Pay It Forward: "We are a Constellation of Stars Because of Our Shared Leadership Model"
Co-CEOs, Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen work as a collaborative team responsible for the day-to-day operations of Gensler’s global architecture, design and planning firm.
Diane Hoskins & Andy Cohen, co-CEOs at Gensler
Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen are a collaborative team responsible for the day-to-day operations of Gensler’s global architecture, design and planning firm, which includes 6,000 people networked across 50 offices, serving clients in more than 120 countries.
What has been the biggest challenge in your particular role/? How have you overcome those obstacles?
Cohen: The biggest challenge right now for our firm is the global talent shortage. Our firm is extremely busy, last year having done work in over 100 countries around the globe, and this continues to increase. With 50 offices and 6,000 people and growing, it is important to find the right talent to take on the world’s biggest challenges. Our value proposition for attracting and retaining innovative talent has always been our People-First culture and entrepreneurial spirit. And Gensler’s collaborative model is our greatest asset for helping bring a diversity of ideas to the table, and produce the most innovative design projects. For a company our size, this is our differentiator.
What about your role at the company are you most happy with?
Hoskins: We are working on amazing projects all around the globe. We know that our work makes a difference in the lives of millions of people in all types of communities and impacting people in all types of life circumstances. Whether it’s a classroom, a workplace or a new city, it’s about how design impacts people. We take our mission seriously: to create a better world through the power of design. This is what our amazing teams of creative talent think about and talk about every day. It’s our north star, our guiding force. The ethos today is that we are entering a ‘new era of humanity’ and this is evident in our work at Gensler. Our projects are focused on aspiration, empathy, innovation and courage. These are the new building blocks of the built environment moving us towards a better world.
Cohen: Gensler’s ‘One-Firm Firm’ culture is the biggest value proposition for people and our clients. We are champions of this culture and lead by example. Our clients come to us, asking for us to help answer their biggest challenges.
We like to say we are a ‘Constellation of Stars’ because of our shared leadership model that is set up to embrace the perspectives of individuals from different backgrounds. That’s the secret. That is how we do it. That is how we manage creativity on a global scale. That is how we bring a diversity of ideas to every project to create a better world through the power of design.
What is the best piece of advice you have received that has helped you succeed in your industry?
Cohen: Focus on mentoring your company’s future client relationship leaders. The cornerstone of Gensler’s success is our clients. The leadership with our clients evolves and grows. Often the people you are sitting across the table from at a lunch or impromptu meeting are your clients’ future leaders, so it is important to build those relationships now. Train your people to be client-first, sustain a client-focused culture, and build a deep bench of client relationship leaders. If you can truly become collaborative partners with your clients, that can be your greatest value proposition.
Would you advise any younger person to begin a career in CRE?
Hoskins: This industry is multidisciplinary. It takes an ecosystem of different skills and trades to make a great place. So there are many entry points into this industry, and technology and other advances have opened the doors for smaller scale developers and other players to be involved in shaping the built environment. At one time I think specialization was commonly advised, but today you will have more success if you gain an understanding of all the parts. Interactions with architects, investors, developers, planners, material suppliers, and others will make you not only more valuable to a company, but also to helping a real estate project meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Please share an initiative that you are working on that you are most proud of.
Cohen: As a firm, we are focused on climate change and its impact on the human experience. During the past five or so years, we have witnessed a turn with how society understands the impact of buildings on climate mitigation efforts. Today you see conversations about the built environment’s carbon footprint and how resilient design can make a difference. The scale of this discourse was not there just a few years ago. All stakeholders and companies are now thinking more responsibly.
Just a few months ago, Gensler announced its global green materials initiative. By working with our partners in the industry ecosystem, we are developing new green specifications for low-carbon building materials that will be used across all our projects. With the scale of our work across the globe, this change will have an immediate ripple effect and create a once-in-a-generation change to how we build.
In your opinion what takeaways did we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?
Hoskins: The biggest and lasting takeaway from the pandemic has been our understanding of inclusion. The past two years allowed us to take a step back and ask how we can do things better. As an industry, we examined how a multi-stakeholder approach can ensure our projects meet the needs of many. When we look at the workplace, there has been a lot of research creating new awareness for different workstyles, individual health needs, and those implications for how to design innovative companies.
We have seen more pressure from stakeholders, insurers, and investors to show transparency around creating inclusive cultures within their walls, and creating branded spaces where everyone feels welcomed and a part of something bigger. Inclusive design ensures our spaces and places work for as many people as possible. And more companies are coming to understand inclusive design as part of the larger ‘design thinking’ for their business, and how it can be a strategic asset to maximizing value.
