People

People

Our Team

Our specialist team of design managers and skilled operations team has worked on some of the most exciting projects in the world. We’re passionate, proactive people from diverse consultancy backgrounds who value each other’s talent and experience.

  • Sophie Pearce
    Sophie Pearce Senior Design Manager
  • Natalie Jones
    Natalie Jones Senior Design Manager
  • Lucy Freeston
    Lucy Freeston Associate Director

    Lucy’s been with us since 2016 and became Associate Director in 2021. She leads the transport sector and coordinates our team’s training and continuous professional development.

    Having worked on many complex, large-scale projects for some of the world’s most celebrated architects, Lucy understands the importance of ensuring projects are set up right from the start with careful monitoring throughout to ensure successful delivery.

    She’s worked across sectors including transport, education, commercial, hospitality and retail, most recently on the Heathrow Expansion and Euston Station masterplan.

  • Ryan Farthing
    Ryan Farthing Associate Design Manager

    Ryan joined us in 2021, bringing almost a decade of design management experience to the team. He became Associate Design Manager in 2022.

    Ryan’s background in design management in construction engineering means he sees things more holistically, understanding not only what the architect needs but what the client and contractor expect. He’s worked across project stages from early feasibility to handover, is an expert in construction contracts, and has broad sector experience covering commercial, transport and infrastructure.

    Right now, he’s supporting an internationally-renowned architect on a masterplan for a major new entertainment, sports, and arts district in Saudi Arabia.

  • Jonathan Leah
    Jonathan Leah Associate Design Manager

    Jonathan is an Associate Design Manager with over twenty-five years of experience working as an architect across all stages of the design process. He joined us in 2021 and co-leads our higher education sector.

    Jonathan has worked with some of the best architects in the world, defining and managing the design delivery process for complex projects. He has extensive higher education experience in the UK and overseas, so he understands how universities operate and the challenges they face. He’s also worked on award-winning schools, infrastructure schemes and hospitality projects.

    He’s currently supporting the design team on the Firoz Lalji Global Hub, a highly sustainable new landmark building for the London School of Economics.

  • Gerhard Thorne
    Gerhard Thorne Design Manager
  • Emily Zinselmeier
    Emily Zinselmeier Design Manager
  • Ellie Smith
    Ellie Smith Design Manager
  • Samantha Avery
    Samantha Avery Finance Manager
  • Bulelwa Nkohla
    Bulelwa Nkohla Office Manager
  • Ned Barran
    Ned Barran Associate Director

    Since joining us in 2017, Ned has been working on new-build and refurbishment projects in the UK, Middle East and beyond. He was promoted to Associate Director in 2022, leads the hotel sector and is interested in widening our reach into emerging markets.

    Ned has over fifteen years of sector-wide design management experience, with plenty of that working on-site. His construction know-how means he understands architect, contractor and client perspectives on and off-site. He was involved in transforming a brutalist London landmark into The Standard’s first UK hotel, working with the design and construction team to resolve communication and coordination issues.

    He’s currently working on Saudi Arabia’s first opera house and recently worked on the Abrahamic Family House, a unique building for inter-religious dialogue and exchange in Abu Dhabi.

  • Dina Abu Shamat
    Dina Abu Shamat Design Manager
  • Gerard Daws
    Gerard Daws Director & Co-Founder

    Ged provides strong and consistent management, leadership and direction for our team. He keeps us true to our values, ensuring we’re open to exciting opportunities just as long as they’re right for our people and the business.

    For over twenty-five years, Ged’s worked on all types of projects worldwide, helping architects define, implement and manage the design process. He acutely understands the importance of protecting the project vision by determining crucial factors early on, ensuring teams are focused on the same goals.

    He has led the design management on a collaborative campus for University College London, an urban regeneration masterplan in Barking and the Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi, home to some of the rarest exhibits in the world.

  • Olivia Stobs-Stobart
    Olivia Stobs-Stobart Design Manager
  • Morné Share
    Morné Share Design Manager
  • Joshua MacManus
    Joshua MacManus Design Manager
  • Joshua Jones
    Joshua Jones Senior Design Manager
  • Monica Win
    Monica Win Design Manager
  • Natalie Giannakopoulou
    Natalie Giannakopoulou Senior Design Manager
  • Zoe White
    Zoe White Marketing Manager
  • Ananya Suneel
    Ananya Suneel Design Manager
  • Peter Chinnock
    Peter Chinnock Design Manager
  • Gail Lewis
    Gail Lewis Design Manager
  • Mamta Joshi
    Mamta Joshi Design Manager
  • Isabel van Wyk-de Gouveia
    Isabel van Wyk-de Gouveia Design Manager
  • Christianna Chatizchristou
    Christianna Chatizchristou Senior Design Manager
  • Tomasz Marchewka
    Tomasz Marchewka Senior Design Manager
  • Rachel King
    Rachel King Associate Design Manager

    Rachel joined us in 2018 after spending almost a decade working in architectural practice. She was promoted to Associate Design Manager in 2022 and plays a key role in coaching our junior staff members.

