Speakers include: GC – Beck (Kevin Newton); Architect – HKS (Kirk Teske); Banker – BMO Harris (Ryan Merz); Insurance – AON (Brian Hunt)

Topic: Construction panel on the state of the construction industry.  

Learning Objectives:

-Understand the current state of the industry

-Understand what outlook of construction is going forward

-Trends in the industry

Kirk Teske, Principal and Executive Vice President, HKS

Kirk is an Executive Vice President and Global Director at HKS Architects with oversight over several of its design practices including Hospitality, Commercial Mixed Use, Senior Living, Mission Critical and Commercial Interiors. Previously held positions at HKS included Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Operations Officer and Principal-in-charge of large-scale design projects. His focus is on growing HKS’s influence in the industry as well as its global reputation as a socially and environmentally responsible design firm.

Highlights of Kirk’s service to the profession include 2013 AIA Dallas President and founding chair of the North Texas U.S. Green Building Council. Currently he is serving on the Executive Committee of the World Affairs Council of DFW. Kirk is a LEED Fellow and member of the AIA College of Fellows. In 2016 he was awarded Outstanding Alumni from Texas A&M College of Architecture.

Brian Hunt, Chief Administration Officer / Account Executive, AON

Brian Hunt has spent more than 20 years helping his clients identify and understand how risk could impact their businesses. He joined Aon in 2016 as an Account Executive in the Dallas office of Aon’s Construction Services Group. As an Account Executive, he is the main point of contact to help Aon prospects and clients think strategically about their construction-related exposure to risk.

Prior to joining Aon, Brian was a Senior Manager within Austin Industries’ Internal Audit department. Among his various duties, Brian worked to evaluate enterprise risk across the organization’s activities. Prior to joining Austin Industries, Brian spent 13 years at FM Global. As a member of FM’s Business Risk Consulting, Brian was responsible for identifying and quantifying the business risk exposures on existing accounts and introducing insureds and prospects to the business risk services that FM Global offered. Brian also worked as an economic crimes investigator for Electronic Data Systems and a forensic accountant with the accounting firm of Buchanan Clarke Schlader (BCS).

Brian is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University with a major in Accounting and a minor in Political Science. Brian also holds a Certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the Bush School at Texas A&M University and a Masters in Finance from the University of Michigan – Dearborn.

In 2020 & 2021, Brian was named a Power Broker in the area of construction by Risk & Insurance magazine.

Ryan Merz, Director, BMO Harris Bank

Ryan has been with BMO Harris Bank’s Commercial Bank for two years, leading the Business Development efforts in Texas. Ryan quarterbacks new relationships for BMO Harris Bank clients with a focus in the Commercial Middle Market. He leads deal teams maximizing sector penetration and serves as the primary contact with C-Suite personnel. 

Additionally, Ryan will engage BMO resources including 20+ industry specialties to help clients achieve their goals including Engineering and Construction, Food, Packaging, Staffing, Professional services firms, Building products, Manufacturing and Distribution.

Kevin Newton, Project Executive, The Beck Group

Kevin Newton is a project executive at The Beck Group with close to two decades of experience. After earning his Bachelors in Accounting at Baylor University, he went into the construction industry with the goal of helping clients meet their budgeted goals. Now he manages all preconstruction and construction services on projects, coordinates between teams, and implements methods of cost and time savings. Kevin is consistently recognized for delivering projects ahead of schedule and on budget.

Moderator: Greg Brown, Crowe

Greg Brown is a partner in the construction and real estate services advisory services group at Crowe. He specializes in audit and consulting services for general contractors, heavy highway contractors, specialty subcontractors, real estate developers, and architectural and engineering firms. Greg has more than 14 years of experience providing services to contractors, suppliers, architects, and engineers in the areas of:

• Audits and reviews
• Due diligence
• Succession planning
• Employee benefit plan audits
• FAR Audits
• Business Consulting
• Turn-around consulting