Insights Building relationships through Construction Management

Tell us a little bit about your professional background?

My name is Daniel Oh and I am based in the Long Beach office in California. I am a construction manager with over 20 years of experience in engineering, project management and construction management. I worked on many commercial and industrial construction projects and land development projects as owner’s representative in the United States, South Korea and UAE. I joined Faithful+Gould in 2017 and currently lead project management and business development for opportunities from South Korean investors increasing their manufacturing capacity in the US and Canada.

What inspired you to become a Construction Manager? 

Back in 2000, I started my career as a structural engineer in Chicago after graduation and decided to shift my career path to construction management after 5 years of engineering service. I really enjoyed design and engineering of cool looking skyscrapers as a structural engineer, but found I was more excited about managing construction in the field and interacting with the people who actually create the design in print and turn it into a real building on land.

What is the coolest thing you are working on?

The coolest thing that I am working on involves manufacturing clients who are investing in North America from foreign countries like South Korea. We’ve made much progress after a few years of strategic capability and relationship development. Aligned with our federal government’s plan to strengthen the US supply chain of critical components like EV batteries and semiconductors, we have successfully enhanced our capacity to provide project management services to these clients and are currently winning a great volume of work. We’re excited about even bigger potential wins in the coming years from these EV battery makers.

What do you think has had the biggest impact on your career development to date?

My experience working with various companies like design/engineering, general contractor, investor/developer and PM/CM firms in other countries has given me the chance to understand different cultures and work environments. This unique skillset helps me provide good project management services to clients as owner’s representative.

What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

The best advice I was ever given was from my father, “Be satisfied with the second-best deal if you cannot get the best deal after doing your best to get the best.” I couldn’t fully understand when he gave this advice. I was a teenager and wanted to be the best and get the best all the time. As time went on and I got to know about life a little more, this advice turned out to be what has guided me to live with less stress and get along with the people around me. Do your best, but you don’t need to be the best of the best all the time.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“If someone wants to look fabulous, let them look fabulous.” – Jessica Chastain.

We live with people all around us and we all want to look fabulous. It is human nature that can’t be hidden. If you help someone look great this time, they will help you later and you will look fabulous with them.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself.

When I was in elementary school, I liked drawing sharks and robots. My mom really enjoyed my sketches, which really doesn’t say much since she’s my mom and was probably a little biased. But when I was 19, she persuaded me to choose architectural school for college, as she believed I was talented and very creative. I picked architectural school with aspirations to be a great architect, but now I am a construction manager who builds what the architects design.