Former Skender Construction CEO Mark Skender died at 61 from complications of cancer, the company said in a press release Friday.
Skender served as the company's top executive from 2014 to 2020 and its executive vice president from 1989 to 2014.
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“Mark was more than a leader — he was a visionary who helped shape the future of our company and our industry over three decades,” the company said in a LinkedIn post Friday afternoon. “He played a pivotal role in transforming Skender into one of the city’s most forward-thinking and community-focused construction firms.”
Skender was co-founder of the Lean Construction Institute’s Chicago Community of Practice and an adjunct professor at Northwestern University.
In his time at the Chicago-based construction company, Skender advocated for lean construction practices, embraced new technologies and fostered a culture of transparency and teamwork, the company said.
The former CEO was born in 1963. He graduated from Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park and earned a Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
During his tenure, Skender worked to unite manufacturing, design and construction functions, ultimately launching an advanced manufacturing facility for modular construction on the city's Southwest Side in 2019. Financing issues brought on by the pandemic caused the facility to close a year later.
His company said he will be remembered for his “steady leadership, generous spirit and unwavering belief in the powers of innovation and collaboration.”
Among other honors, Skender was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Construction Club in 2019 for his “integral role in the development of Skender’s long-term vision, strategic direction, organizational design and values.”
Skender is survived by his wife, Roxanne, and children, Elena and Daniel. A celebration of life will be held in the coming days at Old St. Patrick’s Church at 700 W. Adams St.
“His influence lives on in the buildings he helped bring to life and in the people and teams he inspired every day,” the company said.
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