Our recruiters are committed to bringing an unmatched level of integrity to every search and placement. Please take some time to get to know our talented team.
Brian Binke
For over 2 decades, Brian has been internationally recognized as one the most successful Executive Recruiters in the Construction arena. He’s won numerous awards for his production. As a recruiter, Brian was the #1 Worldwide Billing Manager in revenue within the MRINetwork (out of over 700 worldwide locations, which includes recruiters from every industry sector).
Brian is one of the most influential thought leaders in the construction industry. His business and construction knowledge has been used as a resource for some of the nation’s most prominent publications. In the past year alone, Brian has appeared in or written articles for The Wall Street Journal, CBS News MoneyWatch, Construction Today, ConstructionDive, United Rentals, Fast Company, American Express, and Human Resource Executive, among others.
Brian is an industry innovator, with a specialized skillset in construction. His ability to effectively match and recruit top leaders has led to numerous accolades. Brian Binke has been consistently recognized in the list of Top 10 Worldwide Billing Owners in Personal Production—across all industries. He is consistently the #1 Worldwide Billing Owner in the construction industry and has been awarded the #1 Billing Owner within the entire network.
“I believe companies are a lot like sports teams. The team with the best players usually wins. It is my passion to deliver the very best talent to my client companies – the market’s top performers, the talent that every company wants to hire but which seldom seems available. To put it simply, I thrive on helping my clients build their Dream Team.”
– Brian Binke, The Birmingham Group
Ellen Binke
Before Ellen and husband Brian opened the Birmingham Group in 1995, she worked in purchasing at a Fortune 100 company. Those days behind her, Ellen now enjoys gardening and working out. She loves living on the lake and spending time outdoors and seeing her son Jacob, an all-season high school athlete, thrive.
Adam Cohen
Adam earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Michigan State University and held positions in sales, management, and marketing with a Fortune 500 company before realizing his true destiny in recruiting at the Birmingham Group.
Adam is married with a kid and resides in the metro Detroit area. He enjoys working out, tennis, ping-pong, running and spending time with his family.
Jody Carr
Jody has been recruiting for the Birmingham Group since 2012 when she built a new market and even made it to Pacesetter status. Pacesetter is a program which promotes top performers within a global network of recruiters. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lakeland College and even managed to squeeze in some master’s classes. She has held positions in outside Sales, account management, and recruiting prior to joining the Birmingham Group.
On a personal note, when she is not working, her husband loves to take her on scuba diving trips around the world.
Nikki Aluia
Prior to joining The Birmingham Group, Nikki held managerial positions in retail. She earned her bachelor’s degree in History from Oakland University with a minor in Marketing, and during her years in college, Nikki was a part of the Honors College and studied abroad at Oxford University in England.
John Gignac
John’s role is building client and candidate relationships, as well as, matching top talent with the needs of his clients. His principled values and resourcefulness have led John to a solid record of accomplishments. He never cuts corners and as a result he never disappoints. Over the years, he has had great success placing passive job seekers, with his strong network of leading construction companies. John is obsessed with helping his clients Build their Dream Team and changing his candidates’ lives.
When John’s not in the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Megan. Besides being a huge fan of the Detroit Tigers, John also enjoys reading history books. On the weekends you can find him on the golf course.
Courtney Clayton
As Director of Business Development at The Birmingham Group, Courtney partners with our construction recruiters to assist clients in building a dream team. Prior to joining TBG Courtney spent the last 9 years in student recruitment in for-profit higher education. The last 3 year Courtney was the Director of Admissions. She has a passion for changing lives whether it be through education or helping them advance their careers.
Courtney is a single mom to a beautiful daughter. When she isn’t working she spends her time with her daughter or traveling.
Nanci Fearon
Nanci has 2 children with her husband of 10 years. She enjoys taking her kids to museums, sports, and school activities. They often travel to England to visit her husband’s family.
Andrew James
Andrew has extensive experience in business development, sales, and marketing in both residential and commercial real estate. He is high-spirited in his endeavor of building mutual relationships with clients and the community.
In his former role as the business development associate of a major real estate company, he was persistent in building new markets and his clients appreciated his clear and thoughtful communication style. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Michigan State University with a concentration in sports reporting and media.
He enjoys staying active through playing hockey, tennis, and ping pong. He and his girlfriend Kaley like to spend time together with friends, family, and with their two dogs. He is a Michigan native and lives in West Bloomfield.
Lisa Leffler
Lisa is the Birmingham Group’s “go-to” for all things and has been for over 10 years. Her role extends from office administration to supporting our Search Consultants, Recruiters, Account Executives and President providing them with everything they need to get the results they are looking for. Lisa is also our “Ambassador of First Impressions,” extending unmatched courtesy to anyone our office interacts with a goal to offer them all the sense of caring and confidence that The Birmingham Group stands for.
Before joining The Birmingham Group, Lisa spent five years as an Executive Administrative Assistant for one of Northern Michigan’s top real estate offices. She also worked ten years in various customer & product support positions for McKesson Corp in Michigan and Arizona.
Lisa enjoys being active with her family and friends, and is especially fond of the time they spend in Northern Michigan. Her passions outside the office include kickboxing classes and cheering on her Detroit Lions.
Christa Amidon
Christa earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and her MBA in global leadership from Cleary University, a private business school. She is also a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Michigan.
She enjoys spending time with friends and family in beautiful Northern Michigan. You can find her on a boat or at the beach in the summer and riding her snowmobile in the winter.
Cori Squires
Her desire to help others grew out of her experience working in retail management. Listening and building strong relationships have always been strengths of hers. She grew up playing competitive fastpitch and pursued it at the collegiate level so, she takes pride in being a team player. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology (with a focus on clinical practice) from Oakland University.
In her free time, she enjoys running with her dog, reading, going to sporting events, and camping. She also loves to spend time with family and go out on the lake in the summertime.