Greenway Group

What Greenway Group does

Greenway Group is a privately held boutique management consulting firm founded in 1993 by Jim Cramer, the former Executive Director and CEO of the American Institute of Architects. The firm provides strategic advisory, succession planning, leadership development, business development, firm valuation, M&A advisory, governance, custom research, and operations performance services exclusively to architecture, engineering, and design-based professional service firms. Its client base ranges from small boutique practices to large multi-office national and international enterprises and includes marquee names such as Gensler, HOK, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Perkins+Will, Arup, Jacobs, Stantec, Foster + Partners, and IDEO, alongside design industry vendors (Herman Miller, Steelcase, Autodesk) and academic institutions (Harvard GSD, SCAD).

The firm operates ten core practice areas plus signature workshop and retreat programs, including the "Mastering the Business of Design" workshops and executive retreats hosted at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, which doubles as the firm's headquarters. Greenway's underlying intellectual property is built on 30+ years of proprietary quantitative research and benchmarking data on AE firm performance, the Design Intelligence publication, the Design Futures Council industry consortium, and specialized tools such as cultural compatibility assessments and financial modeling calibrated for AE firm valuation. Service delivery is senior-led, drawing on a bench of approximately six principals and senior consultants across offices in Colorado Springs, Atlanta, Denver, Boston, New York, and Mexico City.

Revenue is generated through custom-quoted professional services engagements, typically structured as project work or multi-year contracts, sold primarily through direct senior-principal relationships, industry conference participation (AIA, ASID, IIDA), and the firm's Broadmoor retreat program. Distribution is direct, with no channel intermediaries. The firm is owned and led by Lisa Henry (CEO since 2013 and major shareholder) and David Henry (Chairman and Partner, bringing M&A and corporate finance capabilities acquired via a 2013 corporate finance team acquisition), with founder Jim Cramer having retired as Chairman Emeritus in 2017.

Name

Greenway Group

Legal name

Greenway Group Inc.

Website

https://greenway.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greenway Group is a boutique management consulting firm serving architecture, engineering, and design firms with succession planning, strategic advisory, leadership development, M&A, and custom research. Founded in 1993, it operates from six offices, delivering senior-led engagements to hundreds of enterprise clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Greenway generates revenue through professional consulting engagements with architecture, engineering, and design firms. Services include strategic advisory, succession planning, leadership development, M&A advisory, and operational consulting delivered on a project or retainer basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Greenway Group is a boutique management consulting firm that advises architecture, engineering, and design (AE) firms on strategic planning, succession planning, leadership development, business development, firm valuation, M&A advisory, governance, and operations performance. The firm delivers senior-principal-led advisory engagements, custom workshops, executive retreats at the Broadmoor Resort, and proprietary industry research to help design firms address ownership transitions, talent retention, and long-term firm value creation.

Product overview

Greenway Group is a management consulting firm serving architecture, engineering, and design-based companies. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of advisory services organized around helping design firms navigate three core business challenges: succession planning, talent engagement, and building firm value. Services include Succession Planning Services, Strategic Planning Services, Leadership Development Programs, Business Development Services, Firm Valuation Services, Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory, Firm Governance Consulting, Custom Research & Market Studies, Operations Performance Consulting, and the Retreats & Speakers Program. The portfolio also includes specialized workshop programs such as Mastering the Business of Design (in-person at Broadmoor Resort) and Virtual e-Workshops for remote teams. All services are delivered by senior consultants with deep expertise in the architecture and design professions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Succession Planning Services Advisory services enabling firm ownership transitions for architecture and design firms, including shareholder agreement design, career path frameworks, and change management to help pass legacy to new generations of leaders.
• Strategic Planning Services Advisory and facilitation services for developing organizational roadmaps, including scenario planning and crisis strategies to help design firms adapt to market forces and achieve financial resilience.
• Leadership Development Programs Talent engagement and leadership development programs including executive coaching, off-site retreats at the Broadmoor Hotel, customized workshops, and virtual e-workshops for emerging and established firm leaders.
• Business Development Services Comprehensive business development support including strategies, market research, sales skills workshops, key metric dashboards, and performance benchmarking for architecture and engineering firms.
• Firm Valuation Services Holistic firm valuation services for succession planning, internal ownership transfers, mergers and acquisitions, and ESOPs, focused on identifying opportunities to build and unlock future firm value.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Strategic financial advisory and M&A services including compatibility assessments, business valuations, due diligence, risk assessments, and integration implementation for architecture and design firms.
• Firm Governance Consulting Governance advisory services to strengthen board decision-making, align priorities, and assist firms in evaluating alternative business structures including LLCs, S-corps, C-corps, and ESOPs.
• Custom Research & Market Studies Market research studies addressing market potential, client perceptions, and industry benchmarks to help firm leaders make better strategic growth decisions.
• Operations Performance Consulting Operational assessments and financial/operational benchmarking services to help design firms identify opportunities for improvement and achieve enduring profitability.
• Retreats & Speakers Program Leadership retreats and conference speakers program offering customized experiences at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs and presentations for professional design industry associations.
• Mastering the Business of Design Workshops Immersive 2-day workshops held at the Broadmoor Hotel & Resort in Colorado Springs, providing interactive, customized learning experiences for design firm leaders.
• Virtual e-Workshops Distance learning and virtual team development programs designed specifically for remote engagement, covering critical firm management topics including New Approaches to Business Development.

