Ramin Cherafat
Chief Executive Officer
McCownGordon Construction
Kansas City, Missouri
As its chief executive officer, Ramin Cherafat has played a critical role in the growth and success of Kansas City, Missouri-based McCownGordon Construction.
Under Cherafat’s leadership, McCownGordon opened a Dallas-Fort Worth office in the fall of 2021 and launched a national business unit focused on building solutions for the manufacturing industry the same year. In 2019, this commercial industry veteran of nearly 30 years expanded the company’s presence in Kansas by opening a Wichita office. McCownGordon now consistently ranks as a top construction manager in nation..
Also under Cherafat’s leadership, McCownGordon celebrated a strong year in 2023, achieving record backlog, revenues and profits. And during this growth Cherafat continues to prioritize the company’s core values of integrity, performance and relationships. According to the company’s surveys, 97% of associates said that they believe the leadership team makes decisions based on those values.
“I enjoy the variety of professions that you work with in the real estate and construction industry,” Cherafat said. “From real estate professionals to designers, to bankers, attorneys, investors and the vast variety in the construction industry, I can’t think of another industry that collaborates so much across so many professions. I really enjoy that aspect of the business and building those relationships.”
Cherafat is also active in his community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, is immediate past Board Chair for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors of The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He also sits on the Board of Trustees for the University of Missouri – Kansas City and The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.
Cherafat and his wife support various charitable organizations in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, including the Children’s Mercy Hospital, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Metropolitan Community College and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City.
McCownGordon Construction has also been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 100 Medium Sized Companies in the United States to work for in 2018 and 2020, and as one of the 2019 and 2021 Best Workplaces for Millennials and a Top 15 Best Workplaces in Construction winner in 2023. McCownGordon ranked for 17 consecutive years as a “Best Places to Work” by KC Business Journal. Additionally, the Wichita regional office was recognized three years in a row by the Wichita Business Journal as a “Best Place to Work.” Named 2019’s #1 General Contractor by the KC Association of American Subcontractors, the company also achieved First place in 2020’s Safety Excellence Award by Kansas City Builders Association.
“I believe the single biggest factor is always focusing on people and relationships,” Cherafat said. “The ‘nuts and bolts’ of our industry is something everyone can learn and adopt. What I truly believe sets the best firms apart are those that focus on people, developing people and building genuine relationships over the long term.”
Cherafat lives in Leawood, Kansas, with his wife, Ashley, and their three children, Marina, Sophia
and Hudson.
