# Eric Foster

> Eric Foster spent 42 years at Swinerton - one of the largest 100% employee-owned construction companies in the US - rising from project engineer in 1982 to CEO in January 2020, the company's 12th chief executive in its 132-year history. A UC Berkeley civil engineering graduate, he led Swinerton through the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw the launch of mass timber subsidiary Timberlab, and expanded the firm to $4.3 billion in revenue across 20 locations before retiring on January 11, 2024. His career touched landmark San Francisco structures including SFMOMA and the historic Monadnock Building.

- **Role:** Retired CEO, Swinerton
- **Organizations:** Swinerton Incorporated, The Swinerton Foundation
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** 12th CEO in Swinerton's 132-year history, Led Swinerton to $4.3 billion in annual revenue across 20 locations with 4,400 employee-owners, Guided the company through the COVID-19 pandemic without losing strategic momentum

## Career timeline

- **1982** — Joined Swinerton Builders as Project Engineer, San Francisco Structural division
- **1980s-1990s** — Progressed through Project Manager and Division Manager roles; worked on projects in Northern California, Hawaii, and Oregon
- **2005** — Elected to Board of Directors of Swinerton Incorporated; named Senior Vice President
- **2010s** — Rose to President and Chief Operations Officer
- **January 2020** — Named 12th CEO in Swinerton's 132-year history, succeeding Jeff Hoopes
- **2020** — Led Swinerton through the COVID-19 pandemic; became first CEO to navigate a global pandemic in company's history
- **2020-2023** — Added Timberlab (mass timber), SAK Builders, MDBuilders, Facility Solutions, Perq, and Swinerton Energy to the Swinerton family of companies
- **June 2023** — Announced internally that David Callis would succeed him as CEO
- **January 11, 2024** — Officially retired after 42 years with the company

## Achievements

- 12th CEO in Swinerton's 132-year history
- Led Swinerton to $4.3 billion in annual revenue across 20 locations with 4,400 employee-owners
- Guided the company through the COVID-19 pandemic without losing strategic momentum
- Championed launch of Timberlab, Swinerton's mass timber subsidiary with facilities in Portland, OR and Greenville, SC
- Added Swinerton Energy (industrial EPC services), Facility Solutions, and Perq to diversify the firm
- Expanded university recruiting to 17 campuses and built a dedicated employee training team
- Served on Board of Swinerton Incorporated and The Swinerton Foundation
- Worked on notable projects including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, UC Davis School of Medicine Research Facility, Oakland Convention Center, and historic Monadnock Building rehabilitation
- Helped grow Swinerton from a regional firm to a national contractor operating in 17+ cities across 8+ states
- 42-year tenure with a single employer - among the longest in Fortune 500-tier corporate leadership

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Officially retired as CEO of Swinerton on January 11, 2024, after 42 years with the company. David Callis succeeded him as CEO.
- **2023-06** — Announced internally that David Callis would succeed him, beginning a planned transition period.

## Links

- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-foster-2901691a

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-foster
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30