John’s first job in the construction industry was as a laborer at a contracting company, and he never looked back. Though he earned his degree in business management, even working for the Board of Trade, it was in construction where John found his true calling.
As Senior Superintendent at BIG, John’s gregarious and ambitious nature are assets to building relationships and advocating for the best interests of projects. As manager of field operations, he employs two decades of experience that ensuring resources meet project specifications on budget.
John is a native and current resident of Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. Outside of work, he coaches his children’s basketball and soccer teams and participates on the City of Hope leadership council.
Born in Chicago, Tony Iannessa is driven by the work ethic he inherited from his family, who immigrated from Italy in the early 1950s. Having built a foundation working in the trades, Tony’s roots in construction trace back to his youth, when he spent summers as a concrete laborer and interning with an electrical contractor.
After graduating from Indiana University, he gained over a decade of experience in Chicago’s construction industry, which he leveraged to form BIG in 2016. As founder and CEO of BIG, Tony leads the firm’s strategic direction and is responsible for the organization’s sustainable growth.
Tony is an active member of Vistage, YPO, and Chicago’s Economic Club. He serves as a board member of the American Cancer Society and is an Imerman Angels mentor for other caretakers of spouses fighting breast cancer.
Tony has been featured in Crain’s Chicago Business numerous times and in 2020, was included as one of Crain’s 40 under 40 at age 37. In 2020, he was named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year.
Tony has served in board positions of Susan G. Komen, the Francis Xavier Ward Catholic School Facilities committee, the Sports and Pastimes committee of Riverside Golf Club, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and City of Hope.
Thanks to Tony’s leadership and emphasis on culture, BIG Construction has been named to Crain’s Best Places to Work in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2025.
When he isn’t working, Tony lives in Chicagoland with his wife, two daughters, and son. He enjoys golf, cooking/dining, working out, and relaxing in Harbor Country, Michigan with his family.
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