People Spotlight: Meet Ryan King
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we’re highlighting the market sector leader for North & Indigenous communities from our Water business line in the Canada region and sharing insight into their inspiration and work.
Born and raised on a farm in southwestern Saskatchewan, Ryan King studied civil engineering technology at Lethbridge College before returning to Saskatchewan to stay close to his family. After an early role with the City of Saskatoon on a term contract, he eventually joined UMA Engineering, a legacy company of AECOM, and has been with us for 25 years and counting.
Ryan has extensive experience in preliminary design, detailed design and construction services for water and wastewater facilities, site grading, stormwater management, water and sanitary sewer servicing and road work. He was previously AECOM Canada’s conveyance market sector lead and has recently moved into a role as lead of the North & Indigenous market sector. In this role, he will focus on delivering practical solutions and strong project outcomes across Northern communities. He has strong, long-standing relationships with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the City of Yellowknife, to name a few.
Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.
Right out of high school, I worked for several construction companies on large commercial and institutional projects. I would observe the engineer or architect come to the site to check on their design and on the work we were doing. To have the responsibility and freedom to take a design from concept to reality really intrigued me and led me to consulting engineering.
To have the responsibility and freedom to take a design from concept to reality really intrigued me and led me to consulting engineering.
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
I want to say most of my projects hold special meaning. However, my favourite project is probably the Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Project (SLRWPU) where I was the project manager and project engineer. This project brought a reliable and sustainable potable water system to a vast area of west-central Saskatchewan.
The project was with one of our longest-standing clients in the Town of Rosetown — a partnership that made us truly excited to pursue this work. I still remember meeting with the water utility in its earliest days, before they had even issued an engineering request for proposals, and being part of the journey all the way through to celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the project’s completion.
Over seven years, we delivered a transformative solution: two water treatment plants, five booster stations and reservoirs, and 700 kilometers (435 miles) of transmission and distribution pipeline. The impact on the community was profound and lasting. We’re incredibly proud to have helped SLRWPU achieve its vision and complete a project that continues to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
Over seven years, we delivered a transformative solution: two water treatment plants, five booster stations and reservoirs, and 700 kilometers (435 miles) of transmission and distribution pipeline. The impact on the community was profound and lasting. We’re incredibly proud to have helped SLRWPU achieve its vision and complete a project that continues to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
Our work always aims to make a difference in communities, but one partnership truly stands out. Over the past 25 years, my projects with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) feel the most impactful. The infrastructure we’ve delivered across multiple PBCN communities have real lasting benefits to remote northern areas — from providing safe drinking water to creating new subdivisions or housing. These improvements have profoundly impacted the quality of life for the residents, and the opportunity to contribute to that transformation remains deeply rewarding to me personally.
Over the past 25 years, my projects with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) feel the most impactful. The infrastructure we’ve delivered across multiple PBCN communities have real lasting benefits to remote northern areas — from providing safe drinking water to creating new subdivisions or housing.
Share a piece of career advice.
My advice is to enjoy the journey. I never set out to reach different roles or responsibilities within our firm. I focused on being the best consulting engineer I could be — providing sound advice and exceptional service to my clients, listening carefully and responding to their needs, especially those of our long-term clients.
