2018 Ones to Watch: Steven Giordano, Senior Director at Shawmut Design and Construction

Name: Steven Giordano

Title: Senior Director

Company: Shawmut Design and Construction

Address: 3 East 54th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022

Year that you entered your current field? 1998

Who or what do you attribute to your success?

I would say it is a combination of things. My parents and upbringing made me hungry. I did not grow up with much and I always wanted to make my parents proud. I was always ambitious and worked very hard. After college my first job was in construction management. I wanted to get my hands dirty and start my career as a construction super. I was fortunate enough to have a manager that had become one of my closest friends. He appreciated how hard I worked and he invested in me. His approach was to challenge me and teach me everything he knew. His advanced lessons had accelerated my learning curve. He led by example showing me how creativity, tenacity, integrity and good old fashioned relationship building was essential to be successful in business and in life. He always told me I had unlimited potential, which gave me the confidence to believe and go for it. I haven’t looked back. Those early lessons propelled me through many challenging yet enjoyable years throughout my career.

How did you get your start in your current field? 

I went to school at Pratt Institute for a degree in Architecture. I worked part time in an Architecture firm while attending school full time. As I learned more about our field, I discovered Construction Management and added it as a minor to my degree at Pratt. One of my teachers was a Vice President of a large CM firm. He saw something in me and offered me a job after graduation.

What are your professional goals for 2018?

In 2017, my partner Sharon Cadman and I had been charged with leading and growing the Tri-State Group at Shawmut in NYC. My goal for 2018 is to work closely together with Sharon and continue to bring awareness in our industry of all the great work we do in the Academic, Healthcare, Commercial and Cultural construction markets here in NYC. We have a great team of construction professionals here and I am very pleased how 2018 is trending. At Shawmut, our mission and goal is very clear. It is to provide unparalleled customer service to our clients, such that they could not imagine doing another project without us. I am excited for the months and years to come working with Sharon and our team in continuing and expanding our client experience to our repeat and future clients.

How do you manage the work/life balance?

It is challenging for sure. In our industry we are out of the house early in the morning and rarely home early. It is important to spend quality time with the family and enjoy the little things. I have a beautiful wife and two children. When I am home, I try to give them undivided attention and spend quality time with them. Through the years I have learned to never bring any of the frustrations at work home with me. I shut it off before I walk through the door. Then my mind is clear and I can be an active participant in my family’s lives. Whether reviewing homework, playing sports in the yard, family dinners, movies and game nights I enjoy these moments to motivate me to work hard and make my family proud and to provide for them.