David Schoonjans

As Vice President of Construction at Lanterra Developments, I oversee project budgets, schedules, and construction processes, ensuring that every development is executed with precision and efficiency. I play a key role in developing and managing financial proformas for new projects, guiding them toward financial success while maintaining Lanterra's high standards of quality. This position requires extensive collaboration across all departments and aspects of the business, from finance and design to marketing and operations, to align goals and deliver seamless execution. My technical expertise, meticulous project management approach, and leadership have been instrumental in upholding Lanterra’s reputation for delivering iconic, high-quality communities on schedule and within budget.

As a Senior Director at Altus Group's Cost & Project Management Business Unit, I have honed my skills and accumulated extensive experience in the real estate development industry. Over the years, I have provided pre-construction services for landmark projects, working with some of the country's most prominent developers. Additionally, I have been entrusted with leading the Business Intelligence group within the Cost & Project Management business unit, where I have successfully implemented systems and technology to collect structured data, improve efficiency, and enhance the unit's products and services.

During my tenure as President & Founder of AXIOM Cost Consulting Inc., a highly regarded cost consulting firm in Western Canada, I built a reputation for delivering exceptional results. One of our notable achievements was our contribution to the successful completion of The BOW office tower, where we provided oversight for tenant improvements totaling $300 million and ensured the base building met contractual obligations. Under my leadership, AXIOM experienced rapid growth and became a trusted partner for premier corporations, lenders, and development companies across the country. Our services encompassed cost estimating, loan monitoring, scheduling, procurement, contract negotiations, and risk management. The company's expansion led to the establishment of offices in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, serving clients such as Manulife, RioCan, GWL, First Capital, and Concord.

As a Director in the Cost & Project Management Business Unit at Altus Group, I played a pivotal role in establishing and strengthening the company's cost planning capabilities in Alberta and Vancouver. With a keen focus on excellence, I successfully recruited, trained, and mentored a team of eight staff members to build Altus' Alberta cost planning team from the ground up. Recognizing the managerial and staffing challenges faced by Altus' Vancouver office, I took on the additional responsibility of stabilizing and rebuilding the cost planning team in that location. This involved spending alternating weeks in Calgary and Vancouver for approximately one year, ensuring the successful reestablishment of cost planning services in Vancouver and creating a self-sufficient and profitable team. During my time at Altus, I introduced innovative practices to enhance efficiency and accuracy in cost planning. As a forward-thinking professional, I became the first within Altus to utilize on-screen take-off for measuring quantities, and I led the adoption of this technology throughout the entire business unit. One of my notable accomplishments was establishing Altus' cost planning capabilities in Alberta, which included assembling a dedicated team, providing comprehensive training, and fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment. By focusing on talent development and resource management, I successfully built a cost planning team that exceeded expectations and delivered outstanding results for our clients. In Vancouver, I faced the challenge of reviving an unprofitable cost planning group. Through strategic staff retention, the recruitment of new talent, and implementing independent management practices, I turned the Vancouver team into a highly profitable unit.

As a valued member of the Matthews Southwest team, I was involved in the project right from its inception, joining the team even before the first conceptual sketch was prepared. With a project of such magnitude and complexity, my responsibilities extended beyond budgeting to include the procurement and management of major subcontracts, several of which exceeded $100 million each. The project budget for the base building, excluding changes made after the acquisition, amounted to approximately $1.1 billion in combined hard and soft costs. Considering tenant improvements, furniture, fixtures, and equipment work, the total project budget escalated to approximately $1.4 billion, equivalent to around $2 billion in 2023 dollars. During my tenure, I successfully tendered and negotiated most of the major subcontracts for the base building, including structural steel, mechanical, electrical, curtain wall, and elevator contracts. Additionally, I played a pivotal role in creating and refining various contractual documents that formed the backbone of the project, such as the development agreement, purchase and sale agreement, tender documents, letters of intent, subcontracts, and the construction management agreement. One of my notable accomplishments was ensuring a smooth transition during the acquisition process when EnCana, the project's owner and sole tenant at the time, divested the project. As a key contributor to the project's financials and construction contracts, I was actively engaged throughout the request for proposal (RFP) process and provided crucial insights during the eventual acquisition by H&R REIT. The budget I prepared was independently verified and agreed upon by Ledcor/H&R REIT, with no major adjustments required before the deal's closing.

Queen’s Executive MBA is a national program, drawing participants from every region in Canada. This creates a broader perspective in the classroom and adds greater richness to the discussions. It also creates a powerful alumni network that spans the country.

The program provides the technical knowledge and skills required to manage the construction of industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings from the planning stage through to completion. Studies included construction methods, construction equipment, surveying, project management, scheduling, estimating, building economics, and construction contracts.

Obtained knowledge, skills and tools that are valuable in dealing with conflicts. Developed abilities to resolve conflict and learned how strategic interventions and collaborative techniques can enhance communication, problem solving and trust – vital features of conflict resolution.

Certificate courses provided an in-depth look at the specific technologies and techniques used by the unconventional petroleum industry. Topics included an introduction to thermal and steam assisted gravity drilling (SAGD), oil sands and coalbed methane extraction.