Former ACEC Chair Manish Kothari Elected Vice President of FIDIC

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is proud to announce that Past Chair Manish Kothari, President and CEO of Sheladia Associates, Inc., has been elected as a Vice President of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).

Mr. Kothari brings more than 30 years of diverse engineering and leadership experience to his new role with FIDIC, representing a continued commitment to advancing the global consulting engineering profession. His election was announced at the 2025 FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference General Assembly Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

“Manish Kothari’s election as Vice President of FIDIC is a reflection of his outstanding contributions to the consulting engineering profession in the U.S. and abroad,” said Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC President & CEO. “His leadership and vision will strengthen FIDIC’s role as a global advocate for sustainable and innovative infrastructure.”

Based in Rockville, Maryland, Sheladia Associates, Inc. is an international consulting firm with projects across the United States and worldwide. Throughout his career, Mr. Kothari has been deeply engaged in international and national leadership roles. He served as the inaugural Chair of FIDIC’s International Financial Institutions Committee (IFIC) and is currently a member of FIDIC’s Risk, Liability, and Quality Committee (RLQC).  Within ACEC, Mr. Kothari has long been a distinguished leader, serving as National Chair (2018–2019), Chair Emeritus (2019–2020), Vice Chair (2013–2015), and Chair of the International Committee (2009–2013). His leadership has left a lasting mark on the Council’s global and domestic initiatives.

ACEC congratulates Mr. Kothari on this prestigious appointment and looks forward to his continued impact on the global engineering community.

FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, is the global representative body for national associations of consulting engineers and represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in about 100 countries worldwide. ACEC is the member association representing the United States.