Chandos Construction

Audrina Lim

In her role as director carbon transition, Audrina has direct oversight on our Sustainability initiatives including our Net Zero by 2040 goal, Waste Diversion and supporting our projects pursuing sustainability certifications and targets

Years of experience:

20 years of experience in achitectural practice, 9 of which are in Canada.

Industry expertise:

Climate and fire reisistant design, affordable housing, seniors and special needs care, community and educational public buildings, masterplanning, and international development.

Biggest lesson learned:

Less is more, practice mindfulness, listen.

Favourite thing about construction:

Always learning from a diverse team of trades and professionals.

Bill Hughes

Independent Management Consultant, former Senior Consultant with FMI Management Consultants

Hughes leverages his 35+ years of business leadership experience and consulting skills to develop and execute strategies to enable companies to grow. Prior to his strategy consulting work, Hughes was President and Chief Operating Officer at Shawmut Design and Construction. In that role, he was directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company as it grew from $200 million to almost $1 billion.

D'Arcy Newberry

In his role as vice president and district manager, D’Arcy is responsible for all business operations, people, strategies, and ventures in our Edmonton district which includes our initiates in North Alberta, Northern British Columbia, Yukon Territory, North West Territories, and Nunavut.

Years of Experience

24 years.

Industry Expertise

Leadership, commercial, institutional, education, and light civil.

Community Involvement

Adoption Options is an organization that both my wife and I hold in the very highest regard.

Favorite Thing About Construction

Driving around and seeing projects that Chandos has been involved with and appreciating the significant impact that construction has on our communities, as well as knowing that we were able to help our clients achieve their goals.

Darren Rawson

Principal of Ozone Advisory Group

Rawson is a proven business leader with core skills operating businesses, driving change, enhancing enterprise value and building high-performing teams. He is a former executive with 17 years experience as CEO of mid-sized companies. His 30+ year career has spanned a variety of industries including upstream/downstream oil & gas, industrial chemicals, specialty metals, manufacturing, distribution and construction, and includes 25 years of international business experience.

Dennis Kuschminder

 In his role as vice president of operations, Dennis has shared responsibility for all business operations, people, strategies, and ventures in our Vancouver district.

Years of Experience

31 years of experience in the construction industry.

Industry Expertise

Constructing all types of buildings, concrete, steel, and wood frame. I have completed projects in almost every province in Canada.

Most Useful App

One Note.

Biggest Lesson Learned

When delegating it is important to set up check ins. Make sure that everyone 100% understands what the deliverable is.

Lean Improvement

Chandos Production System.

Dominic Ries

In his role as director of technical solutions, Dominic is focused on client development in the recreation, health care, and laboratory segments of the Canadian market. 

Years of Experience

8 years experience as owner’s representative and 21 years in commercial construction.

Industry Expertise

Closeout project manager.
Technical resolutions for industry challenges.
Aquatic’s expertise developed over 12 years as commercial pool builder before becoming a general contractor with specialized distinction.

Favourite Thing About Construction

The sense of accomplishment.

What Keeps You At Chandos

Leadership, fellowship, and respect.

Ellie Choi

In her role as vice president and general counsel, Ellie focuses on enterprise risk management working closely with our operational centres across Canada. 

Years of Experience

20+ years as a lawyer in private practice and in-house combined.

Industry Expertise

Ellie's entire career has been spent working in construction as a lawyer, risk mitigation strategist, team builder, and a business leader.

Community Involvement

Ellie has been coaching soccer and baseball for local children’s sports leagues for the past 10 years.

Biggest Lesson Learned

"Be open to change. The best laid out plans will require modifications so be adaptable."

Greg Stack

In his role as vice president and district manager, Greg is responsible for all business operations, people, strategies, and ventures in our Toronto area. 

Years of Experience

36 years.

Industry Expertise

Extensive experience as an executive leading design build and alternative delivery models, and as a regional manager.

Lean Improvement

L10 Meetings.

What Keeps You At Chandos

The Culture.

Ian Nutley

In his role as area manager in Kelowna, Ian is responsible for all business operations, people, and ventures in the district.

Years of Experience?

28 years.

Industry Expertise?

Ian has extensive experience in the commercial, residential, retail, and education sectors as well as expertise in managing complex and large projects over $100m.

