Jim Leopardo - Owner and CEO

In 1979, James Leopardo opened a two-man construction firm in Chicago.  Under Jim’s leadership, Leopardo Companies, Inc. has grown into one of the nation’s largest 300 contractors with 300 employees and anticipated 2012 revenues near $300 million.

As CEO, Jim is responsible for the overall business strategy and standards that affect three offices, hundreds of employees and job sites, multiple service offerings, and several specialty markets – including interiors, healthcare, retail, municipal, recreation, office, industrial, higher education, K-12 education, hospitality, hotel, residential, and aviation.

A pioneer in the construction industry, Jim provides a focused business approach and a deep commitment to quality, innovation, and leadership. His drive, pledge to client service, and standards for excellence are the staples the company was founded on three decades ago. (more…)

Rick Mattioda - President

As president, Rick directs the company’s vice presidents and oversees all Leopardo operations, which spans three offices, hundreds of employees and job sites, multiple service offerings and vertical markets. Rick’s belief in a transparent, open-book business approach has helped Leopardo distinguish itself from the competition.  In 2006, as a testament to Leopardo’s way of doing business, the Better Business Bureau recognized the firm with its coveted Torch Award for business ethics. 

With an innovative and service-minded approach, Rick shaped Leopardo’s employee base to include some of the best and brightest within the industry.  In 2008, Building Design+Construction magazine referenced Leopardo as a progressive thinker and instructed its national readership to “take a page from Leopardo.”

With over 30 years of industry experience (28 with Leopardo), Rick is an enthusiastic proponent for continuous improvement and achievement.  (more…)

Rick DuPraw - SVP, Commercial Business Unit

Rick’s career with Leopardo began in 1983 when he was hired as a laborer and the company’s fourth employee.  Today, Rick is senior vice president, overseeing the company’s commercial business unit, which is responsible for tenant interior build-outs, renovations and restorations of commercial space.  Rick also heads the Chicago office.

With Rick at the helm, Leopardo’s Interiors business grew from $10 to $150 million in revenue and is regularly recognized by peers, clients and the media for its world-class interior construction.  In 2012, Leopardo won Interior Contractor of the Year at the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards, a highly-coveted honor that the firm has won five of the last 12 years.  Midwest Construction magazine ranked Leopardo as the region’s No. 1 interior contractor in its 2008 Top Contractors issue. (more…)

Mike Leopardo - SVP, Institutional Business Unit

Mike Leopardo is responsible for the overall strategy and operations of Leopardo’s specialized Institutional Business Unit, which includes healthcare, senior housing, higher education and student housing.  Mike’s construction career spans 25 years. As SVP, Mike oversees all group operations and manages more than 100 employees, including office professionals, superintendents and field personnel.

Mike and the Leopardo Institutional team have successfully completed more than $500 million worth of institutional projects ranging from medical office buildings, surgery centers, laboratories, higher education and student housing and senior housing to all types of hospital renovation and expansion projects. Based on its proven performance and quality service, the Institutional group has built an impressive list of loyal Institutional clients and is the trusted builder for 36 hospitals around Chicagoland.  Annually, Leopardo successfully completes 75 to 100 institutional projects. (more…)

Mike Behm - SVP, Federal Business Unit

With 33 years of architecture and construction experience, Mike Behm is responsible for the overall operations of Leopardo’s Federal Business Unit. As senior vice president, Mike manages both office and field personnel, as well as oversees all market operations such as establishing and monitoring budgets, recruitment and mentoring of new and existing employees, assembling project teams, new business and business strategy. Mike works closely with clients and project teams to establish the most cost-effective and time-efficient path to completion.

Mike believes that design and construction are inseparable. The most successful projects are those where design and construction professionals work in close partnership, and the effort is rooted in trust and teamwork among the owner, architect and contractor. The overall success of a project relies heavily on the team’s understanding of the project constraints as well as its opportunities. (more…)

Pierre Cowart - SVP, Corporate + Community Business Unit

As a 17-year veteran of Leopardo with a strong background in both architecture and design, Pierre handles a diverse range of construction and development projects. He also manages a range of build-to-suit and redevelopment projects that stress design-build work and fast-track scheduling in the residential, office, industrial, healthcare and custom interiors markets. Pierre has specifically orchestrated the successful completion of numerous corporate build-to-suit projects with an emphasis on responding to each unique user’s project specific goals, needs, and requirements.

Pierre graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a Master of Science in civil engineering (construction management), a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in architectural studies. He also studied architecture and urbanism at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Versailles, France. (more…)