Dan Kaufman
East Regional President
JE Dunn Construction
Atlanta

What’s on your music playlist right now?
Currently, my morning information is NPR’s “Up First” or the “How I Built This” podcast. For general listening, I trend toward alternative, notably Kings of Leon, Silversun Pickups, The Head and the Heart, etc. For training runs/rides, upbeat Spotify playlists, like Tool or Orange Theory Power Day.

What is the most important cog in the construction “machine”? 
I probably overuse the word “team” but, to me, it matters most. The right team always makes the difference. When we are successful, teams have fun and want to repeat the experience.

How do you contend with challenges on a project? 
I’ve found that when you take the time to break the complexity down into components with the right subject matter experts at the table, every challenge can be overcome. In the end, although we deal with bricks and mortar, it is a people-based industry. If you have the right people on your team and you deal with all parties fairly, things usually work out.

What is the best advice you ever got? 

• Don’t focus on the promotion or “what’s next.”
• Do the best you can do in any given opportunity and good things will invariably happen.
• Create a following by treating people fairly.
  

What is your favorite day of the year (and why)?
While not a specific day, I love the period between Christmas and New Year’s as it usually includes a longer break with family to unplug
and focus on what matters.

What are the top qualities you look for in a new hire? 
The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni changed our hiring practices. The attributes we look for are hungry, humble and smart (emotional intelligence).

Do you have any pets?
We are an animal-loving family, and it is becoming a problem.

• Kane (African Mastiff, 10)
• Killer (Shorkie, 11)
• Scout (Yorkie, 7)
• Ribbon (Fat Cat, 10)
• Aska (Great Dane, 11), passed away last year