Siggy Pfendler, Director of Improvement & Innovation at Columbia 

How many years have you been in your current field? 20

What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? Construction is not an easy profession. Period. If you work hard and know your stuff, you can excel and succeed. You need to have a solid understanding of the technical side, which is best learned on projects, but it is also a relationship-based profession so building strong relationships is critical for success.