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The Boldt Company
Marketing Manager
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
Ben Bruns's Bio
Ben Bruns joins The Boldt Company as executive vice president for the
Northern Operations Group. In this position he leads our Northern
Operations team and business development initiatives for the Wisconsin
offices in Green Bay, Appleton, and Stevens Point. Ben brings over two
decades of knowledge and experience in business development, jobsite
project management and engineering.
Under Ben’s leadership Boldt continues to emphasize innovation,
Lean fundamentals, continuous improvement and an uncompromising focus
on safety. He enthusiastically shares his two-decade construction
industry experience with his Boldt team, local and national media and
at industry events. He has been instrumental in bringing Boldt’s STAAT
MOD ICU modular solution to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ben is a community champion, philanthropist, and volunteer
serving areas ranging from arts and culture to at-risk youth and families.
Ben has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction
Engineering from Iowa State University, leadership and development
from Drake University Executive Education Center and Weitz Strategic
Leadership Development.
Dave Kievet's Bio
As president and chief operating officer, Dave Kievet is responsible
for providing corporate direction to all operating groups including
offices in Northeast Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Madison, Cloquet,
Rochester, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Francisco and
Detroit. He also oversees Boldt Technical Services.
Dave has spent the last 20 years actively working on the
development, implementation and integration of Lean concepts for
project delivery as well as innovative contracting strategies. Most
recently, Dave served as divisional president for western and southern
operations, establishing and expanding operations within California,
Oklahoma, Michigan and adjoining markets as well as implementing
Integrated Lean Project Delivery® (ILPD) throughout the United States
and Canada. With over 32 years of construction experience, Dave has a
deep knowledge all market sectors ranging from healthcare to heavy industrial.
Dave holds a B.S. in construction administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is actively involved in several national and international professional construction organizations and associations.
David Thomack's Bio
Recently welcomed back to The Boldt Company, David is a 30-year
veteran of the construction industry who joined Boldt in 2005 and now
serves as Group President, heading up the California operations. David
has successfully led transformational projects for owners across the
country including CPMC/Sutter Health, San Francisco Airport, The
University of Wisconsin—Madison and Sacred Heart/St. Mary’s Health
System. His construction background includes commercial, public
sector, healthcare, aviation, and science and technology.
David’s experience with operational excellence, strategic
visioning, process implementation, and Integrated Lean Project
Delivery® has made him a leader in creating and managing successful,
collaborative teams in the construction industry. He empowers his
project teams to collectively study a problem and explore possible
solutions, focusing on efforts to eliminate redundancy and waste at
every step in the process.
David is a member of the University of Wisconsin—Madison Civil
Engineering Advisory Board and a former board member of the Lean
Construction Institute—NorCal. Most recently he was the keynote
speaker for Advancing Project Controls 2020.
David has both a Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of
Science Degree in civil and environmental engineering from the
University of Wisconsin. Certifications include LEED AP BD + C.
Holly Lifke's Bio
As executive vice president of human resources, Lifke is responsible
for leading our human resources strategy. Specifically, she oversees
talent management, succession planning, performance management,
process development and improvement, training and development,
organizational effectiveness, compensation and benefits and labor relations.
She also plays a critical role as a member of the strategic
planning team, helping shape the future of human resources to ensure
its alignment with all organizational strategies.
Lifke comes to
Boldt with more than 30 years of experience with firms such as FDIC
and Anchor Foods. In 2000, she joined Society Insurance as the vice
president of human resources, and most recently served as the vice
president of commercial underwriting for the company.
Lifke received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and
business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville
and a Master of Business Administration from the University of
Wisconsin – Oshkosh.
Jake Ruatti's Bio
As chief financial officer, Jake leads Boldt's finance and
information technology departments. He also manages the audit
committee, adds oversight for treasury and is a trustee of the
retirement plans.
Jake started his career with Boldt in 2015 as group controller.
