Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
J. Wickham Zimmerman
Since co-founding Outside the Lines in 2007, J. Wickham Zimmerman has helped redefine what is possible in the design and construction of destination water features, immersive environments, and experiential landscapes. Under his leadership, OTL has grown into one of the nation’s premier specialty design-build firms, known for seamlessly integrating creativity, engineering, technology, and disciplined execution into places that inspire people and strengthen communities.
Wick brings an uncommon combination of engineering discipline, legal insight, entrepreneurial leadership, and more than four decades of industry experience to every aspect of OTL’s work. A business leader with a diverse background, he has built a company capable of delivering complex projects through a fully integrated approach that unites design, engineering, construction, controls, programming, and long-term operational expertise under one roof.
Throughout his career, Wick has believed that extraordinary places are never created by extraordinary individuals alone, but by exceptional teams united around a common purpose. That belief has shaped OTL’s culture and its enduring commitment to becoming the best company its clients have ever hired, the best company its employees have ever worked for, and the best company its vendors have ever served.
Under Wick’s leadership, OTL has been recognized multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and has earned a reputation for delivering some of the industry’s most innovative and technically demanding projects. His work has helped advance the integration of interactive technologies, immersive experiences, and sustainable water systems into destination environments across North America.
Outside the office, Wick’s lifelong passion for aviation continues to influence his approach to leadership. An Airline Transport Pilot with more than three decades of flying experience, he believes that exceptional projects—like exceptional flights—are built on preparation, discipline, continuous learning, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. He also volunteers with Pilots N Paws, combining his love of aviation with a commitment to helping animals in need.
For Wick, success has never been measured simply by the projects OTL completes, but by the places those projects become. He believes great places strengthen communities, inspire connection, and create memories that endure long after construction ends. That belief continues to guide OTL’s work today.