Leadership

Robert Palumbo serves as President at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. In this role, he oversees the company’s overall operations, construction project management, and the delivery of construction consulting services. He is tasked with translating plans into action. His experience in all aspects of pre-construction planning gives him a superior vantage point from which to help develop innovative strategies to manage project budgets and processes.

Mr. Palumbo has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, working principally in New York City. He has helped develop many tools and processes for the successful management of complex construction projects. These projects include new construction and major renovations.

Mr. Palumbo received his Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College.

Mr. Baranello has over 30 years of experience managing major construction projects across New York City and Long Island. Much of this experience was gained working directly for some of the city’s most prominent real estate developers and owners, giving Mr. Baranello a results-oriented perspective that blends technical expertise with an understanding of a real estate owner’s operations.

In his capacity as Executive Vice President at Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. Baranello oversees the overall execution of the company’s high-rise construction projects, from design development, document review, cost estimating, value engineering, through the development of schedules, logistics, subcontractor bid solicitation, bid analysis, subcontract award, to the hands-on management of the construction phase, and closeout and turnover of the completed facility. Additionally, Mr. Baranello serves as a member of the Executive Team focused on increasing business development and client relations as well as the strategy, policy, and operations.

Highlights of Mr. Baranello’s career and accomplishment include the new construction of Eagle Warehouse, 43-22 Queens Street, 7 West 21st Street, 40 Tenth Avenue-Solar Carve, 200 Montague Street, 22 River Terrace, Two Gold Street, 660 Twelfth Avenue (a FedEx facility), Avalon West Chelsea, Avalon Fort Greene, and Avalon Glen Cove North, plus large clinical care construction projects for NYU Langone Medical Center.

Mr. Baranello earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. John’s University, an Associates of Science in Construction Technology from New York City Technical College, and is a licensed Site Safety Manager with The New York City Department of Buildings.

As Executive Vice President, New Jersey Operations at Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. Cosenza oversees all aspects of operations, preconstruction and project management. With over three decades of experience, Tony, brings a wide breadth of knowledge in building and managing a wide variety of projects in many market sectors from preconstruction and development to final project closeout.

Tony’s most notable accomplishments during his career include Queens Center Mall; The Standard Hotel; The Langham Hotel at 400 Fifth Avenue; Cassa Hotel and Residences at 70 West 45th Street; Uniqlo on 53rd and 5th; Residence Inn Manhattan/Central Park – Marriott 1717 Broadway in NY; 30 Hudson at Hudson Yards.

In the last five years Tony has focused his efforts on rebuilding New Jersey’s Gold Coast and its surrounding area leading the construction management teams on projects such as 99 Hudson Street, 75 Park Lane Condominium, 2 Shore Lane Condominium, and Harborside 1, 2 & 3 commercial renovation. During this time, he also completed Gateway 1, 2 & 4 in Newark New Jersey.

Mr. Cosenza has obtained a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Mr. Norris serves as the Vice President of Commercial Projects with extensive experience in all facets of construction management and general contracting. Proven record of accomplishment orchestrating multiple projects and managing members of Project Management and Superintendents assuring client satisfaction and repeat business. Strong managerial acumen with experience creating a foundation of a accountability and confidence in the project team. Commitment to detail, quality and integrity with understanding of fiscal responsibility and a dedication to clear communication with clients and staff. Mr. Norris is responsible for overall project execution, coordination and oversight on all aspects of construction from inception to project close-out. He establishes project objectives and policies, and ensures that corporate resources relating to estimating and purchasing, scheduling, staffing, accounting and cost control, contract administration, and project execution, enabling Cauldwell Wingate to meet and exceed expectations.

Lisa Villasmil joined Cauldwell Wingate in 2015 as Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services and has since been promoted to Vice President of People and Culture. Villasmil holds a Bachelors in Business Management from Iona College Hagan School of Business and an Advanced Certificate in Strategic HR Management from Cornell University ILR School. She holds the Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM‐CP) credential and is in the process of completing the Academy to Innovate HR, Strategic HR Leadership Certificate. Villasmil is also a member of CHIEF, a private networking enterprise designed specifically for women business leaders as well as a member of The International Society of Female Professionals, The Women Builders Council and The Professional Women in Construction NY Chapter. She is also the proud recipient of the WBC award for Outstanding Women.

Ms. Villasmil brings a wealth of business experience to Cauldwell, having managed human resources as well as compliance and auditing in a legal environment. In addition, she has run her own entrepreneurial venture for several years. She has extensive employee relations, human resources and compliance policy experience. Ms. Villasmil truly enjoys the HR role because she believes putting people first in an organization, and recognizing their efforts, yields extraordinary results. Villasmil has been a strong proponent of empowering women in the workplace and has co-created Women Promoting Success, which is a group within Cauldwell’s organization that aims to spotlight how women can be successful within this industry. She has also been at the forefront of building DEI policy and creating a culture that is indicative of that.

