Skip to content

Culture

2026 Staff Promotions

Tags Culture, News

We are pleased to share the following staff promotions:

Louise Sharp is promoted to Senior Principal

A professional portrait of a woman with long, straight blonde hair, smiling gently at the camera. She is wearing a beige blazer over a black top, and her relaxed yet confident pose in an office setting suggests experience and authority.

Since joining HLW in 2010, Louise has worked across the New York, London, and Shanghai offices. Since making HLW LA her permanent home in 2015, Louise has led the California studio’s interior design practice. Her contributions also extend beyond California into global business development and design leadership groups. It is rare to find a leader who is so well liked by design teams and clients while being such a fun person to spend time with. We are excited to promote Louise to Senior Principal and look forward to seeing the continued impact she will have on the firm and the industry.

 

Johanna Devia is promoted to Principal

The image depicts a woman with long dark hair and a contemplative expression, dressed in a black blazer and top, with her hand on her hip. The background features warm, circular bokeh lights, which contribute to a sophisticated atmosphere likely within an office setting. The image depicts a woman with long dark hair and a contemplative expression, dressed in a black blazer and top, with her hand on her hip. The background features warm, circular bokeh lights, which contribute to a sophisticated atmosphere likely within an office setting. The image depicts a woman with long dark hair and a contemplative expression, dressed in a black blazer and top, with her hand on her hip. The background features warm, circular bokeh lights, which contribute to a sophisticated atmosphere likely within an office setting.

Joining HLW in 2017, Johanna excelled as a Job Captain and Project Manager, overseeing major projects for clients including Comcast and Google. In 2021, Johanna stepped into the role of Studio Director for the Barclay Studio, while continuing to serve as a Senior Project Manager on key accounts such as Bain & Company, MetLife, Citadel, and New York Life—each of which has thrived under her leadership. She has also been a driving force behind HLW’s Project Management Task Force, leading global efforts to strengthen processes, improve consistency, and elevate training across the firm. Johanna brings exceptional organization to her work, along with a rare balance of professionalism and energy that strengthens both her teams and client relationships.

 

Jeremiah Hancock is promoted to Principal

The image features a smiling man with glasses, short hair, and a smart-casual appearance, wearing a dark grey blazer over a navy shirt. The background has a bokeh effect with soft, circular light spots, suggesting a modern and dynamic office environment.

Jeremiah joined HLW in 2015 as a Job Captain and Project Manager, bringing nearly two decades of experience in commercial architecture. His work spans live-feed studios, broadcast renovations, and workplace interiors, consistently meeting the rigorous demands for redundancy, testing, futureproofing, and scalability in the fast-paced media and entertainment sector. Jeremiah assumed leadership of HLW’s Connecticut studio in 2021 and was later named Sector Leader for Media and Broadcast in 2023. Backed by a formidable depth of technical knowledge, he brings credibility and clarity to both clients and teams—supporting global business development while leading the execution of complex projects for organizations such as WWE, PGA, Charter Communications, NBC Sports, and CBS.

 

Ikue Sone is promoted to Principal

The image captures a woman with a gracious smile, short black hair, wearing a chic dark grey top. She stands with her hands gently clasped in front of her, against a backdrop featuring warm bokeh lights, suggesting a sophisticated indoor setting.

Ikue joined HLW in 2015 as a Project Manager in the New York studio. A licensed architect in both Japan and the United States, she has built her career across leading architecture practices in Tokyo and New York. At HLW, Ikue expanded her expertise into complex interiors, notably through her work with the United Nations, where she continues to play a key leadership role, as well as projects for Dechert, Twitter and other major clients. Her experience now spans a wide range of sectors, including institutional, residential, media, and workplace. In 2021, Ikue became Studio Director of the Wall Studio, HLW New York’s base building practice. In this role, she has proven herself to be a strong and steady leader—highly organized, deeply committed to her team, and a trusted advocate for clients.

 

Stephanie Kotowski is promoted to Delivery Director, CA Studio – Los Angeles 

Stephanie has earned this promotion through her extensive experience leading highly technical and uniquely complex design projects. Known for her mastery of technical detailing, code review, and jurisdictional permitting, she is a trusted resource and mentor who consistently guides teams through complex constructability and regulatory hurdles. Stephanie’s strong relationships with consultants and vendors help strengthen project delivery, and her credibility with clients and owner representatives has been instrumental in securing new high-profile projects. With a proven track record of successfully steering projects through construction administration, Stephanie is an impressive technical leader and an invaluable asset to the firm’s continued growth.

 

Shelley Quinn is promoted to Design Director, London Studio 

Shelley has been an outstanding member of the HLW team, consistently demonstrating leadership, creativity, and dedication. Her experience across multiple offices gives her a global design perspective and enables seamless collaboration with diverse teams and clients. She brings genuine passion and inspiration to everything she does. She leads with energy and generosity, fostering a positive, creative, and collaborative environment while delivering excellence. From pitching and creative bid work to strong conceptual thinking, to detailed implementation and hands-on delivery, she combines creativity with technical expertise. Shelley also strengthens HLW’s industry presence through networking, business development, and speaking engagements, including Worktech and Mix roundtables. We congratulate Shelley on this well-earned promotion to Design Director.

 

Jeff Bailey is promoted to Director of Digital Practice

Jeff brings a human-centric approach to leadership, genuinely caring about his team’s development and supporting them through challenges. He recognizes and praises good work, motivates others, and leads by example with deep technical knowledge. His promotion to both Senior Associate and Director of Digital Practice acknowledges his strong leadership of the Design Technology group and his passion for keeping us at the leading edge of technology and innovation.

 

Additional Promotions

Congratulations to our new Senior Associates: Sohee Moon, Gordon Wilhelm, Hau Hsu, Jamie Cobb, Katalin Mogyorosi, Brian Nelson, Ailín Lacey, Brian Ledder (Ark Strategic Consulting), Junrui Wang (Spark Studio Lighting Design), Lev Nagdimov, Rachelle Respicio, and Michael Kemp.

Congratulations to our new Associates: Ashley Membreño, Daniel Sweeney, Carl Ricaurte, Srushti Nehete, Vatsal Upadhyay, Hilda Duque, Adonijah Campbell, Neethi Rachel Abraham, Katie Hayes, Aishwarya Pai, Sarah Scargill, Manushi Sheth, Maggie Lo, Savanah Watts, Gabi Dwyer (BEYOND), Stephen Kinzler, Jodian Wickham, and Michael Kruse.

News & Insights

All News & Insights

How to Make Your Residential Building Feel More Luxurious

The Importance of Collaboration Between Architects, Designers, and Clients

Bright, spacious bar area featuring a soaring, wooden-beamed ceiling with circular pendant lights. Light spills in through several skylights. A central bar made of warm wood is surrounded by modern bar stools, complemented by lush greenery, creating an inviting social atmosphere.

What Is Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)?