Our Team

Bob Smith

Bob Smith is the founder and President of The Allied Group but prefers to be known as the firm’s Chief Satisfaction Officer (CSO). Bob’s exceptional focus and dedication to customer satisfaction are the driving force behind The Allied Group’s repeat business from the country’s leading and most demanding clients. He has an undergraduate degree in business from Fairleigh Dickinson University and over 35 years of experience in the construction industry. He is an active philanthropist, supporting several local and national organizations including: Catholic Charities of Monmouth County; Hope For The Warriors – Honor Day; Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation; The Board of Advisors for The Wall Business and Finance Academy at Wall Schools and The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. Bob is an avid golfer, loves to ski and spend time with his wife three daughters and family.

Pedro Lescaille

Pedro is a construction industry veteran with over 30 years of experience. His diverse background and entrepreneurial spirit serve him well in his role as President & Chief Operating Officer. He joined Allied in 2006, playing an integral role in operational design and execution of projects, accountability, consistency and follow through. His leadership style is based on a hands-on approach, with sharp attention to detail and bottom-line results. He guides daily business operations at Allied and has direct involvement in all projects to deliver the best possible value to our clients. He and his wife enjoy horse training, tending to farm chores and supporting the state and local police and first responders.

Chuck Blunda

After receiving his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University, Chuck Blunda joined The Allied Group as an Estimator in 2003. He was then promoted to Chief Estimator in 2005 and Vice President of Preconstruction in 2017. Chuck and his team are responsible for all aspects of the pre-construction process, from site visits to bid packages, to the preparation of preliminary schedules. In addition, Chuck works closely with owners and management teams to develop preliminary and conceptual budgeting based on his extensive knowledge of brand standards and historical information of the hotel and restaurant renovation industry. Outside of Allied Chuck can likes to spend time with family and friends, golfing and home renovation projects. Chuck and his wife Abby are active with The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, Catholic Charities, Impact 100 Jersey Coast and multiple cancer research organizations.

Ken Phillips

As Director of Marketing & Business Development, Ken plays an integral part in building and maintaining relationships with Allied’s client base. His role includes client development, marketing content, strategy and segment understanding, as well as market penetration. In his early years, Ken built a real estate publication called “The Area Guide”, that quickly became a valuable resource to many small to mid-sized businesses. He has shared his expertise around social media, business development and sales techniques with hundreds of advisors and peers throughout his career, earning him several prestigious sales awards along the way. He considers himself an expert in the people business and takes great pride in his strong work ethic, ability to connect people, and desire to help others first. Ken is a big music fan, having recorded a few hundred original songs with multiple bands. He plays the drums, a few percussion instruments in addition to some guitar too.

Darin Valentine

Darin joined Allied from a large accounting firm in NJ where he was a lead in the construction sector. He has 15 years of overall experience in accounting as well as an undergraduate degree in accounting from Rowan University, and a MAcc from Rutgers. Darin oversees all financial and accounting operations and transactions for Allied and takes great pride in fostering a fun team environment with his staff. Outside of Allied, Darin enjoys his wife, 3 young children and black lab.

Gioia Herrmann