Perkins&Will has announced the appointment of both Brad Zizmor and Derek Newby to its firmwide board of directors. Zizmor co-founded A+I, which merged with Perkins&Will last year, and has served as a managing principal in the firm’s New York Studio. Newby currently serves as managing director of the Vancouver and Calgary studios as well. “The world’s most successful organizations innovate by embracing change while staying true to their values,” says Perkins&Will CEO and chairman Phil Harrison. “At a moment of rapid technological shifts and urgently needed climate action, Brad and Derek will push us to think differently and deliver differently. That’s the kind of creative tension we love at Perkins&Will because it keeps us competitive.”
Bringing forth expertise on building and scaling, Zizmor will focus on strengthening the firm’s strategic advisory capabilities and continue to collaborate with clients including Google, Hines, Vornado, Equinox, Squarespace, and Commonwealth. “More than ever, clients are looking for true thought partners to help them navigate the world’s most consequential challenges with strategic clarity,” says Zizmor. “There is no firm better positioned to do that than Perkins&Will, whose extraordinary constellation of experts, builders, thinkers, and dreamers can create the spark to help clients turn ambition into clear, actionable outcomes.”
A member of Perkins&Will for more than a decade, Newby will continue to support strategic growth and coordination for the firm across Canada. He will also be tasked with stewarding closer collaboration across each studio, encouraging shared learning and collective problem-solving. Newby will work to advance the holistic Living Design framework to help position Perkins&Will deliver more resilient, future-ready outcomes in response to climate pressures and emerging technologies. “At our best, we help clients and communities navigate complexity with care, judgment, and imagination. I see real opportunity for our profession to lead with confidence on sustainability, human experience, and the responsible use of emerging technologies,” he says. “By strengthening connections across our studios and disciplines, we can elevate our impact and help clients navigate change with confidence and care.”
