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Andrew MacGregor

  • May 19, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
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ANDREW MACGREGOR

President

As President, Andy is deeply committed to the success of ACCEND and is responsible for leading all aspects of the business including project execution, employee recruitment and retention, client satisfaction, long range planning and everything in between.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

Over the past 20 years, Andy has established a name for himself in the Chicago construction market, building some of the region’s largest, most complex and creative spaces along with an array of new construction and heavy renovation projects in Illinois and California.  He is known for being a dynamic leader, big picture planner, a true collaborator, aggressive competitor and out-of-the-box thinker.  His reputation for creatively expediting timelines and tackling complex projects is second to none.  Andy graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and a commercial pilot’s license.  The son of an architect, Andy’s passion for construction was ignited by his job as a laborer during college. He helped grow his former company from approximately $40 – $400 million and became known for changing the market’s pace and expectations by flawlessly completing large projects in record time and under budget.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Working with Andy, you will quickly see his contagious passion for construction, his fearlessness and a knack for bringing out the best in others.  He outwardly exhibits a commitment to leading and mentoring happy, efficient teams along with a drive to make projects fun for all involved parties.

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Ice hockey, cooking, fitness & nutrition, snowboarding, fishing, aviation

PROJECTS

TECH

1871

Big Machines

Centro

eBay/Braintree

Facebook

Google Regional HQ

Matter

Motorola Mobility World HQ

Sprout Social World HQ

Strata Decision Technology

 

FINANCIAL

Alyeska Investment Group

American National Bank

Beecken Petty O’Keefe

CapitalOne

CreditSuisse

JPMorgan Chase

Pentwater Trading

Ronin Capital

Spot Trading

TD Securities

The Private Bank

 

 

GENERAL BUSINESS

ACE Group

Beam Suntory North American HQ

Boeing World HQ

Combined Insurance

ConAgra World HQ

Constellation Brands

JMC Steel

Levy Home Entertainment

Mead Johnson Nutrition World HQ

Navigant Consulting World HQ

Northwestern Memorial Faculty Foundation

Spencer Stuart World HQ

Terra Museum of Art

UPM

Whole Foods Chicago HQ

World Kitchen

 

LAW

Dentons

Drinker Biddle & Reath

McDermott Will & Emery

Ropes & Gray

Tressler, Soderstrom,
Maloney & Priess

 

 

HOSPITALITY

Boka Group

Soho House

 

LABORATORY

Blachford Acoustics

Eichrom

Motorola GNPO

NEW CONSTRUCTION

American Society of
Anesthesiologists

Cambridge Place Condominiums

Fletcher Jones Audi of Chicago

Fletcher Jones Auto Service Center Chicago

Mercedes-Benz of Chicago

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Ontario

J & B Signs

 

 

 

HEAVY RENOVATION

150 N Michigan Sidewalk and Vaults

Central Baptist Village

Fletcher Jones Audi Beverly Hills

Fletcher Jones Audi / Volkswagen Chicago

Fletcher Jones Honda Chicago

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Fremont

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Las Vegas

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Newport Beach

Fletcher Jones Porsche Fremont

Old Saint Pat’s Church

Whitman Hart Fulton Market (MarchFirst)

Some projects listed above were completed while working for a previous construction company.


Dan Polito

  • May 19, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
  • 0 comments /
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DAN POLITO

PROJECT EXECUTIVE

As Project Executive, Dan is responsible for developing staff and creating high performing teams that deliver on all client expectations.  Dan manages and oversees every project from start to finish, ensuring success throughout the entire construction process.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

Growing up, Dan had an affinity for math and science which led him to complete his degree in civil engineering.  He pursued a series of summer internships that exposed him to everything from surveying existing infrastructure to the construction of massive bridges and then onto commercial construction, where he found his personal niche. For Dan, commercial construction presents the perfect balance of people and process, allowing for complex and creative problem solving in a fast paced, collaborative work environment.

He has built over 1.5 million square feet of space for the region’s leading companies including University of Chicago, Motorola Mobility, Capital One, and Constellation Brands. Prior to joining ACCEND, Dan spent five years in the San Francisco Bay Area building relationships and constructing innovative spaces for technology and financial firms including Google, Prezi, Instacart, Flexport, Glassdoor and JPMC, amongst many others.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Dan’s approach to orchestrating teams starts with being humble. He believes listening and creating a foundation of trust are essential. He also believes that a strong leader sets the bar in attitude and approach, but must be willing to roll up their sleeves to help get the job done.

