HELIOS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES - Key Persons
Aash Desai founded Helios Construction Services in 2008 with the vision to transform the inefficient construction process.
Aash has over 15 years of experience in the real estate and construction industry, having worked as a Project Manager and Preconstruction Manager for a large global construction management firm and the Vice President of Development for a national real estate development firm.
Aash actively manages the overall business strategy and project direction for Helios. His experience with a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, private developers, start-up businesses, and institutions, allows him to serve as both a construction manager and adviser for our clients.
Aash earned a Bachelor of Science in Construction at Bradley University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
In addition, Aash has served as a Mentor and on the Associate Board of Directors for the ACE Mentoring Program of Illinois, which promotes careers in architecture, construction, and engineering to inner-city high school students. He was honored with its inaugural Educational Leader award. Aash's involvement in the local community, coupled with his professional achievements, has been recognized by Engineering News Record's Top 20 Professionals Under 40.
"Whenever I've needed a question answered, Aash has been there. He has been a valuable partner to our real estate success."
Alexis Kraft joined Helios in 2023. As a project coordinator, she supports her teammates and project teams on various office administration and project assignments.
Arnaud joined Helios Construction Services in 2023 after obtaining his Construction Management degree from Bradley University.
During his undergraduate studies, Arnaud gained valuable industry knowledge through internships at various commercial construction companies in Chicago, IL; Kigali, Rwanda; and Ontario, Canada. His project experience includes mixed-use, residential, commercial, and retail, projects.
Connor Recker is a Project Manager with over five years of experience managing construction projects, including cost estimating, material procurement, project scheduling, and liaison between the field and owner/contractor sides.
Connor joined Helios Construction Services in 2023 after having spent four years working as a Project Manager for a large general contractor, where he primarily managed medical office building and healthcare construction projects in the Chicago area and around the United States.
Connor holds a B.S. in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University.
Ed began his career in the construction industry over twenty years ago when he served as a carpenter foreman at a nationally ranked commercial construction company.
His experience includes a wide variety of construction trades. In his superintendent role at Helios, Ed is responsible for scheduling subcontractors and ensuring that work is done correctly and efficiently.
"Ed brought a high degree of professionalism, was courteous, and literally covered all the bases once he took over. His extensive background experience made me feel a lot more comfortable when he was on site, and things started getting hectic."
Eric Rowe has over 15 years of experience working as a laborer, carpenter, foreman and superintendent on various sized jobs for subcontractors.
His experience in the field gives him a first-hand understanding of the mechanics, requirements and demands to complete a project on time and under budget. In addition, Eric's 17 years of service in the United States Army have cultivated his leadership skills and his attention to detail.
Kevin O'Keefe is a motivated and hands-on project manager with over 15 years of expertise in the construction industry. He joined Helios Construction Services in 2023, bringing a diverse skill set and a wealth of knowledge to our team.
Kevin has excelled in various roles throughout his career, including business development, project management, customer support, and client retention. Before joining Helios, Kevin served as a Project Manager for a commercial general contractor, where he successfully oversaw a wide range of retail, restaurant, and office projects. He also has a strong background in commercial union concrete contracting, where he managed and delivered exceptional results for projects spanning commercial, industrial, retail, healthcare, and municipal sectors. Additionally, Kevin spent nine years working in the business development side of construction, providing technical support and leveraging his extensive knowledge of materials to support customers.
Kris Vander Meer joined Helios as a Project Executive in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in construction.
He oversees multiple projects and teams to ensure client expectations are met on Helios projects, all while delegating and managing deliverables with team members and stakeholders. His experience includes multi-family, mixed-use, design-build, industrial, tenant improvement, residential remodel, and public housing projects. Before joining Helios, he managed construction projects for several other mid-sized general contractors in the Chicagoland area.
Kris enjoys working on complex projects with unique challenges that allow him to think outside the box to achieve the customer's design intent. His experience in renovation work has presented him with many challenges and taught him how to adapt to and develop ways to work with existing conditions while meeting challenging design goals. He especially enjoys working with superintendents to problem solve and turn drawings into reality.
Laura handles all office operations, including accounting, human resources, contract management, and communications.
She continuously contributes to the company's standards of excellence. With her patience and diligence, she promotes a positive work environment.
As one of Helios' first employees, Laura has been an integral part of establishing a solid foundation for the company's ongoing growth and success. Laura's impressive attention to detail and knowledge of the industry enables Helios Construction Services to operate efficiently and gracefully.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri. Prior to joining Helios, Laura worked for several large real estate companies in Chicago in marketing, operations, and administrative roles.
Marty joined Helios in 2016 to help establish our service division.
He is responsible for managing many construction and maintenance projects, ensuring that our clients' needs are met for projects large and small, as well as providing maintenance services to ensure they look as good down the road as the day they are completed.
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Michael Gordon, who joined Helios Construction Services in 2024, brings over a decade of extensive experience in high-end residential and large-scale commercial construction.
His wealth of experience has honed his strong project management and problem-solving skills, enabling him to manage project schedules effectively and ensure high quality and safety standards. His exceptional communication skills with clients, tradespeople, and project teams, coupled with his expertise in luxury custom homes and complex commercial developments, make him a valuable addition to the Helios team.
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Tim Murphy joined Helios Construction Services in January 2024, bringing over 10 years of experience in the construction industry.
His extensive experience includes managing project schedules, ensuring safety and high-quality workmanship, and maintaining effective communication with clients and project managers through daily reports and RFIs. His well-rounded construction experience spans various industries, including hospitality, retail, office, residential, and industrial, showcasing his ability to handle diverse and complex projects. His expertise particularly shines in projects requiring high-end finishes and custom work in the commercial sector, making him a valuable asset to the Helios team.
Since joining the organization in 2010, Tom has been instrumental in taking on some of our most complex projects while helping to convert many first-time clients into repeat clients.
As a General Superintendent, Tom is involved in every project, serving as a mentor and a resource to all our Superintendents and project team members. Tom's extensive background in construction enables him to provide outstanding direction to subcontractors by coordinating plans, specifications, and schedules to ensure quality and on-time completion of work.
Before Helios, Tom had been an integral part of one of the largest construction companies in Chicago, where he served as a carpenter apprentice, journeyman, carpenter foreman, and superintendent. Throughout his thirty-five-year career in the construction industry, Tom has overseen and consistently delivered several projects of different sizes, scopes, and budgets.
"Tom's construction business acumen runs very deep. As such, he can foresee possible issues, provide creative solutions, and generally alleviate a lot of the stress of completing a project within budget and on time. Whether it's a small detail or a pivotal point in the entire project, Tom gave it his utmost attention."