Global architecture practice HOK has appointed Eli Hoisington and Susan Klumpp Williams as its new co-chief executive officers, succeeding Bill Hellmuth who passed away on April 6, shortly after his scheduled retirement.
Hoisington and Klumpp Williams, who have served as interim co-CEOs since Hellmuth went on medical leave in May 2022, bring a fresh yet familiar perspective to HOK’s leadership. They have previously led two of the firm’s largest offices and are longstanding executive committee members.
Hoisington, the design principal in St. Louis, and Klumpp Williams, the managing principal in Washington, D.C., have collaborated closely with Hellmuth in the past. They will work with HOK’s board to steer the firm’s design vision, business strategy and operations.
Hellmuth’s legacy spans 32 years with HOK, having served as CEO since 2016 and chairman since 2017. His tenure saw HOK win hundreds of design awards, strengthen its commitment to sustainable and regenerative design, open three new offices, diversify its leadership, and increase its pro-bono work and charitable giving. Under Hellmuth’s guidance, HOK earned recognition as one of Time Magazine’s most influential companies and consistently ranked among the world’s largest and greenest architecture/engineering firms.
Hoisington, 46, and Klumpp Williams, now in her 38th year with the firm, break new ground as the youngest and first woman CEOs in HOK’s 68-year history. They bring complementary skill sets and extensive experience to their new roles.
HOK President Carl Galioto praised the new co-CEOs, stating, “Combining Eli’s design expertise and Susan’s business acumen in this new co-CEO leadership structure will drive HOK’s evolution as a more diverse, collaborative and international design firm.”
Hoisington expressed his commitment to enhancing HOK’s global presence as a preeminent, interdisciplinary design firm while building on Hellmuth’s legacy: “Design remains our core focus, shaping everything from project opportunities and business organization to innovation, research, education, mentorship and community engagement. Above all, we will continue using design to improve lives, heal the planet and contribute to the success of our clients.”
Klumpp Williams shared her experience working with Hellmuth: “Having collaborated with Bill in D.C. for 32 years, I understand how he maintained our founders’ vision for a diverse, design-focused practice. Eli and I will work in a similar manner, with him concentrating on design and me continuing my focus on operations.”
As the first woman CEO in HOK’s history, Klumpp Williams acknowledged the significance of her role: “This is an opportunity to underscore the power of diverse leadership. It also demonstrates HOK’s dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion across the firm. I’m eager to contribute to this ongoing transformation and further HOK’s commitment to ensuring that all our staff have equitable experiences in their career growth.”
About Eli Hoisington
Eli Hoisington serves as design principal in St. Louis and is a member of HOK’s executive committee and board of directors. He also leads the firm’s global design board.
He joined HOK in 2005 in New York, where his projects included NewYork Presbyterian Hospital’s David H. Koch Center; LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B; LG’s North American Headquarters; Canon USA’s Headquarters; the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; multiple projects for Roche Pharmaceuticals; and the new Chancery of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations. Internationally, his projects included 7 million square feet of development within the New Songdo City Development in Incheon, Korea, and the Brigade Gateway mixed-use development in Bangalore, India.
In 2014, Hoisington was promoted to design principal in HOK’s St. Louis studio. In his time in St. Louis, he has focused on significant projects in and around the city. These include 4220 Duncan and multiple other projects at the Cortex Innovation Community; the St. Louis North Riverfront Stadium proposal; the modernization of Le Meridien Hotel; the Grand Flats Apartments; Centene’s urban campus in Clayton; and St. Louis CITY SC’s CITYPARK stadium. Outside St. Louis, his projects have included the IU Health Bloomington Regional Academic Health Campus in Bloomington, Indiana; the University of Wisconsin’s Biology and Chemistry Building in Stevens Point; Tyson Foods’ Emma Avenue Office in Springdale, Arkansas; the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs William Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs; the Mayo Bioscience Building at One Discovery Square in Rochester, Minnesota; and the Arterra Residential Tower in Kansas City.
He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.
About Susan Klumpp Williams
Susan Klumpp Williams is the managing principal of HOK’s offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa and Miami.
She is a member of HOK’s executive committee, operations committee and board of directors. Additionally, she serves as the executive committee sponsor for HOK’s management and managing principals boards.
In addition to her many firmwide leadership responsibilities, Klumpp Williams has overseen an array of significant projects across the world since joining HOK’s Washington, D.C., office in 1985. Her projects include the Nationals Park Major League Baseball stadium and the D.C. Consolidated Forensic Laboratory in Washington, D.C.; the New Midfield Concourse B and Concourse B West Expansion at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia; the FBI Laboratory Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia; Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Msheireb Downtown Doha Phase 4 in Doha, Qatar; and numerous government projects including the Moscow and Abu Dhabi U.S. embassies.
She holds a Master of Business Administration in International Business from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia.