LEADERSHIP TEAM

MORE THAN 200 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Our leadership team has more than 200 years of experience managing projects within built environments.

Each individual brings their own unique viewpoints to business operations, from project execution and financial reporting to data analysis and talent engagement and retention.

Their passion for what they do, coupled with their industry knowledge and relentless pursuit of excellence, allows us to provide incredible experiences for our clients.

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Steve East
Chairman

Steve East is the Chairman for CSM Group, a company that provides services that meet customer needs at every stage of the building process. He is an entrepreneur who is comfortable in the fog of the unknown, is curious about all aspects of the world around him and is convinced that everything is connected.

Steve enjoys listening to others as a way of gathering information and understanding about them. Reading is one of his favorite pastimes, as he thinks it distillates thoughts elegantly. He also enjoys playing games that involve strategic moves and loves contemplating the 'unsolvable' and constructing new techniques.

Katie Johnson
Vice Chairman and Corporate Counsel

Katie Johnson works alongside Chairman Steve East and the CSM Group Advisory Board to guide the organization’s strategies and policies. She will also stand in place of the Chairman when he is absent or unable to carry out his duties. As Corporate Counsel, Katie provides legal counsel and guidance to CSM Group and its teams.

Katie is an experienced legal professional who has worked for Plante Moran and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law with a J.D. degree and also holds bachelor's degrees in nursing and political science from Valparaiso University and Western Michigan University, respectively.

Stuart Mason
Chief Executive Officer

Stuart Mason, a visionary and experienced leader, is the current Chief Executive Officer of CSM Group. Formerly a senior leader with Arcadis and AECOM, Mason is known for his ability to elevate safety and service while delivering breakout strategic, commercial, and operational results. For over 30 years, Mason led projects internationally with blue-chip firms including General Electric, Diageo, Ford, BMW, GM, Airbus, Unilever, Siemens, LEGO, Lindt, and Nestlé.

Mason has been a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chartered Surveyors since 2012 and of The Institution of Civil Engineers since 2016. He earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering Degree from the University of Glasgow with first-class honors in 1993 and Chartered Engineering status in 1999. 

Todd McDonald
Principal

Todd McDonald, who joined CSM Group as a project engineer in 1988, is one of the original equity partners in CSM Group. During his 30-year career, Todd has worked with many clients across all market segments, including Catalyst Development Co., Olivet College, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Bronson Healthcare Group, Stryker Instruments, Midlink Business Park, and more.

He is passionate about the communities in which he works and serves as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, Battle Creek College Access Network, Friendship Village, and the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency Trade Advisory Council. 

Tifany Brody
Chief of Staff

As Chief of Staff, Tifany leads the organization by supporting communications between the executive team and key stakeholders. She is critical in maximizing time, improving decision making, driving positive culture, and making the flow of information more effective.

Tifany has been with CSM Group for five years and has over 15 years’ experience in sales and customer-facing roles. She has been critical to the growth and development of the organization’s operations teams. Tifany continues to drive the company forward by translating defined business strategies into executable workstreams that yield intended results, overseeing strategic initiatives from development through successful execution.

Tifany is passionate about excellent customer service, going above and beyond to ensure her teammates receive the support they need to succeed.

Kim Carr
Chief People Officer

Kim Carr leads our Human Resources team in optimizing people-centered activities, and supports leadership in creating an engaging, high-performing culture.

Kim has over 20 years of experience working with and/or leading HR teams, and many areas of expertise within the field, including strategy, talent and succession planning and management, program improvement, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, compensation and benefits, and recruiting and staffing initiatives. She brings 15 years of experience in labor and employment law, having served as an attorney and counsel for several previous companies.

Kim has a genuine passion for growing and developing people and embodies CSM Group’s People First and Better Together core values.

Amanda Kakoczki
Vice President of Finance

Amanda oversees the Finance team at CSM Group as our Vice President of Finance. In her role, Amanda is responsible for the development of CSM Group’s financial management strategy and contributes to the development of the organization’s strategic goals. She works with various operations departments on overhead and margin measurement, and collaborates with the accounting analyst on budget development, profitability, and forecast models.

Amanda has been with CSM Group for over 17 years, starting as a project coordinator, and later moving into various accounting and finance roles. She has been instrumental in the continued development of the accounting team and is a leader that her peers look up to.

Leanne Read
Vice President of Operations

Leanne has approximately 20 years of international project management experience, focusing on project controls. Her technical knowledge allows her to support strategic commercial activities for our clients, including maintaining accurate forecasts of costs, providing insight into contractual issues, and developing analytics and reports.

Throughout her career, she has led project controls teams, which included cost managers, schedulers, and compliance experts, to develop robust processes and procedures that allowed her client’s capital project delivery to align with project execution.

Leanne’s other specialties include standardizing documentation, developing regional and global standards for project and cost management, and building reports and dashboards to assist clients with decision-making capital investments.

