Five new senior leadership positions have been announced by DesignInc Melbourne, as two new Directors and three Principals strengthen DesignInc's leadership team. The move expands the director group to six within the Melbourne design firm.

New Directors Jane Sayers and Kieran Leong are both passionate about design and its potential to positively influence people’s lives. The new Principals, Nicole de Lacy, Adrian Doohan and Cameron Smith are all established and highly respected leaders within the practice and industry.

”These promotions reflect our vision to add value to our clients through high quality leadership. The new roles strengthen our capability to lead high performing teams, deliver large-scale projects, collaborate with other practices, and innovate at senior levels with clients, stakeholders, and the industry,” say DesignInc Directors, Christon Smith, Darryl Suttie, Stephen Webb and Rohan Wilson in a shared statement.

A leader with over two decades of experience, architect Sayers joined DesignInc in 2005 and became a Principal in 2021. As Director, she will have continued involvement across a broad portfolio of projects in education, health, and research sectors.

As a design focussed leader Sayers advocates for quality and innovation at all scales of the built environment.

“My design leadership style aims to foster collaborative team and stakeholder relationships with end user experience and the creation of healthy environments at the core,” Sayers says.

“Meaningful project outcomes are created through partnerships and shared vision. Actively listening and involving clients and stakeholders in the journey adds the most value.”

As a highly experienced all round architect and leader Leong brings a passion for sustainability and design innovation to the team.

With a decade of experience leading major teams and projects Leong joined DesignInc in 2014 and became a Principal in 2021.

“My role is to ensure that DesignInc delivers on creating healthy, sustainable, buildings. First-hand involvement with projects allows me to constantly be learning from our successes and challenges; raising the bar for excellence as we go,”, says Leong.

‘With Jane and Kieran on board as Directors, it enables us to be more effective as leaders. We will each be able to focus more strategically on our strengths.’, say DesignInc Directors.

As an advocate for quality in process and design, architect Nicole de Lacy is a highly valued and sought after leader in the practice and Industry. De Lacy brings a calm assurance to her team and clients, expertly navigating complex relationships and briefs.

As a Principal, she will have an increased involvement in leading large projects and teams with a particular focus in the health and research sectors.

“Nurturing flexible and healthy teams is key to achieving successful project outcomes and improving the quality of our design and delivery – I’m proud to be a part of a company that prioritises this. I look forward to continuously building relationships with our clients and industry partners to create healthier buildings together,” says de Lacy.

Adrian Doohan is a highly experienced leader and architect with over two decades experience in delivering complex briefs and projects in Melbourne for DesignInc. In addition, he has expertly led internal teams within the practice for over a decade with a focus on supportive wellbeing as a basis for successful project outcomes.

As a Principal, Doohan will continue to lead and develop many areas of the practice and team with a portfolio focus of projects in education, community and research sectors.

“My passion lies in understanding - whether it's people, buildings, or businesses. I thrive on collaborating with clients to delve into the intricacies of their operations, responding with designs that not only cater to their needs but also prioritise the wellbeing of their people. Integrating these insights into structures that support a climate-resilient society is both a challenge and a privilege,” says Doohan.

All round architectural leader Cameron Smith has been responsible for leading many of DesignInc's most challenging design projects. Smith is a talented architect and model leader with a progressive style and diverse skill set that enables him to negotiate the complexities of team dynamics and project challenges.

As a Principal, Smith will continue to progress and expand his leadership and architecture with key clients and projects. ‘Complex fast-moving projects that demand agility and problem-solving skills are the jobs I enjoy most. My speciality is having the versatility to straddle roles and support the entire team to perform at their best,” says Smith.

“These leadership appointments attest to the confidence we have in our people and our intention to encourage an expanded mix of strengths and more diversity of styles and viewpoints,” say DesignInc Directors.

“We continue to build the momentum and capacity of our practice as we work toward our vision to create Australia's healthiest buildings.”

Image: From left to right: Cameron Smith, Kieran Leong, Jane Sayers, Nicole de Lacy, and Adrian Doohan / Image credit to Lucas Allen.

Clémence Carayol

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