John Liptak

President and CEO, OakWood
General Carpenter – Class of 1978

For John Liptak, from early beginnings of sweeping his father’s construction sites at age 11 to today, everything comes down to family. John combined his love of computer software with his college education as a carpentry apprentice to grow the family business to the biggest renovation company in Eastern Ontario.

John is the president and CEO of OakWood, an award-winning Ottawa design and build construction company with many service offerings. His detailed understanding of the construction industry and knowledge of first class customer service has made OakWood a leader in the industry. Today, OakWood is a fourth-generation family business with deep roots in the community since the mid-1950s.

Since 2013, John has partnered with television host contractor Mike Holmes on a number of initiatives including the OakWood-Holmes High Performance Initiative, which enables homeowners to choose tested, innovative products and materials for their renovation and custom home projects in four fast-evolving areas of innovation: energy efficiency, healthy living, sustainability and technology. John has been credited with revolutionizing the construction industry, taking a strong innovative approach to designing, managing and building.

John’s success can be traced back to passion, hard work, and attention to detail. His daughters recall attending company management meetings while they were in high school and, as a strong reminder of family pride, they received company business cards for various positions since the age of 10. For them, their father’s passion and work ethic are inspirational.