Biggest Lesson Learned?

A well planned project equals a successful project – assessing the risks from the outset helps to ensure you are prepared.

Favourite thing about construction?

I enjoy the variety – no two projects are the same and all bring different challenges. I feel great satisfaction when handing over a completed project on time and on budget to the owner.

Jason Towers

In his role as vice president and district manager, Jason is responsible for all business operations, people, strategies, and ventures in our Red Deer district which includes Saskatchewan and the interior of British Columbia. 

Years of Experience

20 years.

Industry Expertise

Collaborative delivery methods. Retail and institutional construction. Leading culture based teams.

Biggest Lesson Learned

You have to be authentic. If you’re not, you are done before you start.

What Keeps You At Chandos

Culture and forward thinking.

Jen Hancock

 In her role as vice president of collaborative construction, Jen has oversight of our sustainability initiatives while serving as an innovation coach for project teams executing highly innovative work.

Years of Experience

11 years in construction, 7 years teaching, and other.

Industry Expertise

Sustainability, lean, IPD, and collaborative project delivery.

Book/Podcast Recommendation

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.

Lean Improvement

Monday morning work planning, which includes a visual planning board, makes my week smoother, I get more done, and I feel less stress about the work I have to do.

Joe Perry

In his role as vice president and district manager, Joe works closely with clients and project teams to add value at every stage of the project. 

Years of Experience

20 years in construction.

Industry Expertise

Project management, scheduling, budgets, problem solving, client, and trade relationships.

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Good to Great - Jim Collins.

Favourite Thing About Construction

Construction is very challenging and dynamic, no project is the same as another project, and seeing a project coming to fruition.

Julie Wilson

As director of our HR department, Julie plans, leads and coordinates policies, activities, and staff.

Years of Experience

25 years.

Years in the Construction Industry

2 years.

Favourite Thing about Construction

The people.

Favourite Quote

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. - Mother Teresa

Community Involvement

Helping people with disabilities find employment.

Kevin Englert

As IT director, Kevin is responsible for the management, strategy and execution of IT infrastructure of our organization.

Years of Experience

25+ years.

Years in the Construction Industry

20 years.

Favourite Thing about Construction

I enjoy the creativity and problem solving. It’s amazing what our teams can do when challenged for solutions.

Biggest lesson learned

Take the time to listen and understand different perspectives without jumping to conclusions.

Community involvement

United Way and UNICEF.

Lindsay Worton

In her role as a IPD and continuous improvement coach, Lindsay works closely with project teams executing highly innovative work.  

Years of Experience

15 years in Design + Construction (primarily in public sector leadership).

Industry Expertise

IPD, lean, high-performing teams, leadership, design, and construction.

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Podcast: Armchair Expert
Book: Think Again: Why Leaders Make Bad Decisions and How to Keep it From Happening To You

Most Useful App

Google Duo to connect with my family when I’m travelling.

Markku Allison

In his role as vice president of strategy and innovation, Markku leads innovation at the enterprise level supporting projects/districts across Canada.

Nic Darling

In his role as vice president and Ontario manager, Nic is responsible for all business operations, people, and ventures in our Ontario district.

Years of Experience

17 years in the construction industry.

Industry Expertise

Collaborative solutions, design-build, and team building.

Community Involvement

United Way of Calgary and Area.

Favorite Thing About Construction

Getting multiple people in a room, with a diverse cross-section of backgrounds, and solving complex issues.

Nicole Monaco

In her role as director, marketing and communications, Nicole works with our senior management and district teams to develop and share the Chandos story with employees, customers, and our communities.

Years of Experience

15+ years.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Strategic marketing for business-to-business and industrial organizations across North America.

MOST USEFUL APP

I take notes by hand in meetings and during conversations but afterwards I compile and organize my thoughts in OneNote.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, Homeless Connect, IABC Edmonton, and Canadian Marketing Association.

Oliver Dees

In his role as vice president of strategic services, Oliver leads our National Special Services Group with a personal focus on corporate accounts.

Years of Experience

18 years in construction supervision and project management.

Industry Expertise

Special Services Group Projects in Retail, commercial hospitality, health care, and building envelope replacements.

