Tyler Schott – MBA Energy & Industrial

Tyler Schott approaches operations with the mindset of a builder and the temperament of a coach. Recently promoted to vice president of process operations at MBA Energy & Industrial (MBA), he sits at the intersection of field execution, systems improvement, and people development. His role is not simply to keep projects moving. It is to make sure the organization grows stronger as it scales, with better tools, clearer communication, and more confident teams.

MBA is an industrial construction management company specializing in design-build, remote construction serving oil and gas, industrial, data center, power generation, renewable, mining and manufacturing clients across the United States. Its portfolio ranges from industrial buildings such as data centers, offices, shops, control rooms, blast-proof buildings,  warehouses, transload and manufacturing facilities to process assets including produced water and leachate disposals, compressor stations, solids disposals, gas-gathering and treatment systems, crude oil terminals, anaerobic digesters, renewable natural gas (RNG) upgrading facilities, and pipeline-related infrastructure. The company has worked in 43 states and is known for delivering safe, high-quality projects on schedule.

Schott has been part of that engine since joining the company in 2017, after earning a civil engineering degree from Carroll College and spending more than a decade in related engineering, public affairs, environmental and facility siting work. That mix of technical grounding and client-facing experience shaped how he views operations today.

“Being a leader means being an educator,” Schott says.

Operations that scale

His promotion to vice president of process operations came after years of progressively broader responsibility coordinating project managers, engineers, and field leadership. The mandate is to support growth while improving consistency and execution across every project.

Schott frames operational excellence as a translation exercise. Strategy from the executive team must be converted into repeatable field practices, measurable standards, and daily habits. He focuses on communication, accountability, and execution, traits colleagues regularly cite as his operational strengths.

“You have to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves,” he says.

That philosophy shows up in how he evaluates talent and builds teams. He believes culture fit and work ethic are as important as technical credentials. MBA hires experienced superintendents and project managers, but it also invests in junior staff and early career professionals, giving them exposure across trades and project functions. The goal is to build a long-term workforce pipeline for both onsite and office-based management roles.

He sees renewed momentum across the construction and industrial sectors around workforce development and skilled trades awareness. Rising college costs and stronger wages in the trades have changed the career calculus for many young workers.

“The American dream is still alive and well in construction if you want to put in the time and effort,” he says.

Digital backbone for execution

One of Schott’s most significant operational initiatives has been the multi-year rollout and expansion of Procore construction management software across MBA’s projects. The platform now functions as the company’s central documentation and workflow hub, managing RFIs, submittals, proposals, schedules, daily logs, and drawing revisions under a single system of record.

The driver was complex. Industrial projects generate large volumes of documentation and revision cycles. Without a unified platform, teams risk version conflicts and costly errors. Procore established a single source of truth that connects the office and the field in real time.

Superintendents and project managers use mobile devices on site to access current drawings, submit logs, and track changes without waiting for manual file transfers. That mobility has reduced administrative friction and improved response speed.

The operational impact has been measurable. Standardized workflows reduce rework, shorten review cycles, and improve auditability. Internal coordination is smoother because all stakeholders work from the same verified information set.

“Just because you want something doesn’t mean you get it. You have to put in the work,” Schott says.

For him, software alone is never the solution. Adoption, training, and accountability determine whether tools actually deliver value. His team continues to refine modules so the platform fits MBA’s project mix rather than forcing generic templates.

People & professional development

Schott has also helped lead the launch of an internal professional development training program designed to strengthen communication and collaboration across the company. The premise is simple. Project success depends heavily on relationships, and relationships depend on communication skills.

The program runs scenario-based sessions that simulate real project conversations, including difficult client discussions and cross-department coordination. Participants range from project managers and engineers to administrative staff and emerging leaders.

The intent is practical rehearsal. Employees build confidence by practicing how to navigate conflict, clarify expectations, and align stakeholders before those moments happen on live projects.

The broader value is cultural. Cross-functional understanding improves as teams see how their decisions affect downstream partners. That awareness reduces friction and strengthens internal trust. Schott views this investment as a competitive advantage in retention and performance.

Compliance, resilience & steady growth

Operational leadership at MBA also means navigating regulatory and market shifts. One current focus area involves projects influenced by Inflation Reduction Act requirements, including apprenticeship ratios, prevailing wage rules, and expanded documentation obligations tied to tax credits and incentives.

Schott has been involved in developing compliance approaches that help clients meet these requirements while protecting schedules and the company’s risk posture. He sees this as part of MBA’s value as a knowledgeable partner rather than just a builder.

“You can’t wait for tough times to hit and then react,” he says. “You prepare and stay ready.”

The company maintained steady performance through COVID disruptions and continues to expand. Leadership emphasizes reliability during both disruptions and stable periods, with continued refinement of systems and training.

Outside work, Schott’s priorities are grounded at home. He is the father of three young children and describes his top personal goal as being the best husband and father he can be. Free time centers on family and golf, a sport his children are beginning to learn with him. He speaks about MBA with pride, pointing to fair treatment and advancement opportunities tied to effort and results.

“I think we’ve done a lot of good things and there are still things we can work on every day,” Schott says.

For Schott, operations leadership is a continuous discipline. Improve the systems, support the people, execute the work, then repeat. That cycle, applied consistently, is how projects succeed and how companies grow with purpose. That steady, disciplined approach defines how he intends to lead the operations function going forward, with measured growth, tighter execution, and teams that are better prepared each year than they were the year before.