Named customers46 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Design Futures CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993Greenway Group founded the Design Futures Council in 1993 as an industry thought leadership initiative. The Council connected over 25 architecture and design-based organizations including AIA, Consulting Engineers Council, IDSA, IIDA, ASID, and others to share ideas, establish benchmarks, document best practices, and publish early Design Intelligence research.
• Broadmoor Resort (Colorado Springs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenway Group hosts its corporate headquarters and custom leadership retreats at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. The partnership provides exclusive access to unique experiences including zip lines, aerie, world-class spa, championship golf, fly fishing, and fine dining that differentiate Greenway's executive retreat programs.
• Salk InstituteminorOthersDr. Jonas Salk became one of Greenway Group's early clients in 1993. His fascination with architecture (ignited by work with Louis Kahn on the Salk Institute design) and discussions about organic evolution in biological systems correlated to business enterprise evolution sparked foundational conversations that influenced Greenway's approach to consulting.
• Design Intelligence / Greenway CommunicationscoreOthersGreenway Group operated Greenway Communications as a publishing subsidiary producing Design Intelligence magazine and books about the business of design. Lisa Henry served as managing director of Greenway Communications. This publishing platform established industry thought leadership and benchmark research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Design Management Institute: DMI is a membership organization and research institution focused on design management and design thinking. It is comparable as an adjacent thought-leadership and research entity serving design firms and overlaps with Greenway's Design Intelligence research heritage.
• ACEC Research Institute: ACEC Research Institute produces industry research and benchmarking for engineering firms. It is comparable as an adjacent research and thought leadership entity serving the AE consulting ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's Capital Projects and Infrastructure Practice and Organization Practice serve major AE firms globally. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Greenway for strategic advisory engagements at the largest AE clients.
• Huron Consulting Group: Huron is a broad professional services firm offering strategy, operations, and M&A advisory. While not AE-specific, Huron's practice areas in organizational performance and corporate strategy overlap with Greenway's offerings to larger AE clients.
• FMI Corporation: FMI is a large management consulting and investment banking firm serving the engineering and construction industry. While broader in scope than Greenway, FMI competes on strategy consulting, leadership development, and M&A advisory within overlapping AE client segments.
• Bain & Company: Bain is a global management consulting firm whose organization and transformation practices serve large architecture and engineering clients. It represents the Tier-1 incumbent that Greenway competes against for enterprise AE mandates.

Direct peers

• PSMJ Resources: PSMJ Resources is a long-standing management consulting and education firm focused on architecture, engineering, and construction firms, offering practice management, financial management, and leadership development - directly comparable to Greenway's AE firm advisory services.
• Zweig Group: Zweig Group is a management consulting, advisory, and publishing firm serving architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. Their services around M&A advisory, ownership transition, and firm valuation are highly comparable to Greenway's M&A and succession planning practices.
• Morrissey Goodale: Morrissey Goodale is a management consulting and executive search firm focused exclusively on the AE industry, providing strategic advisory, M&A, succession planning, and leadership consulting - the closest direct competitor to Greenway in the AE consulting niche.
• The Coxe Group: The Coxe Group is a consulting and research firm specializing in strategic planning, ownership transition, and benchmarking for AE firms. It competes directly with Greenway on succession planning, firm valuation, and strategy advisory for design practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-greenway-group
• Xx.com/greenwaygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greenway Group