Shirley Cheung serves as the CFO at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. Coming from 25 years of experience in accounting and finance in New York City construction management, Shirley brings expertise in managing financial and accounting policies, systems and control processes, tax and regulatory requirements, and ongoing financial modeling to help develop and oversee the annual business plan for the company and its affiliates.

Shirley’s time at different construction and development companies has built her to be a strong empathetic leader who works efficiently with those around her. She believes that collaboration and communication are key to a well-run construction firm and is passionate in leading diverse groups of kind and intelligent individuals, like those at Cauldwell Wingate, in helping see projects to completion through guidance in management.

Shirley earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from Baruch College as well as an Associate of Science in Accountancy from Queensborough Community College.

In his capacity as Vice President for Risk Management and Legal at Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. O’Sullivan is responsible for the risk management function including contract administration CMA, Subcontractor/Supplier/Professional Services Agreements, Site Access Agreements; oversight of insurance products including OCMIP, Traditional, CCIP, RRP, Builders Risk, Pollution, SDI, Bonding, subcontractor compliance; risk mitigation and legal management including summons and complaints, deposition, legal discovery; and with oversight of information technology.

Mr. O’Sullivan provides strategic guidance for the development and implementation of forward-looking technology initiatives and ensures that the unique and varied demands of our clients are met. He provides custom solutions that link offices, project teams and client design teams to allow for real-time collaboration, project tracking and cost management. As Principal-In-Charge, Mr. O’Sullivan is responsible for overall project execution, coordination and oversight from project inception to close-out. Mr. O’Sullivan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from SUNY Stony Brook and a Masters in Computer Science from Hofstra University.

Neil Singh serves as IT Director at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. In this role, he oversees the company’s overall IT infrastructure and its operations.

Mr. Singh has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry working throughout the tri-state area as well as overseas. He is experienced in the deployment of LANs, WANs, SANs, VOIP, Virtualization, Data Migration, Security and Cloud technologies.

Mr. Singh received his BS in Computer Science from City College of CUNY, his MBA in IT Management from Western Governors University and also holds a number of technical certifications.

Mr. Braun is an experienced professional serving as Corporate Safety Officer and member of the Executive Committee. With a comprehensive background in construction safety, he proactively plans and administers safety policies and procedures helping maintain a high level of compliance. His responsibilities require that he perform educational training and on-site inspections, heightening project staff safety awareness.  Mr. Braun provides leadership to the companies Injury & Illness Prevention Program (I2P2), utilizing innovative solutions to proactively stem incidents before they occur.  He plans and implements safety and health educational training programs tailored to each team member, and develops best practices to reduce injury risk and raise safety awareness. As Chairperson of the Safety Committee, he mentors operations leaders throughout the company and is responsible for recruiting and training all lead safety staff.  His duties further require regular interface with insurance carriers, various regulatory authorities, client representatives, and subcontractors on jobsite safety and health matters. Among other duties are staying abreast of safety trends, policies, standards and regulations, record keeping, and in general, assuring that Cauldwell Wingate maintains its reputation as a leading practitioner of safety in the construction workplace.

He occasionally serves as an adjunct safety instructor helping those in New York City construction industry comply with the recently enacted suite of safety training regulations. Mr. Braun is a licensed Professional Engineer. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration,  as well as numerous certificates in job-related disciplines.

John Moore serves as Vice President of Project Management at Cauldwell Wingate. With more than three decades of experience managing major construction projects in New York, Mr. Moore is responsible for overall project execution, coordination and oversight of all aspects of construction from inception to project closeout.

His range of experience includes high-rise residential apartment buildings and hotels, office buildings, museums, infrastructure, retail stores and hospitality. He is experienced in operations, problem solving, coordination, quality control, safety, logistics, schedule and budgets. He is known for creative and profitable approaches to difficult and technical construction issues, conducting skillful negotiations, developing strong teams, and establishing outstanding relationships with subcontractors and clients.

Highlights of Mr. Moore’s career include construction of Solari at West 33rd Street in Manhattan, Moda Modern Living at Parsons Blvd in Queens, Place 57 at East 57th Street in Manhattan, the Entry Pavilion of the Brooklyn Museum of Art on Eastern Parkway and Hotel Sofitel in Manhattan.

