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Our Leadership
Michael Cox
Chief Executive Officer
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Michael Cox joined Crete in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer to support the company’s growth and strategic vision. Michael brings over 28 years of leadership experience to Crete Mechanical Group and its partners. Before joining Crete, Michael served as the CEO of Bilfinger North America, a global provider of industrial & commercial services. Prior to Bilfinger, he served as the President of Austin Industrial, a leading provider of industrial services.
A proud military veteran, Michael spent 13 years in the U.S. Navy as a Navy Diver and a member of the Underwater Construction Teams.
Michael earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Saint Leo University, his M.S. in Strategic Leadership from Michigan State University, and his MBA from The Citadel Military College.
Kelly Armagost
Vice President of Accounting
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Kelly Armagost joined Crete in 2020 and is the Vice President of Accounting. Kelly brings over 25 years of accounting experience to Crete Mechanical Group and its partners. Prior to joining Crete, Kelly was an early team member and Group Controller for Apex Service Partners where she led all accounting related integration workstreams including ERP, treasury and other tech stack. Kelly was also a Senior Director at CSX Corp – a publicly traded Fortune 500 company based in Jacksonville, FL, where she held various positions mostly focused on technical accounting, financial reporting and process improvement. Kelly also spent several years working for property management companies as well as eight years in public accounting.
Kelly earned a B.S in accounting from the University of Maine and is a Maine CPA.
Christine Suhs
Vice President of Human Resources
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Christine Suhs joined Crete in 2021 as the Director of Human Resources and was promoted in 2022 to Vice President of Human Resources where she is responsible for setting, enforcing, and evaluating HR policies, procedures and best practices. Christine spent many years in the Airport Retail Industry where she led operations, merchandising, and supply chain teams in addition to human resources. Prior to joining Crete Mechanical Group, Christine held the position of Executive Vice president at Stellar Partners, Inc, a leading project management, IT, Human Resources and business development company.
Christine earned a B.A. in International Relations from Drake University, where she graduated magna cum laude.
April Sayer
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
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April Sayer joined Crete in 2021 as the National Sales Director and was promoted to Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2022. April is responsible for overseeing and directing the sales and marketing team as well as identifying sales targets and goals and then bringing together all the efforts to achieve them. She brings over 15 years of national sales experience in the MEP industry to Crete and its partners. Prior to joining Crete April worked for ABM Industries as a General Manager and then as the Regional Director of Energy Services. Preceding her time at AMB Industries she was a senior account executive at Belfor Property Restoration and System Tech Services.
Martin Katz
Vice President of Business Development
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Martin Katz joined Crete in January of 2021 as a Director of Business Development and was promoted to Vice President in January of 2023. Martin is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and closing new partnerships. In his role, he leads and oversees the full M&A process. Martin has over 7 years of experience in M&A and investing. Prior to joining Crete, Martin was an associate at Pegasus, a leading private equity firm in Latin America, and an analyst at J.P. Morgan. Martin earned a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Torcuato Di Tella University in Buenos Aires, Argentina and graduated with an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Dwight Abshire
Vice President of Sustainability
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Dwight is the Vice President of Health, Safety and Environment – Environmental, Social and Governance (HSE-ESG) at Crete Mechanical Group. He has more than 30 years of experience in domestic and international construction management. Before joining Crete, Dwight was Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) at Bilfinger North America and Corporate HSEQ Director at Bilfinger Westcon. Prior to Bilfinger, he served as Global Director of Engineering and Construction for CB&I and Global Director for Mining and Metals for Fluor. He started his career in refining and has held positions including project manager, operations manager, construction/technical services manager and various levels in health, safety, security, environment and quality.
Dwight served in the US Army Medical Regiment at the 100th General Hospital. He holds a degree from Bossier Parish Community College and attended Rice University’s Advanced Leadership program.
Phil Finley
Senior Vice President of Operations
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Phil Finley is the Senior Vice President of Operations at Crete Mechanical Group. He joined Crete in 2023 to support the delivery of the company’s growth and strategic vision, bringing over 30 years of operational and business leadership experience. Prior to Crete, Phil served as the Chief Operating Officer of Bilfinger Inc. in North America, a global provider of industrial and commercial services. Before Bilfinger and throughout his career, Phil led numerous successful company formations, transitions and expansions in the industrial services and construction sectors.
Phil was educated at the English School of Paris, France and Accrington & Rossendale College in the UK.
Dominic Holmes
Vice President of Service Operations
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Dominic Holmes is the Vice President of Service Operations at Crete Mechanical Group. He joined Crete in January 2022 as Director of Service Operations and was promoted to his current position in April 2023. Dominic has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of service within the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and facilities maintenance industries. Beginning his career as an apprentice electrician, Dominic broadened his expertise to the HVAC service industry as a service technician, eventually becoming the Vice President of Operations for an international facilities maintenance organization. Dominic has held senior management positions with national and international service organizations. Before joining Crete, he managed a sales team for an HVAC distributor based in the Midwest.
As a mature student, Dominic earned a B.S. in Business Management from the UOP.
Jake Sloane
Co-Founder / Mergers & Acquisitions
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Jake Sloane is Co-Founder of Crete Mechanical Group and currently leads Crete’s mergers and acquisitions initiatives. Jake has vast experience in operations, finance, and acquisitions, most recently co-founding Alliance Animal Health and Legacy Service Partners with Frank Zhang. Alliance Animal Health is a platform of veterinary practices operating across 25 states. Legacy Service Partners is a platform of home service companies operating in more than 15 states. Prior to co-founding the three companies, Jake was an associate at Carlyle where he effectuated and oversaw investments. Preceding Carlyle, he worked in the mergers and acquisitions group at Blackstone.
Jake currently sits on the board of Crete Mechanical Group and Legacy Service Partners and is also a Trustee of the Heckscher Foundation for Children.
Jake earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Political Science from Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Frank Zhang
Co-Founder / Chief Financial Officer
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Frank Zhang is Co-Founder and CFO of Crete Mechanical Group. Frank has vast experience in operations, finance, and acquisitions, most recently co-founding Alliance Animal Health and Legacy Service Partners with Jake Sloane. Prior to co-founding the three companies, Frank was an associate at Apollo where he effectuated and oversaw investments. Preceding Apollo, he worked at Blackstone in the mergers and acquisitions group.
Frank currently sits on the board of Crete Mechanical Group and Legacy Service Partners.
Frank earned an MBA from Harvard Business School as well as a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Economics (Finance) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated summa cum laude.