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Outside of construction, Dan’s life is filled with good food, hiking, traveling, live music and fascinating indie documentaries.

PROJECTS

TECH

Cision

Convergint Technologies

Flexport, San Francisco

Glassdoor

Google Partnerplex

Google, San Francisco

Hashicorp

HERE.com

Mapbox

Prezi

Rakuten

Starter League

LAW

Perkins Coie

Reed Smith

FINANCIAL

Allianz

Baker Tilly

Capital One, Monsoon

Capital One, Chicago

Capital One, Digital Labs

Capital One, San Francisco

Crowe Horwath

JPMorgan Chase

Morningstar, Inc.

Public Financial Management

Sandbox Industries

HOSPITALITY

Nari

Soho House

GENERAL BUSINESS

550 Kearny Spec Suite

At the Crossroads

Centerview Partners

Constellation Brands, Chicago

Constellation Brands, San Francisco

Harley Ellis Devereaux

Instacart

Olympic Club

Perkins + Will

Spencer Stuart, Chicago

Spencer Stuart, San Francisco

The Advisory Board Company

LABORATORY

Motorola GNPO

HEAVY RENOVATION

345 California – The Room

505 Sansome Lobby

Denby High School

PSAV

UC Chicago Theological Seminary

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Ogden International School of Chicago

UC Reva and David Logan Center

RESIDENTIAL

Private High-Rise Residence

Some projects listed above were completed while working for a previous construction company.


Teodora Varcheva

  • May 19, 2019/
  • Posted By : Sarah Junkins/
  • 0 comments /
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TEODORA VARCHEVA

CONTROLLER

 

HER ROLE

As Controller for ACCEND, Teodora is responsible for all accounting and finance functions within the company. She performs financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting, and oversees the project accounting process. She also works closely with Nick Andreolas, the Corporate Controller, to ensure financial reporting consistency between ACCEND and the Skyline family of companies.

 

HER BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

A 17-year industry veteran, Teodora is well versed in all aspects of construction administration and accounting processes. Working her way up from Bookkeeper to Controller, Teodora has valuable experience and knowledge that help ACCEND’s clients meet their goals.  Throughout her career, she has worked for both family-run and large-scale general contractors which exposed her to different management and accounting styles. Through these roles, Teodora has developed a nuanced understanding of complex construction accounting and has acquired valuable experience in improving financial performance.

 

HER MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

Teodora’s management style is demanding, yet fair and respectful. She believes that anything and everything can be accomplished with the right amount of effort and positive attitude from team members.

 

HER INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

Outside of work, Teodora is an avid tennis player, serving as the captain of one USTA team and team member of others. She enjoys biking, spending time with her children and travelling to warm areas to escape the bracing Chicago winters.


Tony Fontanetta

  • May 17, 2019/
  • Posted By : Accend Construction/
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TONY FONTANETTA

General Superintendent

Tony is responsible for ensuring that each project is completed on schedule, within budget and exceeds all client expectations. As General Superintendent, he is the director of onsite activities and is in control of all labor coordination. Tony understands that diligent planning is required for the successful completion of every project and he works hard to develop logistical and implementation plans that ensure each project is built efficiently and effectively, no matter the scenario. 

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

With over 35 years in the construction industry, Tony brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the ACCEND team. Even at a young age, Tony always knew that he wanted to work in construction. At 14 Tony developed an interest in the building trades. In high school he participated in a building workshop that built addition’s and garages in the community. Tony’s love for construction quickly grew and influenced him to pursue an apprenticeship at Washburn Trade School. There was no stopping him from there. He went on to work for various construction companies and has assisted in the successful completion of many projects in the Chicagoland area.  Tony’s passion for construction and hunger for knowledge are two of the many reasons he is so valuable to the ACCEND team. He truly loves his work and takes pride in every one of his projects. He is focused on meeting client needs and making the construction process easy and fun.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Tony values teamwork above all else. He knows that it is necessary for everyone to work together in order to have a project run smoothly. Because of this, Tony encourages communication and collaboration. He puts worth in creating an open environment that allows team members to speak their mind and provide valuable input.

