#48 - Bill Mandara, Chief Executive Officer & Owner at Mancini Duffy
08/13/2025
Episode details
Join us in this exciting episode of the Slice of Construction podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Bill Mandara, Chief Executive Officer & Owner at Mancini Duffy.
What you’ll get out of this episode:
- From Roots to Leadership: Bill Mandara shares his journey from a family of contractors to leading Mancini Duffy through a strategic transformation and nationwide expansion.
- Diverse Practice Areas: Mancini Duffy now spans corporate interiors, aviation, hospitality, life sciences, residential, healthcare, and more.
- Tech-Driven Innovation: The firm integrates AR, VR, and AI into project delivery, aiming for real-time approval and construction from Revit models.
- Valuing Expertise: Mandara advocates for a shift away from commoditizing architecture, stressing the value of experience and collaborative problem-solving.
- Client-Centric Philosophy: His leadership emphasizes teamwork, relatability, and making complex processes approachable for clients.
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A Legacy Reimagined
Bill Mandara’s journey into architecture was shaped by a family legacy in construction. With a deep-rooted understanding of the field, he transitioned from a small firm in New Jersey to co-owning and leading Mancini Duffy—transforming it from a 50-person New York interiors firm into a 140-employee powerhouse with offices in New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, Washington, and beyond.
Evolving the Practice
Under Mandara’s leadership, Mancini Duffy diversified from its financial services interior roots to handling aviation projects, industrial facilities, high-end restaurants, lab spaces, healthcare environments, and luxury residential properties. A standout achievement: the TSX Broadway project in Times Square, involving lifting the historic Palace Theater and building a modern tower around it—a testament to bold thinking and intricate collaboration.
Innovation Beyond Blueprints
Bill emphasized his team’s use of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to revolutionize project delivery. The ultimate goal? A future where dynamic Revit models can directly guide construction and receive building department approval—eliminating archaic reliance on flattened drawings.
Championing Integrated Teams
Mandara highlighted the value of integrated project teams. Successful outcomes, he notes, stem from early involvement of architects, contractors, engineers, and owners—ensuring alignment and effective problem-solving from day one.
The People Side of Architecture
For Mandara, it’s not just about design—it’s about people. He believes the most lasting client relationships are built through mutual respect, professionalism, and a sense of camaraderie. As he puts it, people want to work with people they’d grab a beer with.
