SPEAKERS

President, J. B. Mouton, LLC

Stuart Billeaud is the President and Chief Executive Officer of J.B. Mouton, LLC, where he leads operations for the fifth generation of a family legacy in construction and development. Stuart began his college career attending University of Louisiana at Lafayette for 2 years before transferring to Auburn University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management in 2003 and followed that with an MBA from the University of New Orleans in 2006. Having worked with the family company during summers in high school, Stuart formally joined J.B. Mouton as a full-time employee after graduate school. Over the years, he progressed through roles across project management, business development, safety, and marketing. Today, he shapes the strategic vision for the firm while maintaining a hands-on approach to project execution and client relationships. Beyond his role at J.B. Mouton, Stuart is active in community leadership. He serves as President of the Fatima School Foundation, Secretary for One Acadiana/Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, holds a board seat with the Association of General Contractors and sit on the UL College of Engineering Deans Advisory Council. Stuart and his wife, Keisha, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of two children, Bennett (15) and Kate (12).

Co-founder and CEO, Adaptive

Matt Calvano is the co-founder and CEO of Adaptive, the AI-native project accounting platform for construction. Since founding the business in 2022, Adaptive has grown to nearly 1,000 contractors managing over $10 billion in construction volume, and has raised $26 million of venture capital from Andreessen Horowitz and Emergence Capital. With a background in real estate finance, and over four years working closely with construction CFOs and accountants, Matt has developed deep expertise in construction finance and a clear perspective on how AI is transforming the profession. He grew up in Michigan, graduated from Michigan State, and holds an MBA from Stanford.

Mark joined the Search practice unit in 2016, adding nationwide experience with C-suite recruiting to our construction and real estate practice. His background includes placing top executive, finance, operations, and project management talent with general contractors, developers/owners, EPC companies, and specialty contractors. He leads our advisory services and executive recruiting for construction and real estate companies from our Asheville location, working closely with team members in our other locations (as part of Forvis Mazars, we can also draw on the industry knowledge and contacts of the firm’s construction and real estate practices). He is a member of the Construction Financial Management Association and an Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America. He was honored as a “Top 40 Under Forty.” Mark is a cum laude graduate of Elon University, North Carolina, with a B.S. degree in business and economics.

President, Arkel Constructors

Derek Fife serves as President of Arkel Constructors, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana–based general contracting firm specializing in commercial, industrial, and facility maintenance construction across the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1981, Arkel Constructors has grown into a leading General Contractor in Baton Rouge with over 120 employees and annual revenues averaging $175 million.

Derek began his career with Arkel in 2000 and has progressed through the organization, becoming Vice President in 2009 and President in 2017. Under his leadership, the company has experienced significant growth, expanding from $24 million in annual revenue with 34 employees to a multi-division organization operating in three states today.

In his role as President, Derek is responsible for aligning all departments and providing executive oversight on critical decisions that impact strategy, project execution, and operational processes. He is deeply involved in driving performance across preconstruction, operations, business development, and financial management, ensuring Arkel consistently delivers value to its clients.

Derek is passionate about building strong teams, developing efficient processes, and fostering a culture focused on accountability, communication, and continuous improvement. His leadership philosophy centers on delivering high-quality projects while maintaining strong relationships with clients, trade partners, and the communities Arkel Constructors serves.

Managing Director, FMI Capital Advisors

As a Managing Director with FMI Capital Advisors, Ryan provides strategic sell-side M&A services to the construction industry.  He primarily serves specialty trades such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors in addition to industrial and heavy civil companies.  Before joining FMI, Ryan worked at Green Manning & Bunch, a Denver-based M&A advisory firm.  Prior to that, he worked at Allegiance Capital, BMO, and Janney, where he led the execution of sell-side M&A transactions on behalf of privately held, family-owned businesses across a wide range of industries, including oil field services, electric power services, and construction. 

Ryan began his career at Janney Montgomery Scott, a full-service investment bank in his hometown of Philadelphia.  Ryan earned his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boston College.  He has Series 79 and 63 licenses.

Director of Sales, Corpay

Andy specializes in payment and spend solutions for the construction industry. With deep expertise in accounts payable automation and fraud prevention, Andy helps contractors fortify controls, reduce risk, and eliminate manual payment vulnerabilities across checks, ACH, and card programs. He partners with finance and operations leaders to implement streamlined, secure workflows that improve visibility and protect working capital. Passionate about safeguarding contractor cash flow, Andy brings a consultative, risk-focused approach to every solution engagement.

