Archives: Most Influential People

Nicholson and Bryson, principals at MAKE projects, have elevated the project management business to oversee $2 billion in work. MAKE was founded with a vision to improve the effectiveness of public and private sector clients by enabling more efficient use of their capital in their facility and infrastructure investments. The business is now a key player in a diverse range of sectors, including education, healthcare, recreation, commercial, residential and transportation. MAKE’s industry peers say its leadership has demonstrated adaptability and strategic foresight in navigating these many complex projects.

As area operations manager for Flatiron Construction, Flores has become a leading figure in Central and Western Canada. He has overseen the successful completion of numerous major projects in transportation, hydroelectric dams, aviation, mining, tunnels, and underground sectors. Octavio has also demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion through his support for small businesses, young leaders, and First Nations communities, negotiating significant spending agreements exceeding $36 million in the Yukon Territories alone. His influence extends to policy advocacy, board representation, and philanthropy, raising over $1 million for charitable causes.

After a close call at one of his sites, Guetta decided to embark on a bold journey to revolutionize construction safety. He and SALUS’ team have built a cloud-based platform where workers can submit critical safety documentation directly from the field – providing organizations with real-time visibility and actionable insights into their crew’s safety compliance. Since its inception, SALUS has made safety more accessible for over 500 customers and 80,0000 field workers. Last year, the Government of Canada and PacifiCan granted SALUS $2.6 million. This funding came in addition to the $10.5 million in Series A funding that SALUS raised over 2023. Guetta says he plans to use this funding to push product innovation for SALUS customers and to expand SALUS’s reach to help more businesses.

Since McKibbon joined Bird Construction in 2017 as COO and became CEO in 2019, the general contractor has soared. He led the transformation of Bird towards collaborative contracting and increasing self-perform operations. He also oversaw massive mergers and acquisitions including Stuart Olson and Trinity Communications. Under his leadership, Bird’s share price has risen from historic lows. He has also led much of the business’s cultural transformation, increasing its emphasis on safety and innovations in technology.

Domagalski’s journey saw him rise from a young entrepreneur selling software to becoming CEO of Tundra Process Solutions, where he expanded the company from 14 to 150 employees and increased revenue from $8 million to $150 million. Embracing philanthropy as a core value, he redirected a portion of profits to charitable causes, fostering a culture of giving back. His impactful leadership caught the attention of Wajax Corp, where he now serves as CEO, infusing the 164-year-old industrial giant with a philanthropic ethos.

Arriving in Canada in 2012, Roberts faced the challenge of sourcing skilled workers for his construction contracting company. He decided to attack the problem himself, founding A Few Good Lads. By leveraging his overseas network, Roberts initiated a recruitment strategy that not only addressed the labor shortage but also created a pathway to help immigrants to achieve their Canadian dream. The company also provides mentorship and sponsorship opportunties to help newcomers up their skills and stay in the country.

Corneil is a self-described serial entrepreneur with an extensive background in hands-on deconstruction, reclaimed wood craftsmanship, Passive House construction. He flipped his first house with his father at the age of 16, sparking a fascination with crafting old, weathered projects into new, fresh and well-built homes and spaces. After founding and running Naturally Crafted Contracting for six years, Corneil decided to tackle the demolition industry. His company, Unbuilders, is now legendary for dismantling buildings and maximizing salvage efforts.

Affordable housing is one of Canada’s biggest challenges and Gefucia is utilizing expertise from one of the nation’s most experienced builders to help solve it. He leads EllisDon Community Builders (EDCB), a division formed within the EllisDon group of companies, which provides development management services for clients who wish to deliver affordable and supportive housing. EDCB offers a holistic and comprehensive approach that highlights the role the private sector has to play in creating homes for Canadians.

Green began her construction career as a red seal industrial mechanic millwright and now serves as Skills Ontario’s director of competitions and business development. Each year, Green and her team orchestrate Canada’s largest skilled trades event, the Skills Ontario Competition, providing much needed recognition for thousands of aspiring tradespeople. Her work has garnered her numerous awards, including the Colleges Ontario Premier’s Award, WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Award, Universal Women’s Network Women of Inspiration Award, and the Conestoga College Alumni of Distinction Award.

