1、 2018 Annual Report Dear Fellow Stockholders:Im honored to be writing my first shareholder letter as CEO of Exponent.For those who dont know me,Ive been with the firm for more than 22 years and from early in my tenure I recognized that I was part of a truly unique organization.Consistent with our CE
2、O succession plan,Dr.Paul Johnston passed me the baton on May 31st and moved into the role of Executive Chairman.I am grateful for Pauls mentorship and vision of excellence which formed the foundation for a smooth leadership transition.Its been a powerful experience to witness the strength of our di
3、fferentiated market position,adaptable business model and strong client relationships through different lenses as I have moved through the organization.I will continue to leverage these experiences as a consultant,manager and leader to guide the firm into the future.I am excited to lead our team of
4、scientists and engineers as we empower clients with solutions for a safe,healthy,sustainable and technologically complex world.In 2018,we grew net revenues 8%and expanded our EBITDA margin 77 basis points to 27.3%of net revenues for the year.During the year,we improved our depth and breadth of exper
5、tise as we grew our consulting staff by 7%.We continued to see increased demand from several industries and geographies.Exponent had strong demand for design consulting services as the consumer electronics industry continued to innovate and face manufacturability challenges.Increasingly clients from
6、 the energy,mining and infrastructure sectors with technical and construction management issues on large capital projects engaged our inter-disciplinary teams to evaluate these claims.Our highly credentialed scientists were engaged to assess the increasing concerns regarding the impact of chemicals