Ryan has more than 20 years of experience digitally transforming organizations through fast-moving engagements with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, small and midsize businesses, and the largest federal agencies in the U.S. government. His focus has been helping customers build actionable business strategies and solution architectures to enable business success using technology. Ryan has led award-winning projects to develop and deliver business and technology solutions using Microsoft solution sets to modernize, automate, and streamline business operations. He currently leads the Insights & Automation practice focused on “finding ways of using technology that deliver insights and create operational efficiencies where customers never thought possible.” Ryan is a graduate of Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, with a B.S. degree in management information systems.

Managing Director Construction, Technology Solutions & Services Group (CTSS)

Steve Maddox is a Managing Director and helps lead the construction technology team at Forvis Mazars, where he guides contractors in leveraging technology to enhance their job performance and overall business efficiency. With over 36 years of experience in the construction technology field, Steve's career has been marked by significant achievements and contributions to the industry. Steve is the co-founder of two consulting companies, both of which were successfully acquired and integrated into larger organizations, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision. His tenure as Vice President of Sales at Trimble Construction One (Viewpoint) was distinguished by his efforts to establish the Specialty Contractor market for TC1, leading his teams to record-breaking performance. As a seasoned industry veteran, Steve has been actively involved with numerous construction associations, including CFMA, AGC, MCAA, PHCC, NECA, and ASA. His expertise has made him a sought-after speaker on technology and software implementation topics, where he has shared his insights and knowledge at various conferences and events.

Fraud Operations Director, Corpay

Sierre Norton is the Fraud Operations Director at Corpay, overseeing the fraud team and developing new fraud mitigation tools, policies, and procedures. She also educates business offices on fraud prevention through thought leadership. Before Corpay, she spent 11 years in banking, focused on investigating ACH, wire, and debit card fraud. Sierre holds degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University. In her free time, she enjoys time with her children and rescue dog on the Rappahannock River and volunteering in her local community.

President, ISC Constructors

Thad Rispone is President at ISC Constructors. Beginning his career working in ISC’s warehouse, Thad has spent more than three decades advancing through field operations, project controls, estimating, and business development. Thad is actively involved in ISC’s strategic growth initiatives and is a passionate industry advocate focused on advancing safety standards and innovative workforce development practices. A graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Thad resides in Baton Rouge with his wife, Brandy, and their four daughters. He is deeply committed to community and industry leadership, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Louisiana Manufacturers Political Action Committee (LAMP), the East Baton Rouge Catholic Diocesan School Board, and Associated Builders and Contractors Pelican Education Foundation. One of his most rewarding community roles has been coaching basketball at St. George Catholic Middle School for more than 23 years.

Senior Vice President of Risk Control, Arch Insurance Group 

Greg Stefan, CSP, ARM, ALCM, is Senior Vice President of Risk Control at Arch Insurance Group.  Greg and his team support Arch’s Construction, National Accounts, Retail Energy, and Alternative Markets Underwriting and Claims teams in account selection, risk improvement, and claim mitigation activities.  He is also responsible for high-risk liability claim reduction initiatives including auto liability, contractual risk transfer, construction defect prevention, and work zone liability management.  He regularly consults with policyholder management teams in their continuous improvement processes concerning risk management, quality, and safety.  Greg is a regular presenter at various industry associations and conferences to include ATSSA, CFMA, NAPA, National Work Zone Safety Conference, ARTBA, AGC, etc.  He regularly provides articles for various industry newsletters and publications on risk management, safety, and claim prevention and mitigation best practices.

CEO, Landis Construction

Anne Teague Landis is the third-generation CEO of Landis Construction. Like her father and grandfather before her, she focuses on maximizing opportunities and takes pride in advancing the company’s legacy of resilience, philanthropy, and unwavering commitment to fairness and integrity. In addition to holding an MBA from Tulane, Landis is a graduate of Campaign for an Equitable New Orleans’ Equity Leadership Training program, which equips local business leaders with tools to promote greater equity within their organizations and community wide. Under her leadership, Landis Construction has been a trusted leader in commercial construction and received more than 50 regional and national awards. Landis lives in New Orleans with husband Cuyler, son Barrett, and daughter Bella. Because of her commitment to bringing value and making an impact, Landis finds time for meaningful involvement in community organizations including Young Presidents' Organization, Institute of Mental Hygiene, GNO, Inc., Urban Land Institute, and Sugar Bowl, to name a few.

Partner with Mauldin & Jenkins

In 2008, he graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Accounting and received his Masters of Taxation from Georgia State University in 2010. Brent has over 15 years of experience in many areas of taxation and industries, most notably in healthcare, real estate, private equity, technology and professional services, with business sizes ranging from closely held business to multi-national publicly traded companies. Brent also serves as the Firm’s Tax Strategy and Research Leader, which offers technical guidance and identifies planning opportunities for the firm to support clients on complex issues across a range of technical tax areas. Brent is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.  Brent and his wife, Lucy, live in Athens, GA, with their four children, Arthur, Bill, Annie, and Peter.