CEO and President, Earth Tech
Diane C. Creel is Chief Executive Officer and President of Earth Tech, a Tyco International Ltd. company, headquartered in Long Beach, California. Earth Tech is an international consulting engineering firm that provides global water management, transportation, engineering technology, and environmental services. It serves government, commercial, industrial, and municipal clients from nearly 200 offices with more than 9,000 employees worldwide.
Ms. Creel was the first woman to hold the chief executive position of a publicly held engineering firm in the United States. Prior to this appointment, she was Chief Operating Officer. Since becoming CEO in January 1993, the company's revenues have grown from $50 million to $1.6 billion including 21 acquisitions. Ms. Creel led the sale of Earth Tech to Tyco International, Ltd. in January of 1996, feeling the need to continue having the company grow through acquisition and international expansion.
Prior to joining Earth Tech, Ms. Creel was Director of Business Development and Communications for CH2M Hill in Seattle and Denver. Prior to joining CH2M Hill, she was Manager of Communications for Caudill Rowlett Scott (CRS) in Houston, and Director of Public Relations for LBC&W, Architects-Engineers-Planners, based in Columbia, South Carolina.
Ms. Creel holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in journalism from the University of South Carolina. She was also a recipient of the Most Distinguished Alumna award from the College of Journalism, at the University of South Carolina. She has done post-graduate work at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.
Ms. Creel was a founding member and past national president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and was the first recipient of the national Zenith award for outstanding achievement in the field of marketing professional services. She received special recognition by Engineering News-Record magazine as one of "Those Who Made Marks" in the construction industry. Ms. Creel also received the 2001 Excellence in Leadership Award from Leadership Long Beach, the 2001 Elizabeth Milbank Anderson Award for Contributions to the Arts, the 1999 Silver Achievement Award for Corporate Leadership from the Los Angeles YWCA, the 1999 Legacy of Leadership Award from the American Heart Association, and the 1999 Long Beach Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She was also the recipient of the Inc. Magazine and Ernst and Young 1995 Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the 1995 Humanitarian Award from the American Lung Association.
Ms. Creel currently serves on the Board of Directors of Allegheny Technologies Inc., Teledyne Technologies, Inc., and BF Goodrich.
