2024 Ones to Watch Industry Leaders: Rishabh Mangal, Holt Construction

“Starting as an assistant project manager, constructing in EWR Airport for concessions, he became project manager to senior project manager and touched markets from corporate fit-outs in the high-rises of NYC, to extravagant lounges in JFK Airport. He now oversees programs for data centers and mission critical throughout the country.” - Kristen Ternullo, Director of Marketing at Holt Construction 

In the last 12 months what accomplishment are you most proud of? We are living in a technology driven world and the backbone to support this is our humongous data centers. In the past 12 months my focus has been strictly on developing and spearheading Holt’s data center projects with our Mission Critical team. The challenges associated with this type of construction gives me an opportunity to learn and innovate efficient and fast track construction techniques. I am proud to say that I have delivered approximately 50,000 s/f of data center spaces for new and existing clients within our portfolio within the last twelve months. All projects were before scheduled completion dates and below budget. 

In the last 12 months what was one of the biggest challenges you faced as a leader and how did you overcome it? In our post COVID world, the biggest challenge in our industry continues to be supply chain driven. Longer lead times on equipment means additional labor hours, longer project schedules and a strain on the project’s financials. The solution to these issues is project specific, but time and again I have successfully implemented a two-stage solution to ensure my projects are successful and my clients happy. First, I try to seek alternate equipment with the same specs and a shorter lead time. If this is not possible, I seek refurbished equipment with certified warranties from the manufacturers. This has allowed us to battle the high prices of new equipment and keep our schedules intact and our clients happy.