Adam Jelen, Gilbane Building Company’s chief operating officer, will be the firm’s next CEO when he succeeds Thomas Laird, Jr. at that post on January 1, 2024.
The 47-year-old Jelen is an 18-year veteran of Gilbane, where he started as Senior Vice President of the firm’s Midwest Division. He has been COO since June 2022. Prior to joining Gilbane Building Company, Jelen worked for two other construction firms as a superintendent, crew leader, engineer, and laborer, according to his LinkedIn page.
As COO at Gilbane Building Company, Jelen’s responsibilities included driving the firm’s regional growth. He is a recognized expert in Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery, and Lean Construction, according to the company’s prepared statement announcing his promotion. As CEO, he will remain committed to enhancing safety, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supporting sustainability.
Gilbane, which was founded in 1870 and is based in Providence, R.I., is a family owned enterprise that currently has 45 office locations worldwide and more than 3,000 employees. Laird, Jelen’s predecessor, will become chairman of Gilbane Building Company. In that capacity, Laird will focus on supporting the company’s executive leaders and devising growth strategies.
“Gilbane is breaking new ground in project delivery and is poised for continued growth and success,” said Thomas F. Gilbane, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Gilbane, Inc., the parent entity of Gilbane Building Company and Gilbane Development Company, in a prepared statement. “Adam is a visionary leader who is focused on elevating our clients’ experience and making an impact in the communities in which we build. We look forward to him taking on this leadership role, building on the foundation of Tom Laird’s leadership and continuing to raise the bar on how we build.”
Jelen holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction and a Minor in Business Administration from Bradley University, and an Associate of Science from Harper College. He currently serves as an executive committee member for National Construction Safety Week and was a founding board member of the ACE Mentor Program in Milwaukee, in addition to other positions.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 90 Healthcare Sector Engineering + EA Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and IMEG Corp. head the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 170 Healthcare Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
HDR, CannonDesign, HKS, and Stantec top the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Designers / Specifiers / Landscape Architects | Oct 6, 2022
DAHLIN announces acquisition of Design Line Interiors
DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors announced today that it is expanding its interiors capabilities with the acquisition of Del Mar, California-based Design Line Interiors.
Contractors | Oct 6, 2022
Modular construction gets boost from impacts of the pandemic
The impact of the Covid pandemic on the construction industry appears to be fueling demand for modular construction methods, especially in the western U.S. and Canada.
Webinar | Oct 6, 2022
Register today! Live webinar: The future of 3D + 360° construction progress management
Learn about the value of digital site documentation and progress monitoring, how reality capture is used for site documentation, and the value of both 3D scans and 360 photos. This live webinar will take place Thursday, October 20 at 2 ET/ 1 CT.
Laboratories | Oct 5, 2022
Bigger is better for a maturing life sciences sector
CRB's latest report predicts more diversification and vertical integration in research and production.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022
Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing
The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.
Contractors | Oct 5, 2022
Materials shortages, cost spikes throwing Design-Bid-Build process out of whack
The traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery process is under considerable stress this year as materials shortages and cost spikes are upending usual practices, according to a new report from JLL.
Green | Oct 5, 2022
In California, a public power provider’s new headquarters serves as a test case for an innovative microgrid and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), the public power provider for California’s Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, recently unveiled its new all-electric headquarters.
Contractors | Oct 4, 2022
Project managers: Know your workforce
The number of considerations that go into starting a construction project are almost too numerous to count. Contracts, materials, labor, deadlines, even weather, to name a few. They vary from project to project, and any one of them can change in an instant, whether it be materials suddenly in short supply, labor that isn’t available for your particular kind of project (is it luxury hospitality or affordable residential?), or an unexpected phenomenon like Covid-19 that makes everything suddenly screech to a halt.
