Krusinski Construction Company is preparing for a change in its financial leadership as longtime Chief Financial Officer Gary Dupuis plans to retire in the first quarter of 2027. Colin Laughlin, who joined the company in August 2026, will work alongside Dupuis as co-CFO before assuming the CFO position.
The planned succession is designed to provide continuity in financial operations while transferring institutional knowledge and maintaining relationships with the company's financial and professional partners.
Laughlin brings nearly 20 years of finance and leadership experience in the construction industry to the planned transition.
Before joining Krusinski, he served as director of finance for a Chicago-based general contractor, where he advised ownership and executive leadership and provided financial oversight for complex construction operations.
His background includes finance, treasury, accounting and strategic planning, along with forecasting, banking relationships, capital planning and operational finance. He has also worked with technology and analytics to support financial decision-making.
Laughlin holds a finance degree from the University of Notre Dame and has experience in mentoring, leadership development and team building.
Dupuis joined Krusinski in May 1995 and has spent more than three decades overseeing the company's financial strategy and operations.
In addition to financial responsibilities, his role has included legal, risk-management and industry-partnership functions. His tenure has included work supporting the company's financial foundation and long-term business operations.
During the transition period, Dupuis and Laughlin will work together with Krusinski's accounting team. Laughlin will also develop relationships with external partners, including consultants, banks, bonding agents, insurance brokers and accounting professionals.
The overlapping leadership period gives Laughlin time to become familiar with Krusinski's operations, culture and established business relationships before taking full responsibility for the finance function.
For a construction company, the CFO role encompasses areas that extend beyond accounting, including financial forecasting, capital planning, banking, risk management and relationships with bonding and insurance providers. Maintaining continuity across those functions is therefore a central element of the planned succession.
Leadership succession can affect financial planning, risk management and external relationships across a construction business. Krusinski's planned overlap between its outgoing and incoming CFOs provides a structured transition period ahead of Dupuis' retirement.
The approach also allows the incoming financial leader to gain direct knowledge of company operations and established partnerships before taking over the CFO position.
Source: Krusinski.
