Former CEO of Golder Associates dies at age 58

Frederick (Rick) W. Firlotte, a principal and past-Global president and chief executive officer of Golder Associates Corporation, died peacefully in his sleep on April 18, 2010 at age 58.
For a decade up to 2009 Mr. Firlotte was president of Golder’s global operations, during a time of tremendous growth and change. During the period, Golder grew from a 2,000-person operation with offices in 16 countries, to its present 7,000-person operation operating in 40 countries.
Among his other achievements, Mr. Firlette co-founded the Golder Trust for Orphans, a cause to which he was passionately committed. It provides support to children and families orphaned or displaced by the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Funded primarily from donations from employees and Golder’s operating companies, the trust has raised over $1 million, and supports more than 1,000 children through 11 projects in Africa.
Mr. Firlotte was born in Campbellton, New Brunswick, and he obtained a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering at McGill University. Shortly after that, in 1978, he joined Golder’s London, Ontario office and worked as a geotechnical engineer. He established Golder’s Montréal office in 1989, then went on to oversee the company’s Canadian operations from 1996 until 1999.
According to a company announcement: “Rick was well-liked and respected by employees and clients and had a great instinct for what would work (and what wouldn’t work) for Golder. He possessed the ability to connect with people at all levels and knew how to get people pulling in the same direction. He was a leader in the truest sense of the word and will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.”
He is survived by his wife, France, and two children. In honour of his memory, a donation is being made to the Golder Trust for Orphans.