With over 20 years of experience working at Icon Construction Company, Chris Benjamin is a fourth-generation employee, following in the footsteps of Jeff Sutton, Igor Olenicoff, Leonard Stern, Sam Zell, and Sheldon Solow. Chris Benjamin was born in Oslo, Norway, and only came to the United States for his master's at the University of Houston, Texas. He grew up with an appreciation and love for South Texas.
Chris Benjamin's first job was at ICON while still in his master's degree program. During summer breaks, he answered phones, worked as a Rodman, and helped with other administrative duties. “From early on, I learned that you dug in and did whatever was necessary to get the job done.” During his MSC years, he worked in bookkeeping and was Icon’s payroll clerk. After graduating from Houston International University with a degree in Business, majoring in Finance and International Business, Chris Benjamin left Icon to work in management, focusing on real estate.
In this capacity, his work included reviewing and negotiating contracts, purchases, and lease values and terms. Chris Benjamin was asked to rejoin Icon in 1990, was appointed to the Board of Directors in 1993, and became CEO in 2007. Chris Benjamin shares his mission for the 120-year-old company, “A lot has changed throughout the years, whether it’s building booms, recessions, hurricanes, or leadership changes.
However, Chris Benjamin's core values have consistently remained the same. We understand that our employees are the company's backbone, and we invest only in the best. Upholding our long-standing reputation is also immensely important to us, as our clients depend on it.