As president of the BC Construction Association, Chris Atchison has been pushing for change on many fronts. The group just wrapped up a massive campaign where they connected employers with millions in funding for hiring apprentices. Atchison has also been relentless in pushing government officials to adopt prompt payment legislation and educating them about the impacts late payment has on the industry. The group has also run anti-bullying campaigns, mentoring programs and even organizes an annual month of festivities to honour construction workers. 

As a teacher with the Ontario’s Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, McAiney pioneered the Construction Academy program, where students complete their high school diploma and receive a Level 1 apprenticeship in one of four construction trades. The former carpenter has taken a high school technology program and elevated it to a trade school status involving partnerships with unions, industry and government. It’s now a model other schools in the province are emulating and garnered McAiney and an award from the prime minister. 

If you’ve never met Richard Lyall, chances are you have already seen him on TV or in the newspaper. As president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), he is one of construction’s most outspoken voices in eastern Canada. Recently, RESCON and Lyall have been spearheading efforts to convince the federal government to rebate the HST to first-time buyers who purchase a new home and bring back initiatives from years ago to encourage re-investment by builders.

The last few years have seen Gaglardi take Orion Construction on a rocket ship of success. Under his leadership it was the fastest growing company in Canada between 2019 and 2021, with a revenue growth rate of 12,371%. Gaglardi attributed part of this success to mastering the design-build model and assembling a high-quality team.

Sean Strickland leads Canada’s Building Trades Unions as its executive director where he fights for worker rights, local jobs and fair treatment. The group recently launched the Building It Green project which will provide apprentices, trainers, and journeypersons with a deeper understanding of how climate change and sustainability intersect with construction and the impact they have on Canada’s future. Strickland also serves as a BuildForce Canada board member.

After four as Kingston and the Islands MPP, Ian Arthur announced his departure from politics. Arthur’s passion for solving societal challenges led him to co-found Nidus3D, focusing on revolutionizing construction through robotics technology. His team is going where nobody has gone with the technology. Nidus3D recently made history by delivering North America’s first residentially permitted multi-unit 3D printed building and constructing the continent’s first multi-storey mixed-use concrete building using 3D printing technology.

John Straube, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a leading figure in construction, serving as Principal at RDH Building Science. He specializes in forensic investigations, designs high-performance buildings, and spearheads research in low-energy building design, building enclosure performance, and field performance monitoring. With over 100 published papers and authorship of key books like “High Performance Enclosures” and “Building Science for Building Enclosures,” Dr. Straube’s expertise is widely respected. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in Building Science Education from NCHRC.

David Podmore, a stalwart in the Canadian real estate realm, brings over four decades of expertise to Concert Properties, which he co-founded in 1989 and now chairs alongside Concert Infrastructure. Under his guidance, Concert Properties has become one of Canada’s premier developers. In addition to his corporate leadership, David serves as chair of INSPIRE, overseeing BCIT’s largest fundraising campaign, and is a board member of the BC Men’s Health Foundation. He served as president of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association and chair of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Recognized for his contributions, David has received the Award of Excellence from the Real Estate Institute of BC and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and was invested into the Order of British Columbia in 2014.

Canada’s minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser has been very busy since he took over the role last summer. He’s been travelling around the country handing out cash to provinces that make major changes to increase housing and encouraging others to do the same. He’s also behind efforts to revitalize Canada’s war-time homes housing effort that used pre-approved designs to quickly address housing needs during World War II.

Mann’s prowess as a businessman is impressive. Starting as a farm labouer who moved to B.C. from India, he went on to become the founder and chairman of BM Group of Companies. He’s spent decades building BM Group into a diverse portfolio of structural restoration, waterproofing, construction management, material supply, and real estate related businesses. But beyond the boardroom, Mann, his wife and family have shown immense passion for the communities they live and work in. Mann is a dedicated philanthropist who is heavily involved in hospitals and universities, earning him the H.D. Stafford Good Citizen of the Year award in 2023.