Derek Cunz has labored for Mortenson since 1996. He’s had what he calls “a number of careers” on the 70-year-old agency, on his circuitous path to the CEO’s workplace.
Born within the San Francisco Bay Space, Cunz joined the Minneapolis-based agency’s superior know-how group proper out of faculty, which led to a variety of journey. He met his spouse on the family-owned firm, earlier than they relocated to Northern Eire, Los Angeles and Colorado earlier than settling within the Twin Cities space in 2010.
He’s additionally an avid bike owner and enjoys main Mortenson staff members on mountain biking journeys. The corporate’s headquarters has mountain bikes that workers can hire and trip round on a path behind the workplace, an exercise Cunz stated he encourages.
In September, the twenty seventh largest U.S. builder by income introduced a long-planned management change. On Jan. 1, Cunz took over as CEO and president, succeeding earlier CEO and 38-year firm veteran Dan Johnson, who has retired.
Right here, Cunz talks with Development Dive about his profession, his management type and persevering with with what has made Mortenson profitable.
This interview has been edited for brevity and readability.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: How will your appointment as CEO change issues at Mortenson?
DEREK CUNZ: I feel that essentially this has been a long-planned management transition, and we’re an organization constructed for the longer term and with a long-term technique. So you will not see a variety of change. I do know it is probably not that dramatic to say that, however we’re actually constructed on a decadeslong technique when it comes to progress and trajectory of the corporate.
My transition of management has been deliberate internally for a very long time. And our objective for constructing for the higher good is unchanged. Our clients are going to proceed to see us exhibiting up and making an attempt to assist them obtain their objectives.
So not an enormous shift. We’re a staff of groups, our management staff, we have now a very superior group of leaders working all of our completely different companies, and the management staff that works with me may be very steady.
Why have you ever chosen to stick with the identical agency for nearly 30 years?
I imply, essentially it is in regards to the household tradition and the tradition of caring at Mortenson. It’s a spot the place regardless that we have grown to be a pretty big firm, I feel the texture remains to be that we take care of one another, that it is a household setting, that we put individuals first. I feel that is one thing that I’ve actually loved and appreciated. I do know that is what our staff members worth.
You understand, you may, like me, have 5 careers in a single firm, which is clearly very compelling. But when it is not an incredible setting to work in, then that is all for naught. It is about creating all these alternatives, however on the identical time, a tradition the place you actually need to spend your profession and also you would not assume to depart.
Derek Cunz rides on a mountain biking journey. The Mortenson CEO is an avid bike owner.
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Within the function I will have, that is most likely a very powerful factor for me, is to take care of that tradition and to spend money on that tradition. We’re hiring lots of people.
You understand, if you happen to take a look at our numbers, we will rent 250 school children this yr and 500-plus noncraft skilled hires. We’ll develop our craft workforce to over 4,000. Investing in these individuals, each in coaching and tradition, is essentially our most necessary factor.
What’s your management philosophy?
My management philosophy may be very aligned with what we name LeadBLU at Mortenson, as a result of I’ve grown up at Mortenson and I’ve had the chance to additionally to study from that [program] and in addition form it by my profession.
After I take into consideration our tradition and management philosophy, it is this tradition of caring. That’s one in every of our LeadBLU philosophies: We wish individuals to take care of one another. We’re additionally very buyer centered, all the time enthusiastic about how we will create worth for our clients and proceed to spend money on new methods of doing issues.
In order that form of feeds into, for me, a philosophy about innovation. We continuously must be enthusiastic about a greater approach to do issues and getting higher on a regular basis. That’s additionally very a lot embedded in that firm tradition.
What’s Mortenson’s plan for DEI going ahead?
After we take into consideration DEI, our “why” will not be altering. We’re very centered on belonging and inclusion on our initiatives. I discussed our LeadBLU philosophy; it is about doing the appropriate factor and caring for our staff members.
We have been a part of the founding teams that put collectively Development Inclusion Week. We take into consideration the true alternative there’s to create an incredible jobsite expertise within the development business.
Our manufacturing facility flooring is the development website. That is the place the work will get completed. And so we would like each jobsite to be a spot the place individuals need to work, and as soon as they go there, they need to return.
In order that’s the true focus of Development Inclusion Week, as a result of additionally it is an business alternative. It isn’t nearly us. We wish the model of development to be higher and to be a spot the place individuals need to work.
Has DEI improved in your time in development?
Completely. I feel that we proceed to study and get higher as an business.
You’re not the one one who is assuming a brand new workplace in January. What do you anticipate from the upcoming Trump administration?
I feel our philosophy has traditionally been to simply take a wait-and-see, measured perspective. We have a very balanced portfolio that units us up nicely in a variety of markets. And I feel we’re assured in our backlog and our technique that it is form of impartial of the political spectrum.
Additionally we do not know what is going to occur but with the present administration when it comes to precise coverage. So we do not speculate. We simply have our technique and our enterprise and are centered on that. And we’ll adapt and be agile as issues change within the markets.
In the event you needed to choose one mission out of your profession at Mortenson that stands out, what would it not be and why?
I feel the Disney Live performance Corridor [completed in April 2003] was transformational. It was the primary mission we constructed utterly with a 3D mannequin. We have been actually plowing new floor within the late 90s, early 2000s, utilizing know-how that had nearly by no means been used earlier than on a mission.
Derek Cunz (proper) on the Los Angeles development website of what would turn out to be the Walt Disney Live performance Corridor. He stated the mission, which Mortenson delivered in 2003, is a significant spotlight of his profession.
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We have been working with Stanford College and Disney Imagineering, creating software program instruments. We used 4D modeling for the primary time within the business.
So after we look again, it was like, from that mission, a variety of issues occurred from a method standpoint. We realized what was doable. We discuss redefining “doable” at Mortensen. I feel that mission was form of a turning level for us the place we stated, “We’ll double down on our funding in know-how and the longer term goes to be digital.”
Correction: This story has been up to date to precisely replicate the completion date of the Walt Disney Live performance Corridor.
