Gil Hantzsch

Gil currently serves as MSA’s CEO and sits on the board of directors. Since becoming CEO in 2013, he has focused on raising the bar for himself and everyone else at MSA. In that time, the company has undertaken a number of major improvement efforts that include the creation of 14 Communities of Practice, the incorporation of a client service initiative centered on obtaining feedback from clients, annually increasing the commitment to training and development and the implementation of a Strategic Plan that has launched new service lines and geographic expansions. Gil led the effort that allowed MSA to become 100% employee owned through the company’s ESOP in 2017, after which MSA was recognized as the Wisconsin ESOP Firm of the Year in 2018. During his time at the helm, the firm has grown from the eighth largest in Wisconsin to the third largest, and the Zweig Group has twice named MSA a “Best Firm to Work For.”

Before taking on his role as CEO, Gil designed and managed dozens of wastewater treatment projects, serving populations ranging from 250 to 25,000. Gil’s work has earned awards for innovative wastewater treatment facility projects in Wisconsin as well as for a groundbreaking design guidance manual for the Iowa DNR. He has also taught courses on wastewater treatment design for the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Engineering Professional Development program.

Gil earned both his B.S. and M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from UW-Madison and is also a graduate of the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) Senior Executives Institute (Class 18). A licensed professional engineer in Wisconsin and Michigan, he is an active member of a number of professional and civic organizations, including ACEC Wisconsin—of which he is a past chair.