Skender kicks off 2024 with key leadership promotions to support growth, innovation and client service

CHICAGO and INDIANAPOLIS (January 9, 2024) -- Skender, one of the nation’s top building contractors, announced six promotions among its leadership team to support the firm’s strategic goals for growth, innovation and continued operational excellence in the new year.

Promotions are as follows:

• Courtney Boatwright promoted to creative director from senior creative manager. Since joining Skender in 2011, Boatwright has steadily embodied Skender’s core values through her internal interactions and her external deliverables alike. Her branding and design talents have long influenced and guided Skender’s marketing initiatives, and her deep impact to the brand’s bottom line has been felt companywide. In her new role as creative director, she will be responsible for overseeing all creative production aspects of Skender’s brand, marketing campaigns and initiatives.

• Kate Calenberg promoted to director of learning & development from talent development manager. She joined the Skender team in 2004 and, after a decade in project management, jumped into learning and development, carefully cultivating the new hire onboarding process. Always willing to go the extra mile to mentor employees and carve out time to help collaborate and resolve issues, Calenberg is extremely process-oriented and works diligently to help other employees embrace those fundamentals. In her new role, she will be responsible for the effective development, direction and presentation of training and development programs for all operational employees.

• Patrick Sullivan promoted to director of field operations from senior superintendent, team leader. Since joining Skender in 2015, he has been an invaluable resource in managing field activities and operations for crucial client projects, including recent large-scale buildouts for Salesforce Chicago and Bank of America. His keen insights and communication skills make him an asset in ensuring the fast and safe completion of various projects, and he is adept at executing key construction and administrative activities to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget. In his new role, he will help oversee field operations, guiding projects and teams to safe, timely, on-budget completions.

• Brian Bukowski promoted to senior vice president from vice president. He joined Skender in 2007 and has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. Since 2021, he has co-led the Interiors group, focusing on driving financial success, efficient operations, and the team’s vision. Across a wide variety of client experiences in Illinois, and nationally, his focus is always client satisfaction and continuous improvement. As senior vice president, Bukowski will continue to provide strategic and operational leadership to Skender’s award-winning Interiors group.

• Andy Halik promoted to senior vice president from vice president. He joined Skender in 2011 and has over 18 years of experience in the construction industry. He has a knack for promoting collaboration and partnership among his colleagues, and his keen business sense and ability to nurture client relationships is truly unmatched. Alongside Bukowski, Halik co-leads the Interiors group, focusing on market strategy, client service and motivating the team toward continued growth. As senior vice president, he will continue to co-lead the award-winning Interiors group with strategic vision and a commitment to growing relationships.

• Brian Simons promoted to senior vice president from vice president. He joined Skender in 2007 and has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He has steadily advanced his career in operations through his personalized approach to client service and his aptitude for fostering collaboration and cohesion among his teams and colleagues. Since 2020, Simons has led Skender’s Indianapolis office, which was recently expanded and has more than doubled its workforce to support a host of new projects in the Hoosier state. As senior vice president, Simons will continue to lead Skender’s Indianapolis construction operations with a focus on delivering the best value for clients.

“We are delighted to kick off the new year with the promotion of these six incredible Skender leaders,” said Justin Brown, president and CEO at Skender. “Each of these talented individuals embody Skender’s deep commitment to client service, community building, operational excellence and high performance and I am excited to see what 2024 brings as they settle into their new roles.”