Favorite Thing About Construction

Seeing your projects contribute to the community.

Lean Improvement

Chandos Production System.

Owen Nordmark

In his role as vice president and district manager, Owen is responsible for all business operations, people, and ventures in the Calgary district.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

30 years.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Construction management and engineering.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

I have been a volunteer and contributor to the United way for over 20 years.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION?

I have worked in construction almost my whole life. My Father was a small general contractor and I followed in the business. For me there is no life like it! We get to build things! Buildings and people. Construction is one of the most creative and fulfilling careers anyone can have.

Peter Weiss

In his role as area manager in Ottawa, Peter is responsible for all business operations, people, and ventures in the district.

Years of Experience?

20 years working in various roles and companies within USA, Germany, and Canada.

Industry Expertise?

Concrete (formwork) and business management.

Biggest Lesson Learned?

To be successful in life you need a healthy balance of hard work and fun!

Favourite thing about construction?

Knowing that you are building life long relationships, not just structures.

Renée Cheng

Dean at the University of Washington College of Built Enviroments

Cheng served as head of the School of Architecture, and associate dean of research at the University of Minnesota. She is also a member of the American Institute of Architects, and promotes equity in architecture and the built environment.

Roger Babichuk

In his role as chief financial officer, Roger focuses on finance, risk management, and support services that enable growth.

Years of Experience

27 years.

Industry Expertise

Construction and accounting.

Favorite Thing About Construction

The people.

What Keeps You At Chandos

The passion that the people at Chandos bring every day.

Roger Buksa

In his role as director, building systems, Roger is responsible for managing and overseeing the planning and execution of building construction.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

40 years.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

HVAC and mechanical services.

Roy Hirshland

Vice chairman of Savills and member of Savills North American Management Board

Hirshland has 33 years of experience in real estate and specializes in providing strategic advice to companies and CEOs around the world. He has also received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young.

Scott Duncan

In his role as director of health and safety, Scott leads our safety team supporting projects across Canada.

Years of Experience

30+ years.

Industry Expertise

Heavy industrial oil and gas, commercial, civil, institutional, and mining (open pit, underground).

Favourite thing about construction

It creates change.

Lean Improvement

Be prepared (plan).

Sean Penn

In his role as chief operating officer, Sean focuses on operational excellence working closely with district leadership teams.

Years of Experience

26 years.

Industry Expertise

Operational excellence, cost management, client service, and technical.

Biggest Lesson Learned

You are only as good as the people you work with.

Favorite Thing About Construction

There are always new challenges to overcome.

Shawn Gardener

As director of business solutions, Shawn is responsible for monitoring the different stages of project management and product development strategies.

Years of working experience

23 (generally all at Chandos – Engineering Co-op student in the summer of 1999).

Years in the construction industry

23 - I was a project manager at Chandos up to around 2015 when I transitioned full time to business solutions dealing with our processes and technology adoption.

Favourite thing about construction

Pulling millions of pieces together into something amazing (and not just the physical pieces – the ideas, the systems).

Biggest lesson learned

Everyone makes mistakes – own them, share them, correct them and learn from them. There are all kinds of quotes out there on that topic, I can’t say I have a favourite. I just know that when you let your mistakes weigh you down that you get stuck (and fear of making mistakes will also prevent you from excelling).

Community involvement

A long time supporter of the United Way.

Sid Callies

In his role as vice president of corporate development, Sid focuses on major projects, enterprise risk management, and operational excellence.

Years of Experience

36 years in construction.

Industry Expertise

Civil, commercial, and logistics for remote sites.

Biggest Lesson Learned

The importance of earning trust and respect of others. Building teams will bring success.

Favourite Thing About Construction

Each project is unique, engages different people, and provides an opportunity for collaboration to achieve success for all stakeholders.

Stacey Vanovermeire

 In her role as controller, Stacey leads our accounting team supporting projects/districts across Canada.

Years of Experience

10 years in accounting and finance.

Industry Expertise

Project accounting, payroll, financial reporting, and budgeting.

Most Useful App

Stocard – a place to store all your rewards cards!

What Keeps You At Chandos

The culture of continuous improvement. Everyone across the organization is empowered to make/suggest changes to our current processes to help eliminate waste.

