tvsdesign’s Janet Simpson On Challenging the Status Quo

Janet Simpson

Atlanta, GA—As the first female to hold the company’s top leadership position, Janet Simpson, President of tvsdesign, a 52-year-old global architectural firm, has stood out in a male-dominated field within the architectural design industry.

“Leadership is challenging in any situation. Both the firm and the architecture industry are well established with baseline behaviors and assumptions about what creates a thriving firm and industry,” observes Simpson. “What I have observed, is that when you challenge the status quo by questioning existing frameworks, then people are faced with a choice to engage with you or find a reason to dismiss you, which usually comes in the form of criticism. So yes, it is challenging but I don’t think of it as challenges due to a male-dominated industry as much as challenges due to an industry that has the benefit and curse of being well established.”