Transformation for a Resilient Future

Dave Gilmore is the President & Chief Executive Officer of DesignIntelligence. He is a frequent university lecturer as well as corporate speaker across the Built Environment industry. His work involves frequent interaction with leadership teams and governance entities regarding leadership transition, business sustainability, and organizational resilience. He serves as a strategic advisor to many of the largest and most successful Built Environment industry firms in the United States. Dave is also the Founder and Managing Director of The Tricord Group, a boutique equity fund with partners in Atlanta, Boston, and Minneapolis.

Scott Simpson is an award-winning architect and former CEO of The Stubbins Associates. A Richard Upjohn Fellow of the AIA and Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, he has published more than 200 articles on issues of innovation in the A/E/C industry as well as four books: How Firms Succeed 5.0, The Next Architect, Lessons from the Future, and Small Firm Success. He teaches at the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard University and is a member of DI Strategic Advisors.

Don has more than 3 decades of experience in Architecture, with an emphasis in studio management and development side owner’s representation. He spent 13 years with HKS, a global design firm with over 1400 employees and 24 offices, serving as San Francisco Office Director and Director of Hospitality. Prior to HKS, Don was a Principal with Hill Glazier Architects, Inc., where his projects included the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel & Residences, the Ritz Carlton Drove Mountain in Marana, AZ, the Montage Deer Valley Resort & Residences in Park City, UT, the Four Seasons Napa Valley, and the Yellowstone Lodge in Big Sky, MT. Today, Don serves as a Principal of DesignIntelligence Strategic Advisory where he focuses on creating cohesive team dynamics and promoting individuals’ professional growth.

Phyllis is the former President of Kimball and Kimball Health and EVP of Kimball International, a leading omnichannel commercial furnishings company with deep expertise in the Workplace, Health and Hospitality markets. With a successful career spanning over 30 years, her deep knowledge of Health, Design and Strategy has been honed through leadership roles in distinguished organizations including Herman Miller, HKS and Steelcase. Phyllis holds numerous professional affiliations and is Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certified.

Bob Fisher brings more than 30 years of strategic foresight, business, branding, communications, and marketing experience to DesignIntelligence. Prior to joining DesignIntelligence, he spent seven years working in strategic communications in the education sector and has worked in marketing for media and entertainment, manufacturing, technology, and other industries. He publishes and speaks on strategy, brand and marketing, communication, and leadership for professional practices.

Steve served as Chief Operating Officer of HGA Architects and Engineers for 15 years, steering the growth, expansion, and profitability of the organization. Steve was in HGA leadership for 32 years. During Steve’s tenure as COO, his firm embarked on a successful national expansion strategy that included organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Design excellence of HGA under Steve’s leadership has been recognized through scores of awards, including AIA National Honor Awards. Steve served in leadership positions for both AIA Minnesota and AIA National. He is a Richard Upjohn Fellow and a DFC Senior Fellow.

Michael is Managing Editor at DesignIntelligence. He was formerly vice president with Holder Construction, a national CM firm creating boundary-breaking practice areas in design management, BIM and collaboration; principal with Lord Aeck Sargent Architects; and project designer / project architect with Heery International. Winner of multiple design awards, he is the author of Managing Design (Wiley 2019) an Amazon best-selling release, and contributing author and editor to five other books. A top-rated keynote speaker, his 50+ year career has focused on industry change.

A recognized global leadership coach and organizational development professional, Blanca has 25+ years of successful experience developing and executing human capital management solutions for companies large and small. Blanca’s tenure with GE Capital and The Tricord Group has won accolades from many C-Level and board of director entities. Her expertise in executive level leadership development has been applied to the A/E/C, pharmaceutical, and banking domains.

Ken Sanders FAIA is a Principal at DesignIntelligence, where he provides strategic consulting services on digital innovation, leadership development, and operational excellence. Prior to joining DI, Mr. Sanders served as Chief Information Officer, Managing Principal, and Board member at Gensler, where he co-led the team responsible for Gensler’s global operations, including finance, legal, talent, design technology, research, and business development. Ken also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of DIRTT, a leader in sustainable prefabricated interiors, as well as Board Member and Chair of the Compensation Committee at NELSON, a leading architecture and interior design firm. Ken is also author of the recent book ‘Voices of Design Leadership’, published by Wiley.

Hael is a global and well-regarded executive with substantial experience in the private, public and startup sectors. His holistic approach to strategy draws from domain expertise in design innovation, digital and emerging technologies, smart cities, healthcare, education, and media and entertainment. Most recently Hael was a Principal and Global Director of Digital Strategy at Arup. He has been an international advisor to the DesignSingapore Council, Denmark’s INDEX: Design to Improve Life, and the UN/UNESCO global observatory for digital futures. Previously he held senior leadership roles as Chair of Digital Sydney (Australia) and for the Lucasfilm, Animal Logic, and PDI Dreamworks studios.