Hensel Phelps and Sundt Announce Leadership Promotions
Brad Jeanneret has been promoted to CEO of Hensel Phelps, having risen from a field engineer role within the company. At the same time, Sundt Construction’s Mike Hoover received a legacy award for his contributions, highlighting career mobility and leadership development within major construction firms.
- Brad Jeanneret's path to CEO at Hensel Phelps started in 1996 and included roles like Field Engineer, Project Manager, and eventually Executive Vice President, showcasing a common career progression in the industry. - Mike Hoover's 38-year journey at Sundt Construction began with hands-on roles as a laborer and carpenter before he moved into management, ultimately increasing company revenue fivefold as CEO from 2016 to 2025. - Entry-level roles that can lead to a construction management career, even for those with a business background, often start with titles like "Field Engineer" or "Project Coordinator," which focus on site operations and project documentation. - For business students, emphasizing transferable skills such as financial analysis for project budgeting, business development for client acquisition, and strong communication for managing diverse teams of subcontractors and stakeholders is key. - Hensel Phelps, a major industry player, recorded over $7.1 billion in revenue for 2024 and is a leading contractor for government and airport projects. - Sundt Construction, which is entirely employee-owned, reported over $2.2 billion in revenue for 2023 and has heavily invested in workforce development, opening a large training center in Phoenix. - The construction industry is currently grappling with a significant skilled labor shortage, creating opportunities for new talent to fill leadership and management roles as a large portion of the workforce nears retirement. - Proficiency with industry-specific technology is a significant advantage; knowledge of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and project management software can help candidates without direct construction experience stand out.