20 Under 40: Sarhan Abu-Kwiek

Meet Sarhan Abu-Kwiek, 36, vice president of the Civil Infrastructure Group at J-AAR and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2024 recipients

AS VICE PRESIDENT of the Civil Infrastructure Group at J-AAR, Sarhan Abu-Kwiek leads four divisions specializing in public infrastructure, site development, road building and electrical utilities. Overseeing 230 team members, he drives strategic growth, operational excellence and high-quality solutions that help shape our communities. His journey — from immigrating to Canada at 14 and overcoming language barriers to managing London’s largest civil construction company — reflects resilience, hard work and respectful gratitude for those who have helped him along the way.

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What has been your biggest business achievement, and why?

Having the privilege to lead the best civil construction group in Southwestern Ontario, where I was given the opportunity to support the growth of the group to twice the size it was when I first joined.

What about your biggest business obstacle, and how did you face it?

­Having less white hair and technical knowledge than the people I was entrusted to lead. I have learned to embrace that, admit when I don’t know something and lean on those around me to learn from them. Overall, it helps make everyone feel more engaged in the decision-making.

What’s left for you to do, ­professionally or personally?

There are lots of things I want to accomplish with J-AAR. I’d like to continue to help J-AAR advance in different markets and sectors of civil construction. On a personal level, I have a young family, so I need to work on becoming a better husband to my wife, Nada, and better father and role model for our kids — Mira, Essam and Yaseen — who are all still under six years of age. I would also like to get more involved with the community outside of work, so I am looking for opportunities where I can volunteer some of my time back to where it’s needed.

An old friend is coming to town, where are you taking them to eat?

Depends on the friend, but a couple of great options would be Ironwood Kitchen & Bar or Sagi of Wortley. My wife would likely just convince me to invite them over for dinner, where she would cook something fancy — she’s the good cook in the house.

And finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Riding a motorcycle. I am a responsible rider 99 per cent of the time, but it’s probably not the best activity to take part in, especially when you have a family that depends on you. I try to be very careful. Interview by Kieran Delamont