Heather Polinsky
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board
Heather Polinsky leads Arcadis with a clear conviction: performance, progress and purpose must move together, especially in times of complexity.
Heather Polinsky stepped into her role as CEO nominee at Arcadis on 1 March 2026, leading the company at a pivotal moment for the industry. In an era defined by geopolitical volatility, climate realities and digital acceleration, she is focused on sharpening where Arcadis competes and how Arcadians are empowered to win—strengthening performance, elevating client delivery, and driving disciplined growth.
With more than 30 years of global leadership experience, Heather began her career in environmental science and consulting and has lived and worked across the Philippines, Panama, North America and Europe. These experiences shaped her belief that infrastructure decisions are not abstract —they influence economic opportunity, resilience and quality of life for generations. She is committed to advancing Arcadis’ role as a leader in the most transformative energy, infrastructure, water, transport, and buildings projects of our time.
Before becoming CEO, Heather served as Global President for Resilience & Mobility, leading 18,000 professionals across 15 countries and strengthening profitability while advancing integrated solutions across both businesses. Prior to that, she served as Chief Operating Officer for North America, where she drove margin improvement, operational focus, and cash performance across the portfolio.
As CEO, Heather is focused on deepening client proximity, sector expertise, and evolving commercial models to better align risk, capital decisions, and long-term outcomes. She believes the industry is at an inflection point and strongly advocates for bringing digital and human intelligence together to improve certainty, accelerate growth, augment human capability, and create greater client and shareholder value.
Heather is equally committed to developing the next generation of leaders, championing mentorship and commercial fluency as essential to the industry’s future. She holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Fellow and past President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).