GroupGSA Managing Director Mark Sheldon is handing the reins to four long-serving directors, in a changing of the guard that the practice describes as a ‘natural evolution and transition’.
After more than 40 years as the head of the practice — who work across Australia and Asia — Sheldon will step aside in July, with Lisa Maree Carrigan, Peter McCamley, John Holland and Nancy Piazzolla continuing the architects’ legacy.
“When clients entrusted me with their work, I needed the confidence and courage to know I had the right Directors in place to design and deliver their projects, understand their commercial drivers and design excellence imperatives,” he says.
Well supported by ten Principals — eight in Australia and two in Asia — the Directors oversee specific national disciplines including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and urban design.
Since the early 2000s, Sheldon has been ably assisted by Co-Director and architect Michael Mandl — who is set to step back from his full-time position at GroupGSA in favour of a consulting role. Mandl says working alongside Sheldon was straightforward due to the similar approach they share in completing various tasks.
“From the outset, I liked that Mark encouraged a collaborative culture and we are aligned in our collegiate, cooperative approach,” he says.
The group of four taking over the leadership of GroupGSA all hold significant tenure as Directors. The practice believes that their individual talents have equipped them to recognise and respond to client needs, deftly oversee large-scale, complex projects — and manage teams across multiple locations. The leadership collective will draw upon a great depth of multi-disciplinary skills and experience to deliver the market valuable insights and future-focused design solutions.
Lisa Maree has the longest tenure on the team — two decades with GroupGSA. She heads up the practice’s architecture and urban design disciplines. Known for her dynamism and energy, Maree is routinely described as both ‘a pleasure to work with’ and a ‘powerhouse of ideas’.
Peter McCamley leads the practice’s interior design and workplace projects and brings to GroupGSA more than 25 years of experience — the last five at GroupGSA. “Peter has exceeded expectations in growing our national interiors business, and is a great intellect and communicator,” says outgoing Managing Director Mark Sheldon.
John Holland has notched up almost 12 years with GroupGSA and oversees the practice’s landscape architecture business, along with a team of 30 designers. His collaborative yet entrepreneurial approach is deftly applied to a range of design work — spanning residential, multi-residential, infrastructure, and urban design projects.
Nancy Piazzolla’s almost 15-year career at the practice has seen her effortlessly balance the dual roles of Director and Chief Operating Officer. Her combined financial acumen, HR and operational skill sets make her an invaluable part of the team.