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Coaching wrestling, carpentry work around the house, traveling, attending sporting events

PROJECTS

TECH

1871

Big Machines

Centro

eBay/Braintree

Facebook

Google Regional HQ

Matter

Motorola Mobility World HQ

Sprout Social World HQ

Strata Decision Technology

FINANCIAL

Alyeska Investment Group

American National Bank

Beecken Petty O’Keefe

CapitalOne

CreditSuisse

JPMorgan Chase

Pentwater Trading

Ronin Capital

Spot Trading

TD Securities

The Private Bank

GENERAL BUSINESS

ACE Group

Beam Suntory North American HQ

Boeing World HQ

Combined Insurance

ConAgra World HQ

Constellation Brands

JMC Steel

Levy Home Entertainment

Mead Johnson Nutrition World HQ

Navigant Consulting World HQ

Northwestern Memorial Faculty Foundation

Spencer Stuart World HQ

Terra Museum of Art

UPM

Whole Foods Chicago HQ

World Kitchen

LAW

Dentons

Drinker Biddle & Reath

McDermott Will & Emery

Ropes & Gray

Tressler, Soderstrom,
Maloney & Priess

HOSPITALITY

Boka Group

Soho House

LABORATORY

Blachford Acoustics

Eichrom

Motorola GNPO

NEW CONSTRUCTION

American Society of
Anesthesiologists

Cambridge Place Condominiums

Fletcher Jones Audi of Chicago

Fletcher Jones Auto Service Center Chicago

Mercedes-Benz of Chicago

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Ontario

J & B Signs

HEAVY RENOVATION

150 N Michigan Sidewalk and Vaults

Central Baptist Village

Fletcher Jones Audi Beverly Hills

Fletcher Jones Audi / Volkswagen Chicago

Fletcher Jones Honda Chicago

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Fremont

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Las Vegas

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Newport Beach

Fletcher Jones Porsche Fremont

Old Saint Pat’s Church

Whitman Hart Fulton Market (MarchFirst)

Some projects listed above were completed while working for a previous construction company.


Jim Smiley

  • May 17, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
  • 0 comments /
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JIM SMILEY

Senior Project Manager

Jim is responsible for all aspects of the construction projects that he is involved in from estimating to closeout. He works closely with clients, architects, subcontractors and vendors to develop comprehensive schedules and realistic budgets.  Jim guides the team to deliver the highest quality projects in safe work environments while consistently exceeding budget and schedule expectations.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

As a Chicago veteran with 25 years of construction experience, Jim possess a wide range of skillsets. He studied Business and Construction Management at American InterContinental University before launching his career as a Project Superintendent.  With a full understanding of constructability, field constraints and project risk, Jim quickly moved into a Project Management role, and has served as a Senior Project Manager for the last decade.  Jim has earned an exceptional reputation in the marketplace as a revered Construction Leader.  Some of his key clients include Google, Google Cloud, Vital Proteins, Schiller DuCanto & Feck, LLP and Brookfield Properties (Formally GGP).  

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Jim is a committed leader, always prepared to do what it takes to get the job done right, the first time. His strong attention to detail and unequaled work ethic help him thrive and navigate challenging and complex projects.  When working with Jim, you will instantly notice his ‘can do’ attitude towards every aspect of Project Management, and his drive to maintain a safe and productive work site.

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Attending sporting events, playing golf and traveling with his family. 

PROJECTS

TECH

Google Phase 4

Google Training Center

Google Phase 3

Google Roof Deck

Google Labs

 

FINANCIAL

UBS

 

 

HEAVY RENOVATION

Naperville Church of Christ

Knox Presbyterian Church

Village Buick GMC Dealership

Trinity Green Trails Church

AmSpec

 

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Crossroads Community Church

Creative World School

 

 

GENERAL BUSINESS

GGP

Brookefield Properties Retail

Vital Proteins

WPP Kantar

Fry Properties Office Building

Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry Expansion

4Sight Eye

 

 

LAW

McDermott Will & Emery

Schiff Hardin

Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck LLP

 

Some projects listed above were completed while working for a previous construction company.


