HOK has appointed Eli Hoisington, AIA, LEED AP, and Susan Klumpp Williams, AIA, LEED AP, as its new co-chief executive officers, succeeding Bill Hellmuth, FAIA, LEED AP, who passed away on April 6, shortly after his scheduled retirement.
Hoisington and Klumpp Williams, who have served as interim co-CEOs since Hellmuth went on medical leave in May 2022, bring a fresh yet familiar perspective to HOK’s leadership. They have previously led two of the firm’s largest offices and are longstanding executive committee members.
Hoisington, the design principal in St. Louis, and Klumpp Williams, the managing principal in Washington, D.C., have collaborated closely with Hellmuth in the past. They will work with HOK’s board to steer the firm’s design vision, business strategy and operations.
Hellmuth’s legacy spans 32 years with HOK, having served as CEO since 2016 and chairman since 2017. His tenure saw HOK win hundreds of design awards, strengthen its commitment to sustainable and regenerative design, open three new offices, diversify its leadership, and increase its pro-bono work and charitable giving. Under Hellmuth’s guidance, HOK earned recognition as one of Time Magazine’s most influential companies and consistently ranked among the world’s largest and greenest architecture/engineering firms.
Hoisington, 46, and Klumpp Williams, now in her 38th year with the firm, break new ground as the youngest and first woman CEOs in HOK’s 68-year history. They bring complementary skill sets and extensive experience to their new roles.
HOK President Carl Galioto, FAIA, LEED AP, praised the new co-CEOs, stating, “Combining Eli’s design expertise and Susan’s business acumen in this new co-CEO leadership structure will drive HOK’s evolution as a more diverse, collaborative and international design firm.”
Hoisington expressed his commitment to enhancing HOK’s global presence as a preeminent, interdisciplinary design firm while building on Hellmuth’s legacy: “Design remains our core focus, shaping everything from project opportunities and business organization to innovation, research, education, mentorship and community engagement. Above all, we will continue using design to improve lives, heal the planet and contribute to the success of our clients.”
Klumpp Williams shared her experience working with Hellmuth: “Having collaborated with Bill in D.C. for 32 years, I understand how he maintained our founders’ vision for a diverse, design-focused practice. Eli and I will work in a similar manner, with him concentrating on design and me continuing my focus on operations.”
As the first woman CEO in HOK’s history, Klumpp Williams acknowledged the significance of her role: “This is an opportunity to underscore the power of diverse leadership. It also demonstrates HOK’s dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion across the firm. I’m eager to contribute to this ongoing transformation and further HOK’s commitment to ensuring that all our staff have equitable experiences in their career growth.”
Related Stories
Architects | Jan 4, 2017
The making of visible experts: A path for seller-doers in the AEC industry
Exceptional seller-doers have the ability to ask the right questions, and more importantly, listen.
Building Team | Jan 3, 2017
How does your firm’s hit rate stack up to the AEC competition?
If your firm is not converting at least a third of project proposals when competing for new work, it may be time to reassess your marketing tactics and processes.
Architects | Dec 9, 2016
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects receives the 2017 AIA Architecture Firm Award
LMSA is the 54th AIA Architecture Firm Award recipient.
| Dec 8, 2016
Paul Revere Williams, FAIA, awarded 2017 AIA Gold Medal
The Gold Medal honors an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
Building Team | Dec 8, 2016
The NYC Public Design Commission recognizes 12 projects with its 2016 Excellence in Design Award
2016 marked the 34th year the Public Design Commission has handed out its Excellence in Design Awards.
Education Facilities | Dec 7, 2016
How corporate design keeps educational design relevant
Learning is a lot like working; it varies daily, ranges from individual to collaborative, formal to informal and from hands on to digital.
| Dec 6, 2016
Workplace pilots: Test. Learn. Build
Differentiated from mock-ups or beta sites, workplace pilots are small scale built work environments, where an organization’s employees permanently reside and work on a daily basis.
Building Team | Dec 2, 2016
Alexandria Real Estate Equities becomes first real estate investment trust to be named a First-in-Class Fitwel Champion
Fitwel building certification was developed to foster positive impacts on building occupant health and productivity through improvements to workplace design and policies.
Government Buildings | Dec 1, 2016
Unlocking innovation in the government workplace
Government work settings ranked the lowest in their effectiveness across the four work modes: focus (individual) work, collaboration, socializing (informal gathering that fosters trust and teamwork) and learning.
Architects | Nov 20, 2016
D.C.’s first distillery-eatery taps into a growing trend
The stylish location targets customers craving craft spirits and late-night dining.