In this role, he was responsible for real estate activity,
consolidations, tax and audit. In 2017, Jake was promoted to vice
president/ controller, where he added responsibilities for the
construction financial activity.
Jake is a certified public accountant in the state of
Wisconsin. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with
an emphasis in accounting and finance and graduated from the
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
Jake Garro's Bio
Before joining Boldt, Jake served as the director of a national
healthcare real estate development firm, where he oversaw all project
finance and development activities. Today he brings that wealth of
experience to our customers as a leader of Boldt’s real estate
development group.
At Boldt Jake concentrates on project development, business
development, strategic planning for our healthcare real estate
business and real estate portfolio assessment and analysis. Using
those tools, he consistently applies his skill and creativity to help
our customers solve complex problems and create new opportunities
through the development and financing of healthcare properties.
Jake holds a Master of Business Administration from Marquette
University, Bachelor of Business Administration, Economics and
Accounting from the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh and a Master of
Science in Applied Economics from Marquette University. He also
continually seeks new avenues to hone his skills, including membership
in the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Council of
Development Finance Agencies, results-oriented organizations that
empower members with practical tools and solutions to optimize
financial management.
Jay Grosskopf's Bio
With over 40 years of experience in the construction industry Jay
leads Boldt Technical Services. As the vice president and general
manager, he is responsible for our staff of architects and engineers.
Together they provide inhouse design and construction technology
services to our operating groups, as well as design, programing and
design management services to our outside clients. Since joining Boldt
in 1988, Jay has delivered many successful projects with the highest
level of customer satisfaction.
Under Jay’s leadership, the Fox River Cleanup project—one of
the nation’s largest environmental river cleanup initiatives was
successfully completed. The oversight team, led by Boldt Technical
Services, provided both technical and project management support to
government agencies in the planning and implementation stages of
removal efforts. After 17 years, the project has now moved into a
monitoring phase.
Jay’s breadth of experience in the industry includes roles as a
field engineer, project manager, construction manager, and executive
in the Environmental, Power, Industrial, and Pulp and Paper industries.
Jay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology
and a Master of Science Degree in Construction Management from the
University of Wisconsin—Stout. Jay belongs to the Technical
Association of Pulp and Paper Institute (TAPPI), Western Dredging
Association (WEDA) and the American Welding Society (AWS) and has
presented at the Battelle Sediment Conference Presentation and
Posterboard session and WEDA Midwest Conference Organizer.
Jeff Shipley's Bio
Jeff currently oversees our southern operating group, providing
leadership in both the Oklahoma and Michigan offices.
Since joining Boldt in 2006, Jeff has provided management in
cost control, market sector growth, administrations and operations.
More recently, he played an integral role in the success of industrial
and automotive projects. He takes a hands-on approach to leadership
and maintains responsibility for projects during all phases.
As executive vice president and general manager, Jeff’s passion
for safety, disciplined project controls and Lean waste reduction
measures help pave the way for many successful projects. He takes
pride in making sure Boldt projects are delivered on time, under
budget and without injuries.
Jeff brings a love of education to
his role by taking time to mentor young professionals and help them
grow in their careers. He keeps a close connection to his alma mater,
The University of Oklahoma, serving as an adjunct professor at
University of Oklahoma College of Architecture.
Jeff Niesen's Bio
When Jeff joined Boldt’s corporate leadership team, he brought with
him 30 years of experience in a wide variety of industries. His
experience in healthcare, research and development, infrastructure,
power and higher education was invaluable in leading some of Boldt’s
most complex projects.
Jeff has been a pioneer in implementing Lean techniques and
teaching them to project teams and students at UW–Madison. He also
brought this expertise to presentations on various lean topics,
including the Last Planner System and Integrated Lean Project
Delivery®. Attendees of Jeff’s presentations have included
organizations such as AIA, COAA, LCI and various design firms and
facility owners.
Current duties include overall business leadership, including
pre-construction, construction management, value engineering,
planning, contract administration and safety programs. He works with
the project principal, the integrated team(s) and all areas of his
staff to ensure that we are delivering projects to the highest level
of satisfaction as determined by each owner.
