Hugh Rice is the chairman of FMI, which he joined in 1972. He opened the Denver office of FMI in 1979. Mr. Rice also created the firm’s mergers and acquisitions group, now FMI Capital Advisors, Inc., which has completed more than 700 construction-industry acquisitions since inception. He served as chief executive officer of the firm until 2003 and chairman until 2011. Mr. Rice is a frequent speaker about strategy and ownership issues in the construction industry and has presented to virtually every major construction-industry organization in the United States. 

Mr. Rice serves on the board of directors or advisory board of several major construction firms. He has written numerous articles for the construction industry and has been published in dozens of industry publications. Additionally, he served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Construction Accounting and Taxation. Mr. Rice has been active in many organizations over the years, including the Institute of Management Consultants, Construction Financial Management Association, Associated General Contractors of America, The Moles (current trustee) and the Beavers (past director). He was awarded the Golden Beaver Award for Service and Supply in 2005 and elected to the National Academy of Construction in 2007. He currently serves on the board of directors of Craig Hospital. 

Mr. Rice holds a BS in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.