Elevating the Client Experience Across Bohler’s Footprint 

A Q&A with Josh Swerling

Bohler recently announced the appointment of Josh Swerling to the role of Managing Director of Client Experience. With decades of experience managing national programs for Fortune 100 retailers, Josh is stepping into this expanded role to lead program delivery and maintain consistent, high-quality service across all Bohler offices. He will focus on strengthening account management strategies, growing key client relationships, and driving operational consistency that helps clients scale with confidence. 

From designing gas stations and big-box developments to leading multi-site programs for national brands like Brinker International, O’Reilly Auto, and Chase Bank, Josh has always thrived in the fast-paced world of programmatic development. Now, as he steps into a firmwide leadership position, Josh is bringing that same energy and expertise to help Bohler’s clients achieve their development and expansion goals — more efficiently and effectively than ever before. 

We sat down with Josh to learn more about his vision for this new role, the lessons he’s bringing with him, and what it all means for the clients Bohler serves. 

What does your role as Managing Director of Client Experience entail?

In this role, I’m focused on supporting Bohler’s national accounts by working closely with our account directors and internal teams to help ensure we deliver consistent, high-quality service — regardless of where the work is happening. That means making sure we’re aligned on expectations, pulling in the right resources, and helping new teams ramp up quickly so they can deliver for the client from day one. I’m also focused on expanding our relationships with existing clients — whether that’s helping them enter new markets or identifying opportunities where Bohler can provide added value. 

Our account management model has evolved organically over the years. Typically, the office with the deepest client relationship naturally takes point, with regional leaders stepping in to help ensure quality and consistency when multiple offices collaborate. It’s a model that’s historically worked well for us and our clients – creating the solid foundation we’re building upon.  

Now, we’re formalizing our approach — being more intentional about equipping our teams with consistent tools, support, and the infrastructure they need to understand our clients, and grow our accounts providing a more seamless and improved client experience across our footprint. It’s not a reinvention of the wheel — it’s a smarter, more consistent and proactive way to keep our clients moving forward. 

How does this effort benefit Bohler’s multi-site clients?

At the end of the day, our multi-site clients are generally looking for the same core benefits: responsiveness, consistent service, and value. They want partners who can think like they do, anticipate their needs, be true consultants and deliver high-quality work on schedule and within budget — without needing to constantly retrain or reintroduce new consultants across the markets they’re working in. Our more strategic, unified account management approach allows us to be the one-stop shop many of our clients are looking for. It streamlines communication, enhances quality, and gives clients confidence that they’ll get the same great experience from Bohler, no matter where the project is located. 

Beyond just execution, this client-centric approach also enables us to provide valuable insights back to the client—sharing what we’re seeing across our footprint, offering suggestions to improve efficiency and workflow processes based on the best practices we’ve identified and employed across many of our national development program clients over the years, and help them refine their development programs for long-term success. 

There’s a major upside for our employees as well. Supporting these national programs creates exciting opportunities to grow — professionally and personally. My own career is a great example of that. Getting involved with multi-site development clients early in my career gave me the chance to step into a managerial role and then account management roles, take on more responsibility, and ultimately led me to where I am today. Bohler has always prioritized growth and development, and this effort helps create even more pathways for our team members to advance and thrive. 

How does Bohler’s approach to program management differ from other land development consultants?

There just aren’t many land development consultants managing multi-site programs the way we do. Many architecture firms manage their accounts by centralizing their teams, working on specific client’s development programs within a team often located within a single office. In contrast, we’ve built a decentralized yet connected network of teams that allows us to manage programs across multiple offices while keeping the necessary boots on the ground where the client is developing. 

That local presence is critical in site civil engineering and permitting, understanding the local entitlements processes, the local regulations, and the nuances of the local jurisdictional agencies isn’t optional, it’s essential. So while we have that decentralized network of teams performing our clients work, we’ve taken on the more complex challenge of standardizing our account management approach, allowing us to deliver consistency across geographies while still leveraging our local expertise. It’s a heavier lift, but it results in a stronger, more responsive experience for our clients. 

What makes us truly unique is the combination of our ability to consult strategically on a program and our capacity to deliver high-quality work products that move projects forward. We’re not just giving guidance—we’re executing, and we’re doing it at scale. Putting this system in place isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a game-changer for how we help our clients accomplish their development goals. 

Can you share an example of this approach in action and how it’s helped a client be successful?

Absolutely. One great example involves a Fortune 100 big box retailer that is ramping up its development program after a period of inactivity. They had a wave of new team members coming on board — many of whom were unfamiliar with the company’s long-established development process. Even some of their veteran staff hadn’t touched certain tools or workflow processes in many years. 

Because Bohler had supported this client for so long, we had institutional knowledge and documentation to help bridge that gap. At their request, we trained their team, walking them through each stage of their development process, from initial concept to real estate committee approval, through their construction hand-off process.

We helped them understand what information they needed and when they’d need it: whether it was conceptual design information, opinions of probable cost, different levels of on vs. off-site surveys, environmental assessments, geotechnical investigations, traffic studies, informal meetings with specific jurisdictional agencies or other site-specific due diligence efforts. We even revisited historical workflow processes with their leadership team to determine whether they still made sense or needed refining.

In most cases, they decided to stick with what had worked in the past — and we helped reinforce that knowledge of how to execute those established procedures across their new team. In another case, they adopted new technologies and workflows, which we’re helping them implement and train their other consultants on. Our new account management structure enabled efficient collaboration across our organization to meet this unique client need. 

Another longtime national client is also seeing the value of our strategic, relationship-driven approach. While they knew I previously managed their account alongside leading our New England teams, my new firm-wide role has made it clear they can now reach out to me anytime, for any issue, in any region— and I’ll help coordinate a solution. That trust and consistency streamlines communication, boosts efficiency, and helps them move faster on high-volume, multi-market programs. 

The retail world is continually evolving. What are the latest trends you’re seeing and where is the industry headed next?

Many retailers are shifting away from costly, high-risk urban markets and refocusing on suburban locations to better align with their financial models, market volatility, and consumer trends. New multifamily residential and mixed-use developments along with grocery-anchored centers are often leading the way, with walkability and experiential elements continuing to drive demand. 

Anchor tenants like Walmart and many of our big and mid-box retailer clients and entertainment venues are often critical to securing financing, as tight lending conditions and high interest rates require upfront commitments. At the same time, third-party delivery, drive-thru and curbside pickup continue to expand beyond our conventional quick-service restaurants, prompting site reconfigurations and careful planning to improve efficiency while navigating zoning challenges. 

Overall, developers are doubling down on strategic, experience-driven retail in areas with proven demand and long-term growth potential. 

What are you most excited about as you take on this new role?

I’m most excited about the opportunity to help our clients grow smarter and faster. By being more intentional, collaborative and consistent in how we support multi-site development programs, we’re not just delivering projects—we’re helping shape stronger, more efficient development strategies. And at the same time, we’re creating meaningful career opportunities for our people across the organization. It’s incredibly rewarding to see both sides benefit. That’s what drives me. 

Ready to elevate your development program? Connect with Josh.