Nick Pera

My grandparents taught me about hard work and good food. When I was 12, on weekends, I would help them cook and cater at their Slavonic cultural center.

Loyalty, caring, and a drive to never give up – these were instilled in me by my mother’s character. I have my mom to thank for giving me the best opportunities to grow, be challenged and succeed.

My grandfather’s garage was the start of my love for building. I spent summers building toys — cars, helicopters — from scrap materials. His favorite was a chopper I made; he kept it for decades.

Everything comes from hard work. Own your character. It’s all about relationships.

Employee development is one of the most important things in business. You’re only as good as the team working with you. If you want to be great you have to surround yourself with great people.

Truebeck’s culture is like no others. Steve Jobs refused to change his company’s culture as they grew— so shall we.

I’m more confident now than I was 10 years ago. I feel empowered to make a difference and contribute to the success of our company. I can be me. My friends would tell you I’m happy, loyal and spontaneous. I value integrity above all.

We really can build anything. Our biggest opportunity is leveraging the success of our extraordinary projects. The structural, architectural, and technological feats that are awe-inspiring.

Our leadership comes from an era that embraces technology. We understand we have to innovate and evolve. Technology does not live in its own silo. Innovation spans departments— we are all responsible for continuous improvement.

When I drive into work every morning, I’m most excited about working with our team members — I could not ask for a better group of people to work with. Hardworking, diligent, the best of the best.  Everyone is committed to “Raising the Bar” and living our corporate values.

Leadership qualities are inherent. Still, you can learn a great deal from mentors and other admirable leaders that can only make you more compassionate and effective. I have many mentors, and I have taken the best from each of them. Gary Walz — how to treat those around you and the importance of ethics; Mike Strunsky — the passion for building and “There’s a great deal more to life than bricks and mortar”; Joe Francini —always be prepared; and Sukmander Singh — engineering integrity and every life lesson can be summarized in a classic Monkey story.

I get so much fulfillment from coaching and developing. I’m most proud of the careers I’ve helped build and grow.

Always do the right thing no matter the cost. If you always tell the truth you never have to remember what you said. When I think about the legacy I want to leave, I remember the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote my daughter shared with me: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

On weekends my wife and I explore San Francisco. We try coffee shops, walk neighborhoods, and eat at restaurants we’ve yet to try. The City is our favorite place.

Cooking is my favorite hobby. I wish I could be home at 2 pm everyday to cook a delicious meal for my family.