Wes Klockowski

  • May 16, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
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WES KLOCKOWSKI

Senior Project Manager

Wes is responsible for estimating, scheduling and subcontractor coordination on construction projects from conception to completion. He works closely with architects, engineers and subcontractors to ensure that every project is delivered on time and within budget. Wes specializes in delivering fast paced, phased and occupied construction projects.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

Growing up in Chicago, Wes was always infatuated by the growing city skyline. Mentored by his Uncle who worked for one of Chicago’s biggest GC’s, Wes was able to learn the intricacies of building in some of Chicago’s most iconic buildings. These experiences inspired Wes to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering and Business Management. Now, with over 10 years of industry experience, Wes has completed major projects in Chicago and Pittsburgh and brings a unique perspective and clear track record of client satisfaction to the ACCEND team.  Wes is fully dedicated to the success of his projects, and believes that no goals are unreachable for him and his project team.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Wes gives clear direction, encourages growth opportunities and guides his team to take ownership of their work. He leads by example, putting emphasis on a carefully planned preconstruction process, which helps minimize risk for clients and deliver projects under budget. As a team lead, Wes strongly believes that attention to detail, total knowledge of the scope, and clear communication with all project team members including the client, office and field teams.

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Outside of work, Wes enjoys fitness, playing 16” softball in the city, watching sports and spending time with his family.

PROJECTS

 

GENERAL BUSINESS

30 South Wacker Dr. Lobby Refresh

Ann Sacks

Datesweiser Showroom

Global Showroom

HON Showroom

Kimball National

Kimball Office Showroom

Knoll Showroom

Knoll Textiles Showroom

Mars Wrigley

Munich RE

Riverstone Residential Group

Shure

Spark Communications

Tishman Spyer

United Airlines

WPP

 

 

LABORATORY / MEDICAL

AGH Gamma Pod

AGH Helipad Repairs

AGH Linear Accelerator

AGH Pharmacy

Mars Wrigley Lab Renovation

AGH Radiology Department

AGH OR Scrub Sinks

AGH Sterile Washers

 

HEAVY RENOVATION

IIT, Stuart School of Business Labs

IIT, Student Health & Wellness Center

IIT, Lewis College Dean’s Suite

Pitt Basketball Renovations

 

 

FINANCIAL

CitiBank Renovation

Ernst & Young

Gimbel Abrams + Singer

Goldman Sachs

Key Bank

KPMG

Pacific Western

Wells Fargo Expansion

William Blair

William Blair Expansion

 

HEAVY RENOVATION

CMU Interior Demolition & Concrete

 

 

LAW

Bryan Cave

Foran Glennon

Hall, Prangle & Schoonveld

Latham & Watkins

Littler Mendelson Renovation

Mayer Brown Restack

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Expansion

Reed Smith Restack

Some projects listed above were completed while working for a previous construction company.


Jessica Carps

  • May 15, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
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JESSICA CARPS

CEO

Jessica Carps is CEO and a member of Skyline’s Board of Directors. She was the first female leader to hold the COO title and to join the Board of Directors. 

 

Jessica is recognized for her approach to driving growth through a focus on people, scalable operations, and innovation. In the first five years under her leadership, Skyline’s revenue more than tripled to well over half a billion dollars.  

 

A core part of Jessica’s emphasis on attracting, retaining, and advancing people is the Skyline ESOP program. A passionate steward of employee well-being, she believes compensation, opportunity, ethics, and culture are equally important elements of success. An ESOP expert, Jessica ensures that the Skyline ESOP plan provides meaningful, sustainable benefits for employees, and has improved corporate governance by adding controls and elevating board participation to ensure decision-making is in the best interest of shareholders.

 

Jessica’s strong management of Skyline’s operations is a result of her extensive background in management consulting and manufacturing. This perspective, coupled with her construction and real estate industry expertise, is a driving force behind Skyline’s growth strategy and operational excellence. Her work building repeatable processes and systems to facilitate growth has driven profitability which has allowed Skyline to expand nationally.

 

Jessica’s role as CEO of Skyline’s family of companies is concentrated on bringing innovation to every part of the business. She has created a culture of innovation through her oversight of the SkyService Team, a group of subject matter experts guiding the Skyline family of companies in many operational areas of the business, including HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales, Legal, Safety, IT, and Security. Under her leadership, this team successfully executed the start-up of two new subsidiaries in 2019, the acquisition of two Seattle-based construction firms in 2020, and the addition of new office locations in 2021 and 2022.

­­Jessica has worked diligently to pave the way for female leadership at Skyline. During her tenure, she has promoted five women onto the leadership team, recruited top female tech talent into the construction industry, and continues to mentor women within Skyline and the broader industry to accept leadership level responsibility. Jessica was recently named a Bay Area Power Woman and is a graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.


David Hayes

  • May 15, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
  • 0 comments /
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DAVID HAYES

CRO

HIS ROLE

David Hayes is chairman of the board and chief revenue officer at Skyline Enterprises. He joined the company in 1996, and served as chief executive officer from 2005 to 2022.

