SEATTLE (October 15, 2018) – Gensler, the global design firm, announced today that Ryan Haines will join its Northwest Leadership Team as Co-Managing Director of the Seattle office. Haines will share the responsibility of leading the office with Karen Thomas, who has served as sole Managing Director since joining the firm in 2011, and who was recently appointed to Regional Managing Principal of the Northwest Region.
Haines has been a natural leader for Gensler Seattle since joining the firm in 2000. He founded the Seattle studio for the Consulting and Brand Design practices, focusing on the development and implementation of long-term global design strategy programs for some of Gensler’s most innovative clients, including Microsoft, Tableau, and Redfin.
Building on the insight gained as a studio director, along with the natural connectivity that comes from being part of a firm with a strong West Coast presence, Haines is able to connect the top two tech markets in the nation: Seattle and San Francisco. He leverages his knowledge and understanding of both markets as he leads his clients strategically toward the future.
“I’m excited about this new role within the Seattle office and the firm,” says Haines. “I look forward to building on our core strengths—global expertise, market knowledge, data analysis, and the use of technology—to build a deeper understanding of the human factors involved in the practice of design. That’s how we’ll take our firm to the next level at any scale, and propel the Seattle office and Northwest region forward.”
Partnering with Haines to lead the office will allow Thomas to expand her own reach as the Co-Managing Principal of the Northwest Region. Thomas and Haines will focus on the strategic growth of the Seattle office while bringing an informed, regional, and global perspective to their project approach.
“As the Seattle practice continues to diversify and grow, Ryan’s leadership style keenly supports our strategic goals,” says Thomas. “He has an uncanny ability to leverage expertise from around the world, bringing the strength of 6,000 people at Gensler to bear in a way that’s truly globalto-local. His mindset is on the leading research around design on a human scale—incorporating wellness and resilience to lead the market. I look forward to collaborating with him as the role evolves.”
About Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 48 locations and more than 6,000 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas. Founded in 1965, the firm serves more than 3,500 active clients in virtually every industry. Gensler designers strive to make the places people live, work and play more inspiring, more resilient and more impactful. Visit www.gensler.com.