Jeff holds a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from
UW–Madison and an MBA from Memphis State University and Fogelman
College of Business and Economics.
Jim Kleinfeldt's Bio
In his current role, Jim oversees all of Boldt's real estate
development activities. He is a licensed attorney and our in-house
development expert, specializing in healthcare and higher education.
His responsibilities include at-risk development, financial
feasibility, ownership structuring and alternatives, and real estate
portfolio assessment and analysis. He has served as
principal-in-charge for Boldt’s $83 million Park Street project for
the University of Wisconsin– Madison, the $26 million Sherman Hospital
Medical Office Building in Elgin, Illinois, the $25 million Aurora
Health Care Cancer Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin and for two health and
wellness centers in Ohio.
Additionally, Jim leads Boldt's ESOP/ MSOP Ownership Transition
and is a member of the Board of Directors.
Jim holds a BBA in Finance, M.S. in Real Estate and Urban Land
Economics, and J. D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
John Heck's Bio
John currently leads our industrial and power market sectors,
focusing on growing our national presence.
Since joining Boldt in 1985, John has made a career of
providing smart solutions to our customers. Most recently, John served
as executive vice president and general manager for our northern
operations. He brings a depth and diversity of experience in
construction and stays in constant communication with business sector
leaders and project managers to ensure that each Boldt project is successful.
John’s goal is to make sure every customer is fully satisfied,
which is why he builds a continuous improvement mentality into his
staff’s routine, training them to seek new ways to save time and money
while enhancing the value of each project.
John is an invaluable
member of our team, whose effective communication skills and strong
passion to win continually drive us to do the highest-quality work for
our customers.
John holds a B.S. in Construction
Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and an MBA from the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Stacy Robben's Bio
As executive vice president and chief marketing officer for The Boldt
Company, Stacy leads the enterprise business development and marketing
initiatives. Focusing on client development and brand strategy and
positioning, she joins Boldt’s executive leadership team, overseeing
company strategies, communication and creative marketing efforts;
driving innovation and adapting to an ever-changing landscape.
Over the past 28 years Stacy has held business development and
marketing positions at leading professional service firms in the built
environment. She has a pulse on the current construction market and
understands how to strategically use that insight to build strong
relationships and drive growth in Boldt’s key market segments.
As an advocate for professional development and advancement to
industry professionals, Stacy regularly shares her industry knowledge
and experience through panel discussions, guest lectures, advisory
boards and internal and external mentorship programs. She has appeared
before organizations including the Society of Marketing Professional
Services (SMPS), courses at University of Illinois and Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville Construction Leadership Institute.
Stacy has been published in SMPS Marketer Magazine, featured
in St. Louis Monthly, and has contributed to the Marketing Handbook
for the Design & Construction Professional. Prior to her promotion
to CMO, she served as vice president of healthcare business
development. Her past professional involvement includes work at the
committee and board level for chapters of AGC and ASHE. Stacy
currently serves on the SIUE Construction Leadership Institute
advisory board, the Health Facilities Symposium & Expo advisory
board, and the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health webinar committee.
Stacy holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree with emphasis
in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville
and a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration from
Lindenwood University. Stacy is a Certified Professional Services
Marketer (CPSM) and a Fellow of the Society of Marketing Professional
Services (FSMPS) which represents the highest level of experience and
leadership in marketing within the design and building industries.
Stacy is a LEED accredited professional with an emphasis in Building,
Design + Construction.
Steve Schultz's Bio
Steve brings over 30 years of construction management experience to
The Boldt Company where he has spent his entire career. His
collaborative team approach and his deep roots in the industry keep
him close to his projects. He excels at people development,
collaboration and fostering strong customer relationships—preparing
others to perform at the very highest levels.
