Leadership

Robert DiLeo

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Mr. Robert DiLeo, an accomplished and highly respected executive and board chairman, has more than 26 years of experience in the telecom and utilities industry. Presently he serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board for Hylan, a leading provider of full-service turnkey communications solutions, electrical infrastructure design and construction services for wireline, wireless and smart city municipal services across the U.S. Prior to his position as Chairman, DiLeo served as Vice President & COO of Hylan Datacom & Electrical, a division of Hylan serving the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania markets. In his career, DiLeo played a key role in the development and expansion of Hylan Datacom & Electrical into emerging technologies such as fiber optic cable and wireless telephony. He was instrumental in developing and implementing best-industry-practice installation procedures ensuring safe, quality installations. DiLeo continues to bring innovation and excellence to Hylan in his role as Chairman, responding to our customers’ evolving competitive market needs.

DiLeo is an exceptional and highly valued thought leader, invited to speak at key telecom industry events and on webinars, covering topics like emerging technologies, including 5G and in-building wireless, as well as smart city development, telecom infrastructure best practices, and much more. He has been featured in prominent industry publications such as Telecom Ramblings, InterGlobix Magazine, CIO Review, Construction Today and more.

DiLeo is an avid golf player and serves as board member for the Metedeconk National Golf Club, a private, 27-hole facility designed by world-renowned golf course architects Robert Trent Jones, located in Jackson, New Jersey.

Crystal DeNatale

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Crystal DeNatale oversees financial operations for Hylan, including all four Hylan divisions: Hylan Datacom & Electrical, Hylan West, Down Under Construction and Western Utility. She has over three decades of finance experience; much of that in the construction industry. Crystal’s financial management experience spans both the public and private sectors. She has provided consultative services and held key administrative positions, including Financial Controller and Chief Administrative Officer. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ferris State University in Michigan and subsequently earned her CPA.

Robert Bianco

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

A seasoned telecom industry professional with over 25 years of extensive telco, sales, and enterprise development experience, Robert Bianco presently serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Hylan. In his role, Robert is responsible for developing and executing company sales, liaising with partners, securing business partnerships, and overseeing public relations and marketing plans, while implementing new strategies and tools for Hylan and all of its company divisions. Prior to Hylan, Robert served as Vice President and General Manager for the NYC Metro Area for tw telecom (presently CenturyLink). Robert also held key management and sales positions at companies such as Last Mile Connections, Inc., Qwest (presently CenturyLink) and Tata Communications. A leading industry expert on optimal network solutions, including business continuity and disaster recovery, Robert is also a distinguished speaker and mentor. His speaking engagements include panels at the Annual New York City Real Estate Expo, Converged New York, Real Estate Tech Forum, Telecom Exchange, and the 3rd Annual Spring Forum on Financing, Investing & Real Estate Development for Data Centers. He also serves as an Associate Board Member for SCTE•ISBE, the premier membership organization for technical cable telecommunications professionals; a member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY); and Advisory Board Member for JSA, the leading provider of public relations, marketing and event services to companies in the telecom, data center and tech sectors.He contributes regularly with articles on topics such as 5G, smart cities, fiber optic connectivity and more to publications such as New York Real Estate Journal, Pipeline, Construction Today and In Building Magazine. Robert is also certified in Sales Training by the Miller Heiman Group. He serves as a member of the Saint Rocco Society of Potenza and in his spare time, also enjoys volunteer coaching and deep sea fishing.

Mark Mickiewicz

CORPORATE COUNSEL

As Corporate Counsel, Mark negotiates and manages Hylan’s contracts; oversees risk management; ensures compliance with regulations, statutes, and other obligations; and defends Hylan and its subsidiaries from all types of claims. A practicing attorney for over 16 years, Mark has litigated all manner of construction disputes, from Workers’ Cmpensation claims to eight figure breach of contract complaints. He is as comfortable in the courtroom as he is in the boardroom and regularly represents the Hylan companies in civil, regulatory, and municipal venues. While the prevention of claims and disputes through careful planning and thoughtful management executed from the inception of Hylan’s projects and transactions through their completion is Mark’s first concern, he helps to ensure that issues which nonetheless arise are resolved to the satisfaction of Hylan, its employees, and its clients, thus minimizing the risks inherent in the nature of Hylan’s work.

