. Learn More → Culture We are committed learners, empowered to interact based on making strong commitments. We take ownership of our actions and results. Learn More → Benefits We believe in taking care of our employees. We offer a rewarding work experience, opportunities for advancement and competitive benefits. Learn More → Employee Stories Check out what our employees say and learn about the HVJ experience! Great people and even greater teams are behind every project. Learn More → Current Openings We're always looking for talented individuals who fit our culture and can bring new perspectives and experiences to our growing teams. Learn More → The Opportunity Own a successful engineering business by adding our proven systems to your engineering talent and network. Learn More → How It Works Help us branchise – you help us build a branch office and then convert it into your own franchise. Learn More → Who's A Fit? Are you energetic and confident? See if this might be an opportunity that fits you. Learn More → FAQs What do you want to know?  Find the answers to common questions. Learn More → Success Stories Hear about the outstanding results our current franchisees have produced using our proven systems. Learn More → Search **Menu** ** ** [![Let's Talk](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/5496911/6233d0db-c76c-4678-9152-08331c17b6f1.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/5496911/6233d0db-c76c-4678-9152-08331c17b6f1) ![](https://www.hvj.com/hubfs/shutterstock_330042014%202.jpg) [Blog](https://www.hvj.com/blog/tag/blog) | 3 min read # 5 Questions With An Expert: Mike Hasen Written by [HVJ Associates](https://www.hvj.com/blog/author/hvj-associates) August 24, 2020 **![Profile_Mike Hasen](https://www.hvj.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile_Mike%20Hasen.jpg?width=216&name=Profile_Mike%20Hasen.jpg) [Mike Hasen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhasen/) **Executive Vice President **1. What type of work do you do at HVJ, and what do you find most interesting about it? **I focus on making the organization better and providing value to my customers and clients. I enjoy variety and doing new things. Herb Johnson, our CEO, has allowed me to work in areas I truly enjoy. My current focus is: - **Strategic Planning and Execution** - working with our executives to anticipate stakeholder needs and proactively preparing to address them - **Development and Expansion of our Franchising System** - currently focusing on branding, marketing, and eLearning - **Value Delivery** - building our expertise and skills as an organization to generate trust by making and keeping promises, sensing possibilities, and making valuable offers - **Technical Leadership** – in Geotechnical, Construction Materials, Civil, Pavement, and Environmental Engineering Services on Public Infrastructure Projects **2. What are the common types of problems that your customers are trying to solve? What do you think draws them specifically to HVJ?** We work with government sector clients and private firms that are working with those clients. While HVJ does both vertical and horizontal projects, we have deep experience with horizontal projects such as roadways, water supply, ports and navigation, aviation, and flood control. It is also worth noting that the expectations and processes in the government sector are unique from most private sector projects. Based on many years of experience we have developed processes tuned to the government sector which provide a consistent, reliable experience throughout the organization. The priority is making sure we have good agreements that provide value. **3. HVJ describes itself as being built on service. What does client service mean to you, and what keeps clients coming back to HVJ?** Clients are drawn to HVJ because they consistently have a positive experience with our team and they are confident that they will achieve high-quality outcomes. We track service levels through regular surveys using Client Feedback Tool and actively address any concerns. We’ve received the [PSMJ Premier Award](https://www.hvj.com/blog/hvj-brings-home-psmj-awards) for client service satisfaction multiple times, and have one of the highest Net Promoter Scores in the industry.  So how do we do it? Our team members have the required skills and knowledge, which is expected – but the more challenging part of client service is successfully developing alignment through team conversation and coordination. An example is how to make a promise that we can keep; it is simple in theory but complex in practice. We’ve found there are ontological principles and specific conversational moves to making and keeping good promises. By studying and training these concepts our organization becomes more powerful. **4. What have you found to be most important in a project being successful?** Sincerity, competence, reliability and involvement are foundational practices that allow us to build trust. Our team is highly trustworthy, becoming obviously so when added value matters most. Rather than limiting ourselves to a narrow technical niche, we come to the table with a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives. We ceaselessly develop our team’s ability to listen carefully to our stakeholders, look for blind spots, anticipate breakdowns, and make good, reliable promises. **5. What are the benefits of the franchise system?** The HVJ Associates® franchise is a revolutionary and unique platform to build a successful engineering business. Most engineers have extensive education and practical engineering experience but little to no knowledge of how to run an effective business. Unfortunately, there are many talented engineers that invest their life savings starting their first business only to either fail outright or never achieve their full potential. By providing proven business systems, we leverage the owner’s technical knowledge and professional network into a thriving business. We provide an established successful business development platform and brand reputation, with a well-established network of business relationships. Our franchises are trusted and have won numerous, profitable multi-million dollar engineering contracts which is unheard of for firms only a few years old. 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