Former chief Bill Hellmuth died earlier this month
HOK has appointed two new co-chief executives to replace Bill Hellmuth, who died this month shortly after his retirement.
Eli Hoisington and Susan Klumpp Williams, who have served as interim bosses since Hellmuth went on medical leave last May, have previously led two of the firm’s largest offices.
Hoisington, the design principal in St Louis, and Klumpp Williams, the managing principal in Washington, D.C., are respectively the youngest, at 46 years old, and first female chief executives in HOK’s 68-year history.
Klumpp Williams said it was an “opportunity to underscore the power of diverse leadership” and demonstrated the firm’s “dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion across the firm”.
Hellmuth, who worked at HOK for 32 years and served as chief executive since 2016, died on 6 April, aged 69, after a long illness.
“Having collaborated with Bill in D.C. for 32 years, I understand how he maintained our founders’ vision for a diverse, design-focused practice,” said Klumpp Williams.
“Eli and I will work in a similar manner, with him concentrating on design and me continuing my focus on operations.”
The practice’s recently approved projects in the UK include a partial demolition and refurbishment of a 1950s office block near Blackfirars station.
Last year it unveiled plans for a new BBC production base in Bristol, the broadcaster’s largest outside London.
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