Diane Hoskins is one of two Gensler Co-CEOs. As an MIT-trained architect and holding an MBA from the Andersen School at UCLA, Diane's career has spanned Architecture, Design, Real Estate, and Business. Diane has broad responsibility in running the firm's day-to day operations, which span 6,000+ employees networked across 50 offices in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
As an outspoken voice in architecture and design, Diane is an advocate for sustainable design, climate action, and net zero buildings, Diane has led her firm's strategy to reduce the devastating impact of the built environment on climate change through its Gensler Cities Climate Challenge (GC3) initiative. Most recently, in November 2021, Diane was an invited speaker at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. In her remarks at COP26, Diane made the case for an wholistic approach to decarbonization of the built environment and laid out Gensler's plans as a part of the ecosystem. In 2019, Diane was a spokesperson of the design industry at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, where she announced Gensler's commitment to 100% net zero by 2030. In addition, Diane is a lead contributor to Gensler's Climate Action through Design, an annual sustainability report dedicated to teaching and transparency. As a member of the Boston Properties Board of Directors, Diane chairs the Sustainability Committee, in support of the sustainability strategy of the largest office REIT in the United States. She has been featured prominently as a speaker on sustainability on the international stage in Stockholm, Sweden at the International Women's Forum's World Cornerstone Conference, the Wall Street Journal Future of Cities series, the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, Climate Week NYC. and the United Nations Climate Action Summit.
Diane has championed Gensler's focus on diversity, inclusivity, equity, and justice in the design professions, which has been featured in Wall Street JournaI and other media publications. As a response to the social unrest of 2020, Diane led the development of Gensler's Strategies to Fight Racism, a five-part comprehensive plan to impact the diversity and inclusiveness of the firm, the profession, and the community. Diane also serves on the Inclusive Growth Initiative of the Greater Washington Partnership, a team of top business leaders across Washington, DC, committed to leading the change.
With a focus on delivering design that achieves impact and purpose, Diane focuses on transforming the practice of architecture with thought leadership and state-of-the-art strategies in service of the firm's 3,000 clients in more than 120 countries. With a keen sense of relevance in today's environment, she is known for moving the firm towards design that delivers results and that impact cities and communities. She has championed the firm's reach beyond architectural services to provide a broad, comprehensive platform of design, strategic and digital services to clients around the globe. As a result. the firm has grown substantially while gaining a reputation for excellence across the profession.
A true innovator, Diane founded the Gensler Research Institute with a focus on sustainability, cities, workplace, human experience, and the newly launched Equitable Design pillar. The Gensler Research Institute fuels new advances in architecture and design, using exploration and transdisciplinary collaboration to place design ideas in the context of a more robust case for innovation and change.
Known for her focus on and commitment to the people she works with, Diane believes that leadership is all about investing in and growing people. Her focus on inspiring and encouraging people has been her approach to growing the firm. Over her 25+ year tenure at Gensler, Diane is associated with starting the firm's award winning Talent Development platform, the Gensler intern program, launching the "GO" (Gensler Orientation), the Gensler Exchange Program, Gensler University and countless other initiatives geared towards growing people. She believes that the culture of the firm is the foundation of its success.
Diane serves as a member of many industry associations, including the CEO councils for the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and Forbes. Diane is a Global Governing Trustee and a Global Board of Directors member for the Urban Land Institute. Previously, she served as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Futures Council on Cities and Urbanization as well as the Real Estate Industry Action Group.