    Rachel has worked in almost every sector, from transport infrastructure, science research facilities and education buildings to complex cultural projects. She also has experience with large-scale masterplans, most recently at Carpenters Estate – one of London’s largest and most ambitious estate regeneration programmes.

    Outside the office, she is a Part 3 Examiner and Guest Lecturer at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

  • David Palmeri
    David Palmeri Associate Director

    David has been with us since 2016 and became Associate Director in 2021. He leads our cultural sector, bringing his passion and experience to managing the complex coordination of many specialist disciplines that come with these projects. He is also in charge of quality across the office, ensuring the technical excellence and consistency of our projects, our team and our bespoke design management tools.

    Before Plan A, David worked as an architect on large-scale projects at firms big and small, including Foster + Partners. He understands the need for good design management no matter the size of the practice and is keenly attuned to the expectations of architects, clients and design teams.

    He lectures for the Master of Design Administration course at his alma mater, the Welsh School of Architecture.

    David was promoted to Associate Director in 2021.

  • Josh Banwell
    Josh Banwell Design Manager
  • Caleb Kung
    Caleb Kung Senior Design Manager
  • Janet Durkin
    Janet Durkin Design Manager
  • Nick Willars
    Nick Willars Director & Co-Founder

    Originally qualified as an architect, Nick possesses over twenty-five years of experience. He brings leadership, strategy, management and design programming expertise to the team and ensures we deliver quality across every project.

    Having worked with some of the world’s greatest architects and designers, helping to define and manage design strategies and delivery methodologies on large, complex projects, Nick has a profound understanding of the design process. Some recent projects include the Museum of London relocation to West Smithfield, a £100m landmark multi-storey campus building for the London School of Economics and the renovation of Victoria Palace Theatre in London for the opening of the Hamilton production.

    RIBA Publishing commissioned Nick to write Project Leadership: RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Guide.

  • Emily Yeung
    Emily Yeung Senior Design Manager
  • Stacey Pike
    Stacey Pike People and Culture Manager
  • Mi Yao
    Mi Yao Design Manager
  • Jennifer Sale
    Jennifer Sale Associate Design Manager

    Jennifer joined us in 2016, bringing a unique mix of architectural experience with a business background. In 2021 she was promoted to Associate Design Manager and now heads up the masterplanning division in the office, ensuring we’re delivering a high-quality, tailored service to our clients.

    Jennifer has broad experience working worldwide on masterplanning, cultural, aviation, hospitality and residential projects, working alongside world-renowned architects to deliver hugely complex projects and supporting them to realise their design vision.

    She’s recently worked on masterplans for new cities, major sports and residential districts, and an extraordinary new international airport for Mumbai. She was also instrumental in the competition-winning team for the UK Holocaust Memorial & Learning Centre.

    Outside the office, Jennifer recently taught a RIBA Part III Professional Practice lecture on programmes at the University of Cambridge. She was also a judge of the inaugural The AJ Specification Awards.

  • Eric Okoro
    Eric Okoro Design Manager
  • Cheryl Tang
    Cheryl Tang Senior Design Manager
  • Ben Brouard
    Ben Brouard Associate Director

    Ben’s been with us since 2019 and became Associate Director in 2022. He heads up the sports sector and oversees our business development and marketing planning, working closely with the senior team and our Marketing Manager.

    Ben comes from an architectural background, and before joining us, he worked on some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects for Crossrail and the London Underground. But his experience isn’t limited to transport – he’s worked on masterplans, sports and cultural projects, including the new Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi.

    Ben is skilled at fostering relationships and enjoys working with architects in the early stages of the bidding process, helping to build consultant teams and develop programmes and fee schedules that lead to competition success.

  • Simon Ward
    Simon Ward Design Manager
  • Simon England
    Simon England Associate Design Manager

    A former architect before joining Plan A, Simon has over twenty-five years of experience, so it’s fair to say he knows the design process inside and out. He joined us in 2018, becoming Associate Design Manager in 2021. He co-leads the higher education sector.

    Simon has worked on complex projects across sectors, including large fit-outs to new multi-storey buildings and cultural masterplans. Recently, at Project Apple, he’s been working with the architect team in delivering the design for an extraordinary new R&D centre and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for a biopharmaceutical company.

    Outside the office, Simon judges architectural awards and is actively involved in the UK branch of Docomomo. He also teaches on the Professional Practice courses at the University of Westminster, the University of Cambridge and the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

  • George Birch
    George Birch Design Manager
  • Sunita Bhawal
    Sunita Bhawal Design Manager
  • Max Milton
    Max Milton Design Manager
  • Alice Gordon
    Alice Gordon Design Manager
  • Phumelele Khuzwayo
    Phumelele Khuzwayo Design Manager
  • Boitumelo Dire-Masela
    Boitumelo Dire-Masela Design Manager
  • Joanna Kielbowska
    Joanna Kielbowska Senior Design Manager
  • Edric Okungbowa
    Edric Okungbowa Finance Assistant
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