Mr. Moore earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Technology from New York Institute of Technology. He is a Registered Architect in the State of New York, a LEED AP for BD+C and is a licensed Site Safety Manager with The New York City Department of Buildings.

With nearly 30 years of design, preconstruction and estimating Tatyana Meshcheryakov brings a wealth of knowledge to serve as Chief Estimator for Major Buildings at Caudwell Wingate.

Project experience varies from new out-of-the ground buildings to major repositioning and adaptive reuse housing multiple market sectors, such as residential and commercial high- and low-rises, hospitality, healthcare, institutional facilities, entertainment and cultural centers.

Her most notable projects include The Standard Hotel, Langham Hotel and Condominiums, TSX Times Square Crossing hotel and entertainment venue which entails elevating existing historic Palace Theater 30’ above streel level to allow for expansion of retail component.

Ms. Meshcheryakov obtained Bachelor of Science and Master Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.

Jeremy Kaufman brings an uncommon breadth of knowledge and expertise to his position as Chief Estimator for Commercial Construction at Cauldwell Wingate. Mr. Kaufman has a background in legal studies and finance from Indiana University and 20 years of construction and estimating experience that spans multiple sectors, including commercial interiors, residential, hospitality, education, healthcare, and life sciences and includes project scopes covering interior renovations, ground-up construction, and historical renovations.

In his role, Mr. Kaufman manages the company’s team of talented and hard-working estimators with a philosophy that prioritizes collaboration, accountability, and, most importantly, deep knowledge and understanding of all aspects of a project. Indeed, Mr. Kaufman firmly believes that strong relationships with trade partners and clients, and a goal-oriented and customized approach to project planning, are essential to minimizing costs. Over the life of every project, Mr. Kaufman can be relied upon to always be mindful of both the nuances and big picture objectives, efficiently develop solutions that maximize the budget, and work tirelessly toward successful outcomes for the entire project team.

Scott Hill serves as the Senior Preconstruction Manager. Scott’s 40 year career in all aspects of the construction industry has included project management and construction administration with a major international architectural firm; including 5 years in the Middle East, project management for the facilities department of a Fortune 500 Financial Services company; including administration of design, project budget and construction of two out of the ground office and data centers, project and construction management for several NYC based Construction Management companies; including a Fortune 500 Computer Software and Information company headquarters and the first modular high rise hotel in NYC. Scott is also a registered architect in New York and Texas.

Jason O’Keefe serves as Director of Core and Shell Estimating at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. In this role he oversees all new estimates for out of the ground projects and manages budgets throughout each stage of the design and construction process. Mr. O’Keefe works closely with CWC’s Project Executives and clients to reach each individual projects budgetary needs through intelligent value engineering and subcontract negotiation.

Mr. O’Keefe brings over 23 years of overall construction management experience which include many years directly working on job sites. This on-site experience allows Mr. O’Keefe critical insight into the development of an estimate through the eyes of the Operations Team who are building the projects. These projects include working in market sectors such as hospitality, residential, corporate, government, interiors and pharmaceutical construction.

Mr. O’Keefe received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications from The State University of New York at Cortland.

Joseph Manfredonia is an accomplished Director of Pre-Construction with over 25 years of construction management experience building various types (residential, commercial, religious and hospitality) of brand new, high-end, ground up, high-rise buildings and has also performed large scale renovations to historical buildings ($100 + Million), hospital, medical and educational facilities including unusual construction projects such as a national award-winning renovation to the U.S.S. Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum as well as completed and lectured on the first ever modular high-rise in the United States.

Mr. Manfredonia attended New Jersey Institute of Technology where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture, and soon thereafter continued on with his higher education by attending Stevens Institute of Technology where he earned his Master of Science in Construction Management.

With nearly three decades of construction experience, Mr. Barbarossa, has cultivated extensive knowledge and experience in all phases of construction management. As Pre-Construction Manager, NJ Operations for Cauldwell Wingate, Fred is uniquely qualified to manage the entire preconstruction process. From working tirelessly with owners, architects, and consultants to create and maintain project budgets from conception through final construction documents while developing scopes of work specific to project needs, identifying long lead items, to specializing in final buyout negotiations, knowing exactly what is needed in procuring a successful project from first shovel in the ground through final punch list check mark.

Fred’s most recent focus has been helping developers build up New Jersey’s Gold Coast and surrounding area which has led him to leading the pre-construction and procurement teams for some of the most notable projects in the area; 99 Hudson, Harborside 1, 2 & 3 commercial renovation, Rutgers University HLLC, Gateway 1, 2 & 4 in Newark and One Grove. Other experience includes the following market sectors, Health Care, Bio Science, Retail and Commercial projects.

