2020 CLI Alumni Leadership Award Recipient
Mark Cochran
Chief Operating Officer,
S.M. Wilson & Company
Professional Activities:
Mark Cochran began as an intern with S. M. Wilson in 1999. Mark has risen from Project Engineer to the firm’s first COO serving as a Project Manager, Director of Field Operations and Director of Operations in between. Over his 19 year full-time tenure, Mark has managed $500,000,000+ of projects throughout the Midwest including multiple healthcare, industrial and senior living facilities. As Director of Operations, Mark directly influenced the success of high-profile, award-winning projects such as IKEA St. Louis. He also managed the construction of the $60 M Orion multi-use development. In 2017, Mark was named S. M. Wilson's first COO. As a member of the AGC of Missouri’s labor committee, Mark is part of a group that negotiates 14 different agreements with six different crafts covering commercial, industrial and heavy highway work across most of the counties in Missouri. Mark was named to the 2018 St. Louis Business Journal's class of 40 under 40 for his contributions. In 2019, Mark was named to ENR’s National Top 20 Under 40 2019 list. Mark is a 2006 Construction Leadership Institute alumnus.
Community/Personal Activities
Mark currently sits on the board of the Central Institute for the Deaf. Mark joined the board of CID in 2014. As a member of the board, Mark is a member of the investment committee as well as the young leaders. Mark has also donated his time to build three houses for Habitat for Humanity with S.M. Wilson. He provides financial or construction assistance to the underprivileged and is engaged in the Kidstruction fundraiser for St. Louis Children’s Hospital. For the past 13 years, S. M. Wilson has sponsored the Swinging Fore Dreams golf tournament to support the Dream Factory of Saint Louis, a non-profit, volunteer organization granting dreams to children with critical or chronic illnesses. As COO, Mark has served as the emcee for the event and has been an advocate for raising funds.
