Meet Ezgi Kosereisolgu Talarico, Senior Manager | Private Sector Growth Leader

Deep Roots Nurture Continued Growth in an Industry She Loves

Ezgi Kosereisoglu Talarico’s career could seem preordained. Now a Senior Manager and Private Sector Growth Leader for Gilbane Chicago, she’s been rowing in this direction since childhood. Her parents are architects. Their circle of friends who felt like an extension of the family also came from the industry.

“Not only was I surrounded by architects and builders in my family, but my entire life, I was in the job site trailers and the design studio,” she said. “I grew up in that space, quite literally.”

But even with deep roots in the industry, Ezgi faced her share of critics.

She was eight years old when her family moved to the United States from Turkey, but they returned to their home country every summer. She was eager to get a taste of the working world, and her parents were likewise adamant that she use those summer months for something productive. She started interning with architectural and construction firms when she was just in middle school, where she first encountered sexism in the industry.

“My boss at one of the internships said to me, ‘I don’t know why you’re choosing to be a woman in a field like construction. You're never going to be as successful as you want to be’,” she recalled.

It’s a moment that has stuck with her ever since.

“I am going to prove you wrong. I am going to show you that I am successful,” she said.

Ezgi has already delivered on that promise. She earned her engineering bachelor’s and MBA from Northeastern University, with two co-ops. Her co-op advisor was the one who recommended she check out Gilbane, and in an interview with longtime executive Bill Kearney, she made an immediate impression when he asked what she loves most about job sites.

"I’ve always loved it when you could see the skeleton of a building, and then all the finishes come in, and it actually looks like a home for the first time. I can now imagine the family that’s going to live here,” she said. “It’s a magical moment when a skeleton becomes a structure.”

Ezgi’s passion for construction shined during her interview, and she was hired as a co-op for the Special Projects Group, a new team at the time that had a lot to prove. She was charged with coordinating subcontractors and helping with bidding and procurement, and as the size of the projects she worked on grew, so did her enthusiasm.

“I really liked the experience at Gilbane, and I really liked the people at Gilbane,” she said. “They gave me a lot of responsibility, and I loved that.”

After Ezgi graduated, Gilbane hired her full time and, soon after that, she enrolled in the company’s Management Candidate Acceleration Program. The program allows up-and-coming leaders to test out different positions and teams within the company. Once she completed the program, Ezgi pitched a new role as a pre-construction manager for the Special Projects Group. Gilbane was on board, and it led her down a rewarding path. She became the first leader of Gilbane's employee resource group empoWer, a group dedicated to women’s growth at Gilbane, and helped build the Rising Contractor Program, meeting incredible mentors and champions along the way.

 “I started to raise my hand and ask the question, ‘what next?’ I still want to be challenged,” she said.

What was next was Chicago.

Ezgi was starting from zero—she didn’t know anyone in the city—but she was drawn to the team in part because of its female leader, Vice President Karrie Kratz. Ezgi also felt confident that she could be successful in Chicagoland, because no matter what, she had Gilbane in her corner.

 “I knew I wanted to stay with Gilbane because they’ve just been so good to me,” she said. “They’ve always given me the support and resources I need for my growth, but also the opportunities. Why would I leave a company that gives me everything I raise my hand and ask for?”

Ezgi keeps raising her hand. Beyond her day-to-day role as the Private Sector Growth Leader, she is a Board Member for CoreNet Global’s Chicago Chapter, serves on the DEI committee for the Professional Women in Construction Chicago Chapter, is an events committee member for the Lean Construction Institute’s Chicago Chapter, and is an Executive Committee member of the Northeastern Civil Engineering Alumni Organization.

In these industry organizations and at work, networking is something Ezgi prioritizes. She builds strong relationships with team members and peers. She even stays in touch with that former internship boss.

As for his perspective on her career?

"He sent a message congratulating me," she said.