Features Building Materials & Supplies

Ryan Dunigan’s path to becoming senior division counsel for Corning Optical Communications didn’t begin in a courtroom—it started in part in Chicago’s political landscape. Growing up in a city where politics shaped neighborhoods and drove local change, he envisioned a career in public service. “I always had an interest in politics, and I knew I […]

Some successful leaders climb the corporate ladder by meeting expectations; Danette Alfonso succeeds by redefining them. As deputy general counsel for Lennar Corporation, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, Alfonso brings a rare blend of legal acumen and human insight to her role.  Her leadership is rooted not in convention but resilience, shaped by personal […]

For Luis Machado, safety is his number one concern. And while he isn’t wearing a hard hat or tool belt or driving a work truck, he understands that for TopBuild to continue as one of the construction industry’s leading installers and specialty distributors of insulation and related building products, a safe work environment is crucial.   […]

Father really seemed to know best. So Soham Naik says about his dad who immigrated to the United States from India in the 1960s and eventually settled in Houston with his wife, where they raised their two sons. Though the elder Naik came from humble beginnings, he wasn’t short on native intelligence. He encouraged both […]

Just like a building needs a solid foundation to weather the years, every company of a certain size needs a legal department to underlie its operations. This is especially true if the company is large and growing, says Sarah Brooks, associate general counsel at CRH Americas. “At CRH, we never stood still, even when much […]

In 2021, Holcim Ecuador did not just celebrate 100 years in business; it also welcomed its first female CEO, Dolores Prado, as well as the first woman to head its shareholders meeting, Caterina Costa. Today, 67 percent of the Ecuadorian branch of the international cement and concrete manufacturer’s leadership team is women—compared with the U.S. […]

It’s a high-stakes year for the American steel industry with continued trade relief at risk. So says Benjamin Blase Caryl, as he rolls out a defensive and offensive game plan as lead trade counsel for United States Steel Corporation. Caryl believes the American steel industry must defend antidumping and countervailing duties—AD/CVD, in international trade parlance—that […]

For Jordan Carpenter, uniformity and order are ways of life—beginning with his daily 5:30 a.m. workout with F3, the peer-led fitness organization on whose leadership team he now sits. Depending on the day, he might do situps or pushups, pullups or burpees. Whatever the routine, his experience as an Army psychological operations specialist in Afghanistan […]

From unexpected sightseeing in Alexandria, Egypt, to spending several years in Argentina when he thought he was going to be there for just a couple of weeks, Luiz Klecz has been around the world with some interesting career turns. The general counsel for InterCement, he’s helped the Brazilian company grow globally for more than 18 […]

The cement industry isn’t always perceived as environmentally benign, but Melissa Díaz Artavia is quick to emphasize the sustainable aspects of her employer’s business model. As she tells Vanguard, the Costa Rican division of Swiss-based building materials and aggregates company, LafargeHolcim, seeks to develop sustainable projects to optimize its production while engaging in a coprocessing […]