Christina Rivera serves as a Vice President for multiple projects at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. In her role, she oversees projects from the conceptual stage at preconstruction and planning to completion including overall cost control, scheduling, logistics, and management of project teams. This involves close communication and maintaining strategic meetings with the clients, design consultants and all key stakeholders to ensure a successful project completed on time and within budget.

Ms. Rivera brings to Cauldwell Wingate, LLC over 20 years of construction management experience, which entails high-rise residential, mixed use, hotel, and educational projects in New York City.

Ms. Rivera received her Bachelors of Science in Architectural Technology from New York Institute of Technology, NY, NY.

Greg Szekalski serves as a Project Executive for multiple projects at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. Mr. Szekalski is responsible for overseeing projects from preconstruction through completion including purchasing, scheduling, logistics, budgets and closeout. He strives to build and maintain exemplary client service while overseeing his projects in order to produce successful outcomes for all parties involved.

Mr. Szekalski’s 17 year background includes a broad array of practical experience in all phases of development and construction management. He has managed renovation and new construction for a variety of project types, including education, corporate and residential buildings. His notable project experience includes 40 Tenth Ave (Solar Carve), Far Rockaway Townhouses, 111 West 57th Street, 613 Baltic Street and the College of Staten Island.

Mr. Szekalski earned a Bachelor of Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University.

David Levy serves as a Project Executive at Cauldwell Wingate, LLC. Mr. Levy has over 14 years of experience in the construction industry and received a Bachelors in History from Florida State University, and a Construction Management Certificate from New York University. His primary experience is in residential buildings. Spending a portion of his career in Toronto, ON, David gained valuable experience in complete high rise façade recladding along with complex logistics for full scale construction. His primary role as a project executive is coordinating ownership, design teams and contractors to deliver a successful construction project.

As Project Executive, New Jersey Operations at Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. Amiragov oversees every aspect of all new major buildings and interior projects from inception to project closeout. With nearly two decades of construction experience, Gerald has cultivated an extensive knowledge and expertise in all phases of construction management which is highlighted in his impressive project background which include residential high-rise, educational facilities, commercial/mixed-use facilities, infrastructure, and healthcare facilities.

Gerald has spent the last six years of his career focusing on projects along New Jersey’s Gold Coast and surrounding area which include such projects as 75 Park Lane, Shore House, One Grove, and pre-construction services for SciTech Scity. Some of his most notable projects before focusing on projects in New Jersey were projects completed for the New York City School Construction Authority, Mount Sinai Health System, New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Mr. Amiragov has obtained a Master’s Degree in Construction Management from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from New Jersey City University.

Steven Caputo has more than thirty years of experience working in a variety of demanding environments from large-scale infrastructure projects and commercial and residential high-rises, to high-end interiors, municipal buildings and historic renovations. In his role at Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. Caputo is responsible for oversight of all field operations and brings his considerable technical and managerial skills to bear. His leadership is clear in his ability to assess a project and identify opportunities to build better. He is adept at translating complex technical details of a project to clients to ensure that decisions are made with the most accurate and timely information available. His expertise spans the entire construction process from viability studies through project closeout. Paired with his extensive technical expertise is his strength as a mentor and project leader. His project experience includes dozens of new concrete superstructure and steel construction projects in logistically challenging locations.

Mr. Laureano has over 20 years of healthcare construction management experience as both owner and contractor. As Project Executive, Mr. Laureano is responsible for overall project execution, coordination and oversight on all aspects of construction from inception to project closeout. He establishes project objectives and policies, and ensures that corporate resources relating to estimating and purchasing, scheduling, staffing, accounting and cost control, contract administration, and project execution, enabling Cauldwell Wingate to meet and exceed expectations.

Prior to joining Cauldwell Wingate, Mr. Laureano spent six years at Mount Sinai Health System.

With nearly 40 years of experience in major construction, Peter is currently the General Superintendent overseeing new buildings and major construction at Cauldwell Wingate. Peter has worked directly, in house, for owners and developers. Peter possesses the mentality to do things once and do them correctly, always bearing in mind up front cost and maintenance. Peter is very instrumental during the preconstruction phase of work by planning the logistics and approach to our major projects and respective scheduling as well. He participates in the design phase suggesting constructability and value engineering measures. Peter oversees the field staff of all of our new, out of the ground, major projects and enjoys mentoring and teaching new construction professionals.

Peter has overseen over 13 buildings from planning to ground breaking to absolute completion, Certificate of Occupancy and tenant occupancy. To his credit, Peter has completed 3 projects in excess of 850,000 square feet and has overseen restoration of buildings and commercial to residential conversion work.