The Boldt Co.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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®.

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 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.

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 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.