Tim Coldwell

In his role as president of Chandos, Tim focuses on growth, strategy, and people, representing the organization across Canada.

Years of experience

22 years.

Industry Expertise

Leadership, strategy, marketing, innovation, and culture.

Book / Podcast Recommendation

The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder.

What Keeps You At Chandos

Great people, deeper purpose, and the challenge.

Tim Laronde

As our national director of Indigenous strategies, Tim is focused on enhancing Indigenous cultural awareness within Chandos; attracting and retaining Indigenous talent; and building capacity by developing meaningful and respectful relationships to help create wealth in Indigenous communities and businesses.

Years of experience

More than 25 years.

Years in the construction industry

One year in the construction industry. Many years in the financial services industry where I was involved with financing construction projects.

Favourite thing about construction

The pride of being involved with the successful completion of a building or project that has an immediate positive impact in the community and the environment.

Favourite Quote

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice” from the Song Freewill by Canadian Rock band Rush, lyrics by Getty Lee. (It was based on a decision I had to make whether or not to self-identify as Indigenous. Either I choose to accept my culture or I try to deny it, which was the vision of the colonizers. I think it also can be used when we deal with Truth and Reconciliation – all Canadians need to be involved in the reconciliation process, therefore if you choose not to be involved, you still have made a choice).

Community involvement

Board of directors for the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (Supports Indigenous business owners).
Board of directors for the Anishnawbe Health Foundation (Fundraising arm of Anishnawbe Health Toronto – an Indigenous healing centre that supports traditional healing for Indigenous people in Toronto).
Member of the Leadership Council for Forward Summit (Indigenous Economic Conference to support Indigenous businesses and Economic Development Corporations of First Nation Communities).

Tom Redl

In his role as executive chair, Tom focuses on coaching and alignment while helping the team set strategic direction.

Years of Experience

Over 30 years in commercial real estate and construction.

Industry Expertise

Leadership and organizational development.

Most useful app

Headspace.

Biggest Lesson Learned

There’s no such thing as a “Good Deal” unless it is “Good” for everyone.

Vince Plourd

In his role as director of VDC, Vince focuses on helping teams add value with VDC/BIM and prefabrication. 

Years of Experience

13 years in building information modelling and related fields.

Industry Expertise

Building information modelling, structural technology, construction technologies, and building teams.

Favourite thing About Construction

A physical structure has something very profound about it and when you can point at it and say I helped in creating that.

What Keeps You At Chandos

Chandos is challenging the status quo about how construction is done.

Zach Moe

As director of national sales, Zach leads and coaches our sales team on the process, development, and execution of business development activities.

Years of working experience

10 years.

Years in construction industry

8 years.

Favourite thing about construction

It's exciting to be part of building incredible projects that positively impact the community.

Biggest lesson learned

A structure should not merely provide shelter from the elements, it should uniquely cater to the needs of its inhabitants in a manner that promotes creativity, health, and happiness.

Have a question?

Meet the Team

Everyone who works for Chandos can become an owner.

Shared Services

Operations

Company Directors

External Directors

Audrina Lim

Bill Hughes

D'Arcy Newberry

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Community Involvement

Favorite Thing About Construction

Darren Rawson

Dennis Kuschminder

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Most Useful App

Biggest Lesson Learned

Lean Improvement

Dominic Ries

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Favourite Thing About Construction

What Keeps You At Chandos

Ellie Choi

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Community Involvement

Biggest Lesson Learned

Greg Stack

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Lean Improvement

What Keeps You At Chandos

Ian Nutley

Years of Experience?

Industry Expertise?

Biggest Lesson Learned?

Favourite thing about construction?

Jason Towers

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Biggest Lesson Learned

What Keeps You At Chandos

Jen Hancock

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Lean Improvement

Joe Perry

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Favourite Thing About Construction

Julie Wilson

Years of Experience

Years in the Construction Industry

Favourite Thing about Construction

Favourite Quote

Community Involvement

Kevin Englert

Years of Experience

Years in the Construction Industry

Favourite Thing about Construction

Biggest lesson learned

Community involvement

Lindsay Worton

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Most Useful App

Markku Allison

Nic Darling

Years of Experience

Industry Expertise

Community Involvement

Favorite Thing About Construction

Nicole Monaco