John S. DiLeo Jr.

PRESIDENT, HYLAN DATACOM & ELECTRICAL

Mr. John S. DiLeo Jr. worked side by side with his father, Mr. John S. DiLeo Sr., for over 20 years, learning the Hylan Datacom & Electrical business hands-on. In his role as President of Hylan Datacom & Electrical (HDE), he carries on the strong client service orientation and stringent quality standards, which are the family tradition. DiLeo oversees HDE’s day-to-day business operations, directly influencing how company resources are allocated to deliver growth and profitability to the business. Along with the rest of the senior management team, DiLeo reviews daily project reports and production sheets, actively monitoring the progress and status of all jobs. He is actively engaged with customers and employees, and his primary objective is helping ensure quality of work and customer satisfaction.   

Mr. DiLeo graduated from St. John’s University in 1983. Over the course of his career, he has served in executive leadership roles, gaining comprehensive experience overseeing complex operations and guiding strategic direction for multiple well-established organizations. He presently serves as board member for the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) and the National Utility Contractors Association of New Jersey (NUCA). He is also a member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York City and the New York Electrical Contractors Association. Additionally, DiLeo is a successful restaurateur and avid sports fan, with a life-long allegiance to the New York Jets.

Karen Rutherford

GENERAL MANAGER, DOWN UNDER CONSTRUCTION 

Karen has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. As General Manager of Down Under Construction, a Hylan Company, Karen is responsible for overseeing the project management operations from the bidding process to the project close-out phases. In addition to these responsibilities, she manages all aspects of job cost reporting and analysis. Karen also takes on roles outside of her normal job duties and often assists other departments with process improvements for job cost reporting.

Prior to joining Down Under Construction, Karen worked for OSP Consultants as Supervisor of Field Office Integration for a $75 Million Dollar turnkey project.

Leon Markham

PRESIDENT, HYLAN WEST

Providing leadership for the Hylan West team, Leon Markham boasts 21 years of telecommunications experience and initially entered the industry working on a construction crew. He has hands-on experience in the field and has also acted as a construction inspector for an engineering firm and a contractor. This has allowed him to develop skills in the design and implementation of copper, coax and fiber networks as well as road, dark fiber, long haul and DAS builds and more.

Rob Schaffer

PRESIDENT, WESTERN UTILITY

Rob has over 20 years in the construction industry, beginning as a steel erector and eventually transitioning to management. Rob graduated from the University of Illinoi with a BS in Civil Engineering in 2006 and has since become a registered Professional Engineer. Rob’s experience ranges widely; from large supportive excavations, large underground concrete drainage structures, mass excavations, drill & shoot tunnels, sewer & water main construction, large and small scale turnkey fiber optic network builds, and emergency response and restoration. Previously, Rob managed a branch office in central Illinois overseeing all aspects of operations. Rob serves current telecom and civil clients while developing new clients in other market sectors. Additionally, Rob mentor’s junior managers in an effort to grow and expand our talent pool.

Jonathan Jones

SAFETY DIRECTOR

Jonathan comes to Hylan with a rich and diverse background of both construction and public safety with a unique level of insurance industry knowledge. Prior to becoming a member of the Hylan family, Jonathan was the Safety Director for Western Utility; now a Hylan company. Before Western Utility, he held multiple roles of increasing responsibility with an international construction and maintenance contractor in the refining and chemical industry, ending his tenure as the Corporate Compliance Manager. As a former first responder he has seen the impacts of incidents on families and coworkers he brings that passion to Hylan in the form of continuous improvement and a focus on leadership skills.  Jonathan is an experienced safety director with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. Skilled in Emergency Management, Workplace Safety, Safety Management Systems, Root Cause Analysis, Underground Damage Prevention, Utility Safety, Excavation Safety and Job Hazard Analysis. Jonathan holds certifications from both Northern Illinois University and the University of Florida.  Outside of work Jonathan is active in his community, having served in several capacities and currently as a volunteer with his local youth soccer club, a commissioner of his city Planning and Zoning Commission and he serves the construction industry as a member of the Board of Directors of JULIE, Inc., the not-for-profit one-call service serving the state of Illinois.