“Our firm is nimble and adaptable, evolving with and for our clients and communities. Leadership succession is a natural part of that evolution. It keeps our ideas fresh, our work innovative, and our teams energized,” said Perkins&Will CEO Phil Harrison. “With these very positive changes, we’re poised and ready for an exciting future ahead.”
Jennifer Christiaansen has stepped into the role of Managing Director of the firm’s Minneapolis studio after serving as Operations Director for the last five years. She started her career as a Designer in Perkins&Will’s Chicago studio in 1997 and, after acquiring a decade of experience with other practices both nationally and internationally, she returned to the firm’s Minneapolis studio in 2016. Christiaansen has earned an AIA Minnesota Young Architect Award in 2020.
Tony Layne has been appointed Design Director of Perkins&Will’s Minneapolis studio after six years as its Managing Director. He joined Perkins&Will 22 years ago. Layne is a graduate of the firm’s first Leadership Institute, an annual program that provides hands-on training and professional development support to emerging leaders of the firm. He helped spearhead Perkins&Will’s “Sustainable Design Initiative", the firm’s first concerted global focus on sustainability. Layne helped lead the Minneapolis studio to win an AIA Minnesota Firm Award in 2019.