Will Buttars, STSC
Senior Vice President of Divisional Operations, PPS

Will builds and leads teams who deliver Program & Project Management Services within the Life Sciences and Industrial Construction markets. Will currently leads the quality delivery of professional services and capital project execution under a Fortune-100 company's master service agreement. This includes a specialized and diverse project portfolio valued at over $300MM per annum. Will’s team of 45+ professionals execute projects utilizing an array of delivery models with services that include program management, project management, project controls, procurement & supply chain management, scheduling, pre-construction, estimating, business intelligence, subject matter expertise, safety, and a variety of other value-added professional services.

With 19 years in the industry, Will brings experience and leadership to successfully execute large and complex capital programs and projects. His portfolio includes projects valued in the nine-figure range within the industrial, energy, pharmaceutical, chemical, nuclear, food & beverage, mining, manufacturing, and commercial industries. Will’s background and qualifications stem from many years managing self-perform MEP trades and the numerous credentials he’s earned, including a Michigan Boiler Installer’s license.

Will constantly pursues value-added solutions, operational excellence, and continuous improvement for his clients and teammates. He has successfully led many programs, projects, and teams that allow his clients to produce goods that are recognized and relied upon globally.

Adam Brink
General Counsel

Adam brings nearly two decades of experience to CSM Group, as well as technical expertise in corporate cybersecurity and state and international data privacy laws. He is also knowledgeable about the administration of public and private commercial contracts, including state, federal, and international construction, engineering, consulting, and government contracts.

In his role, Brink provides legal counsel, strategy, and guidance on all activities for the company, including making recommendations to improve risk management. He works alongside CSM Group’s field execution and operations teams to review contracts and execute compliance strategies to ensure corporate objectives are met.

He is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia and is a contributing speaker for the American Bar Association (Forum on Construction Law) and the Construction Management Association of America.

Brian Beaver, HCC, STSC
Vice President

Brian is not afraid to tackle complex projects. As a Vice President at CSM Group, he manages large-scale commercial projects ranging in value from $1 million to $100 million. His ability to control the execution of these projects with ease has allowed him to establish quality relationships with clients like Catalyst Development Co., the State of Michigan, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo County, and St. John Providence Health System.

He is a subject matter expert on blueprint reading and has been instrumental in teaching up-and-coming project managers the skill behind this. He taught the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Western Michigan Chapter "Introduction to Blueprint Reading" class in the late 1990s and early 2000s and was asked to teach the course again.

Brian has been an integral part of the company's growth and development and has positioned himself as a teammate whom others know they can trust. In 2019, he was named the recipient of the Walt East: Excellence in Customer Service Award recipient, one of the most prestigious awards given out by CSM Group.

Kyle Lambright
Vice President

Kyle Lambright serves as Vice President and supports all market segments with business development and project execution, primarily focused on healthcare. In his role, Kyle works closely with the owner, architect, and on-site project team to maintain continuity throughout all phases of the project. 

With over 20 years of experience in utility systems installations, operation, and maintenance, Kyle is an expert in directing operations and skilled trades while managing safety, risk, productivity, and accountability. He has extensive knowledge in all phases of construction, which allows him to monitor project quality, scheduling, and budget to achieve the higher level of customer satisfaction.

Kyle graduated from the Western Michigan University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences with a degree in mechanical engineering, and obtained his Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University.

Rob Rohlman
Vice President

Rob oversees the successful completion of projects in CSM Group's Commercial Property and Education segments. By leveraging his years of experience in the construction industry, Rob has been an integral part of the growth of our K-12 market over the past five years. It has helped CSM Group establish quality relationships with school districts across the state, including Jackson Public School, Calhoun Intermediate School District, and Eaton Regional Education Service Agency. 

In his role, he ensures that his execution teams are safely building projects at the lowest cost and are providing solutions that exceed our clients' expectations while adding value to the company's bottom line.

Todd George, STSC, LEED Green Associate
Vice President

Todd has been a critical team member in the continued growth of CSM Group's Food & Beverage and Industrial markets. For 10 years, he has leveraged existing relationships to build upon our work portfolio with the country's largest food producers. He also led the successful completion of capital program management work for two global producers.

Todd has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry and holds many industry and client-specific certifications. He is also a LEED Green Associate, which allows him to bring knowledge of sustainable building practices to his projects.

John Austin, PhD
Environmental Health & Safety Advisor

John is an internationally recognized expert in providing solutions to organizational challenges. He has consulted with organizations for 25 years to improve productivity and safety in various industries.

He has experience in occupational safety, motivation, leadership development, coaching, and culture change. In improving human performance, he has published nearly 100 articles and chapters, delivered hundreds of presentations at regional, national, and international conferences and business meetings, and has published three books: Organizational Change, Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis, and Mindfulness at Work.

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