Ian Ross Joins CDM Smith as PFAS Practice Leader

CONCORD, Calif.—CDM Smith is pleased to announce that Ian Ross has joined the firm as a senior vice president and the new PFAS practice leader. Ross has been developing cost-effective solutions for conven­tional and emerging cont­a­m­i­nants for nearly three decades and has been studying and remediating PFAS since 2005. 

"I could not be more thrilled to have Dr. Ian Ross join us as our new practice leader for PFAS and emerging cont­a­m­i­nants," said Andrea Sewall, CDM Smith vice president and director of the firm's envi­ron­men­tal services group. "Ian brings a wealth of PFAS knowledge and expertise to the firm, and we are very excited to see where he takes our global PFAS practice." 

As one of the world’s most experienced PFAS specialists, Ian will lead the global PFAS technical practice at CDM Smith. Employing state-of-the-art risk-based and sustainable approaches, Ian is energized by collab­o­ra­tion and excels at solving complex problems for diverse stake­hold­ers.  

Ian has published dozens of articles, guidance documents and a book chapter on the envi­ron­men­tal management of PFAS. He has inter­na­tional experience with cont­a­m­i­nated management projects in multiple regulatory settings from working across the globe. As a result of these activities, he has won several national/inter­na­tional innovation awards for cont­a­m­i­nated site management. 

His more recent work includes: 

• Developing decon­t­a­m­i­na­tion and replacement processes associated with swapping AFFF for fluorine-free foam 

• Being the first to commer­cially develop and apply the Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) assay test for PFAS detection 

• Developing sonolysis for PFAS destruction 

“I can’t wait to work with the stunningly talented team at CDM Smith,” Ian says. “I was drawn to the opportunity to interact daily with CDM Smith’s technical leaders and the firm’s investment in R&D. I have a feeling we will make a powerful team.” 

CDM Smith is a privately owned engineering and construc­tion firm providing legendary client service and smart solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy, and facilities. Passionate about our work and invested in each other, we are inspired to think and driven to solve the world’s envi­ron­men­tal and infra­struc­ture challenges.