David is responsible for leading Skyline’s board of directors and ensuring their expertise, insights and relationships align with business goals and are activated on the company’s behalf. He works with the board of directors on issues including risk management, compliance, and reporting. David also leads the business development team, identifies and evaluates merger and acquisition prospects and supports executive-level recruiting.

 

HIS BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

David’s experience and long tenure with Skyline Enterprises has made him one of the industry’s most celebrated experts and advocates. While CEO at Skyline, he reorganized the company into a 100% employee-owned organization, led numerous acquisitions and positioned the company for growth. In the last five years, his collaboration with CEO Jessica Carps has more than tripled revenue to well over half a billion dollars.

David has a track record of success with mergers and acquisitions. Under his watch, Skyline acquired and integrated Unimark and Servicemark into the Skyline network, adding significantly to the company’s capabilities, geographic reach and revenue.  He also led the company’s efforts to open offices in Chicago, San Diego and Austin. David’s deep connections and relationships have helped Skyline identify and recruit top talent, making the organization one of the most admired in the commercial real estate industry.


Diane Rigatuso

  • May 13, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
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DIANE RIGATUSO

Vice President of People

 

HER ROLE

Diane is responsible for developing best-in-class HR solutions as Skyline’s family of companies expands into new markets and locations.

 

HER BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

Diane holds 20+ years of experience building and leading global human resource teams at companies like Oracle, Actian, Databricks and Airware. She specializes in working with organizations undergoing rapid growth and expansion with a focus on employee development, creating competitive compensation and benefits programs and developing strategic human resource planning to meet the organizations talent goals. Diane is responsible for developing best-in-class HR solutions as the Skyline family of companies expands into new markets and locations.

 

HER INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

Diane enjoys every outdoor activity from skiing to hiking and running. Diane also has a love for sports overall.  In particular, you will find her on a soccer field most weekends cheering and supporting various local soccer teams.

 

HER VALUE ADD

“Diane is a strategic and key addition to Skyline’s leadership team.  She brings a tremendous depth of experience in helping organizations scale responsibly and will provide valuable perspective during this exciting period of growth.  I am confident Diane will play an integral role in shaping the future of Skyline’s employee experience.” —- Jessica Carps, CFO.


Deepak Lathker

  • May 13, 2019/
  • Posted By : Gabby Santana/
  • 0 comments /
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DEEPAK LATHKER

Vice President of IT and Security

 

ROLE

As Vice President of IT & Security, Deepak oversees the implementation of emerging construction technology and is responsible for the secure operation of all aspects of technology including network, server, data-protection, communication/collaboration tools and applications. He brings a deep and broad level of experience and expertise in the IT and cyber security space to Skyline’s family of companies.

 

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

Deepak brings 20+ years of hands-on technology leadership, strategy, visionary experience and expertise in IT infrastructure, cyber security, data-center virtualization, cloud, corp/biz applications engineering, DevOps, and governance risk management & compliance (GRC) practices/controls. He is recognized as a global IT strategist and a trusted IT advisor who builds and manages global teams while aligning business needs with technology solutions. Deepak’s experience ranges from early stage startups all the way to global enterprise and fortune 50/500 multi-billion dollar revenue/capital conglomerates. In his former consulting practice, he worked on projects in multiple verticals including financial, healthcare, system-integrators, retail, manufacturing, auto, utility/energy, cloud/security providers, ITCs and more. Deepak has actively participated in numerous mergers and acquisitions and has lead teams to fully integrate technology platforms.

 

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Deepak believes that everyone has potential to grow with focus, determination and a can-do attitude. He manages his team through strong collaboration, cross-functional communication and places an emphasis on empowering individuals to grow their careers through mentorship. Deepak will not hesitate to roll up his sleeves to take control and resolve issues efficiently as a group. He believes that people, process and technology all go hand-in-hand as one powerful combination, and he is passionate about furthering his journey to explore the next generation digital transformation ecosystem.

 

INTERESTS & HOBBIES

Outside of work, Deepak enjoys traveling with family and loves nature. He has kids, who keep his weekends filled with various sports and other extracurricular activities.

 

 


12
CONTACT

ACCEND Construction LLC
312-815-5300

833 W Jackson Boulevard, Suite 100
Chicago, IL 60607
hello@accendconstruction.com



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