Willmeng Construction hires James Crean

Willmeng Construction, Inc., a Phoenix-based commercial general contractor announced that James Crean has joined the team as their Senior Client Relations Manager. In this new role, Crean will continue to retain and foster healthy client relationships across Willmeng’s various market sectors. 

“James was an excellent addition to our team,” said James Murphy, CEO of Willmeng Construction. “His energy, tenure in the industry, and all-in commitment to serve and support end users, in public and private markets, directly aligns with culture and long-term strategy. To say that he was a great addition to the team is an understatement.”

Most recently, Crean served as the vice president of business development for a local general contractor, where he provided overall leadership and direction on client services efforts for more than a decade. During Crean’s diverse 30-year career, he has served as a community planner, public housing finance specialist, national marketing manager, commercial lender, and economic development director. 

Crean brings a unique perspective to Willmeng, formed from his diverse professional background. “Willmeng’s ability to consistently exceed expectations and provide great customer service in every interaction with our clients allows us to develop strong relationships based upon mutual trust,” said Crean. “It’s all about working to make our clients’ lives easier in a challenging environment and using our expertise to assist our team in their efforts to deliver outstanding projects.”

Sam Jones named associate with Colliers International in Arizona

Sam Jones has been named as an Associate at Colliers International in Arizona, specializing in landlord and tenant representation for the leasing and sale of industrial and office properties.  Jones is the first Arizona graduate of Colliers’ unique “Wheel Program,” which comprehensively trains future brokerage professionals.

“Sam entered our training program with strong motivation and a champion’s mentality,” says Bob Mulhern, senior managing director of Colliers International in Arizona.  “He approaches each assignment with attention to detail and remarkable diligence.”

Jones now serves as an Associate within the team including Keri Scott and Rob Martensen.  In his new role, Jones leverages his analytical skills and research expertise to keep clients informed about market trends.  His clients and colleagues describe Jones as proactive, reliable and an energetic team player who goes the extra mile to fulfill client requirements.  He looks beyond conventional elements to create and execute strategies that deliver exceptional outcomes.

Jones joined Colliers International in 2018 as the first participant in the Wheel Program.  The intense training paired him with different senior brokerage teams for a period of five months each.  During each term, he learned the details and approaches of each team’s commercial real estate business.  This enabled Jones the opportunity to work and learn across a variety of property types, including industrial, office, flex, land and more.  In addition, Jones spent several months working in the research department learning about data compilation and creation of research reports. 

Footprint appoints CFO and chief legal officer

Footprint, a sustainable technology firm named to Fast Company’s 2020 list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies that specializes in materials science, announced the appointment of Brad Lukow as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Steve Burdumy as Chief Legal Officer (CLO).

“I’m proud to welcome Brad and Steve to Footprint’s executive team,” said Footprint CEO Troy Swope. “Brad’s extensive experience as a CFO and taking Shopper’s Drug Mart public will be invaluable in the future. Steve’s strong international legal expertise is crucial to Footprint as we expand our product portfolio, intellectual property and operations globally over the coming years.”

Brad Lukow joins Footprint from Sprouts Farmers Market, where he held the position of interim co-CEO and CFO. Brad brings to Footprint, over 25 years of progressive finance and capital markets experience and more than a decade as a CFO, including serving as executive vice president and CFO of Shoppers Drug Mart (Shoppers), Canada’s leading drug store retailer. At Shoppers, he oversaw finance, strategy and business development, real estate, and Information Technology. Prior to his experience as CFO, he held roles of increasing responsibility within the financial functions at Shoppers and spent several years in public accounting at Arthur Young International and Ernst & Young. Brad is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration from Western University.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Footprint at a crucial period of high growth,” said Brad Lukow, CFO of Footprint. “Footprint’s mission to eliminate plastics is incredibly inspiring and has already built a solid foundation as a mission-critical manufacturer in our food supply chain. I am excited to be joining Footprint’s leadership team and leading its finance organization in support of the company’s significant growth and expansion.”

Steve Burdumy joins Footprint from Transformative Pharmaceutical Solutions (TPS), where he was executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing all business, financial and legal operations. In addition to general counsel responsibilities at Footprint, Steve will manage the intellectual property (IP) processes including all new patent and invention applications and legal defense of all IP. Prior to joining TPS, Steve was a partner in the corporate and securities Group of the national law firm of Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP. He has over 19 additional years of legal experience with a focus on capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Steve holds a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in International Economics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Scottsdale Realtor J.D. Ask joins Platinum Living Realty

Platinum Living Realty, an independent luxury real estate brokerage with five offices across Arizona, announced that J.D. Ask has joined the brokerage. With over 18 years of experience investing in real estate, Ask has held numerous leadership roles throughout the capital markets and mortgage servicing industry.

“J.D.’s vast experience in the real estate industry allows him to look at each potential home sale from different angles to ensure it is the best deal for his clients,” said Jay Macklin, co-owner of Platinum Living Realty. “He brings a valuable set of skills to Platinum Living Realty and we are glad to have him with our brokerage.”

Ask specializes in negotiating complex agreements, priding himself on using a client-focused approach to create win-win outcomes.

“My goal as a real estate agent is to make the process of buying or selling a home as seamless as possible for my clients,” said Ask. “I’m looking forward to putting my skills to work at Platinum Living Realty but also learning from Jay and other PLR leaders on how to best serve my clients.”

J.D. has lived in Scottsdale since 2012 and enjoys staying active in the community. In his spare time J.D. enjoys hiking Camelback Mountain or playing golf at one of the many golf courses in the area.

About AZ Business Leaders

AZ Business Leaders is an annual business-to-business publication that combines the who’s who of Arizona business community with their valuable leadership advice and knowledge. The magazine is published by AZ Big Media. To learn more about Az Business Leaders, contact Sheri Brown, director of sales.