An experienced leader, Steve has led Boldt’s operations in the
Wisconsin River Valley and utilized this experience to help expand the
company’s growing healthcare market in Southern Minnesota. Successful,
complex, multi-faceted projects for the Mayo Clinic Health System and
proton equipment installations for Hitachi America highlight his
diverse healthcare portfolio. He spends his time guiding the team and
customer base out of Rochester and Duluth Minnesota.
Steve is passionate about helping people and providing the
right resources for project success. His diverse leadership portfolio
includes strong relationship building skills, project management, Lean
Construction, and innovative opportunities not only in healthcare but
also the industrial, power, pulp and paper and most recently mining
market segments.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management
and Business Administration from University of Wisconsin—Stout. He is
an ASHE Certified Healthcare Constructor and is trained in Facilitator
Skills/Effective Negotiating, Lean Construction Production
Manager/Facilitator and Last Planner, First Aid/CPR Training, OSHA 10-
and 30-Hour Certification.
Tom Boldt's Bio
Representing Boldt’s fourth generation of family leadership, Tom Boldt stands as the bridge between a groundbreaking past and a rich, exciting future.
A long time visionary and committed leader, Tom embraced evocative philosophies such as sustainable building and continuous improvement discipline as they entered the public consciousness and building industry conversations.
His passion for learning and discovery served him well at Minnesota’s St. Olaf College, where he earned his BA, as well as L’Universite de Paris 3 and L’Institut Catholique de Paris, both in Paris, France.
Tom remains deeply dedicated to providing Boldt customers with unparalleled safety, creativity and exceptional value as they build to achieve their business goals. And that dedication is evident throughout Boldt’s construction landscape.
Will Lichtig's Bio
Will is a nationally-recognized leader in the Lean and integrated
project delivery methods. As part of the Boldt team, he has been at
the forefront in the development of our Integrated Lean Project
Delivery® (ILPD) process. His drive for innovation and reliable
commitment to continuous improvement, lean processes and
problem-solving make Will a vital member of the Boldt team.
In his role as Executive Vice President, Will works with Boldt
teams to develop and implement Lean processes for target value design,
Lean production planning and control, built-in quality, Lean
problem-solving and other key processes that provide innovative
approaches to project delivery. Will actively shares his experience
and deep understanding of Lean project delivery processes to coach
Boldt project leaders in the skills required to implement these
innovative methods.
Will holds a B.A. from the University of California-Santa Cruz
and a J.D. from the University of California-Davis. He frequently
lectures on the fundamentals of ILPD and has authored many articles on
the topic. Will is a strong leader who consistently enables our teams
to design and implement Lean processes that maximize value and remove
waste from customer projects.
Business Development, Marketing & Sales
Other
Randy Haak's Bio
Randy has served as general counsel for Boldt since 2009. Prior to
that he was the senior partner in an Appleton law firm. In that
practice, he represented Boldt and other design and construction firms
for over 25 years. Randy has extensive experience in negotiating
contracts and in litigating construction disputes in state and federal
courts and before arbitration panels. He has also served as a mediator
in resolving construction disputes and as an arbitrator. He is a
member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and is admitted to practice in
all state and federal courts in Wisconsin and the U. S. Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
In his role as general counsel, Randy strives to strike
fairness and balance in contracts with both owners and subcontractors
so that all project participants are given the opportunity to succeed.
A key part of the role involves reviewing the contract documents with
Boldt project teams on all major projects to help those teams
understand Boldt’s contractual obligations.
Risk management involves more than just shifting risk from one
party to another. Randy strives to minimize risk for the entire
project team – owner, contractor, design professional and
subcontractors through contracts that allocate the risk to the party
that is best able to manage it and by insurance products that reduce
the risk for all project participants. If one party bears a
disproportionate share of the risk, it sets up the entire project for
failure, which actually increases the risk for the entire project
team. The key to successful risk management is to strike the right
balance of risk allocation among all parties involved in a project.
Randy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
summa cum laude with a degree in Business Administration in 1977 and
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School with honors in
1979. Randy has been a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin
School of Engineering on the contracting process for Integrated Lean
Project Delivery®.