After 15 years with the firm, six of those as a partner, Woodhead has appointed Angelo Di Marco as its new CEO and managing director.

Woodhead chairman John Churchill said: “the appointment of Angelo to the leadership role is recognition that design firms must be lead by designers who are not only skilled in their profession but understand and have a global outlook.

“Angelo brings to his role as CEO skills developed by working with business leaders in Australia and in the Asia Pacific region on large, complex and business critical projects designed to provide sustainable competitive advantages to his clients.

“Angelo is a true professional, passionate, committed and the right person to have as a leader of Woodhead into the 21st century. He understands how a business like Woodhead must provide an opportunity for all our people to grow and succeed and make a difference to the success of our clients.”

Woodhead has designed a number of significant nation building infrastructure projects in Australia, including Sydney Airport Terminals 1 and 2, the Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne, Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, and the new campus for Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast.

Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne. Image: Woodhead

Di Marco said the firms experience in delivering such projects, and projects in Asia, such as Singapore’s new Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 redevelopment, the new Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, as well as projects in India, Africa and Indonesia for global brands such as; Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, CIMB, and Permata Bank, positions the company well for the Asian century.

“We set up business in Asia nearly 20 years ago, and we see ourselves as both insiders in Asia and capable of bridging the design understanding between Asia and Australia. Intra-Asia trade is now bigger than trade between Asia and Europe. Asian investors are investing across Asia and into Australia.

“Our challenge will be to continue to contribute to the shaping of developing economies and developed economies like Australia and Singapore through urban and city strategies. We aim to provide design and infrastructure solutions which address each country’s unique global economic and political landscape.

“In fact, Woodhead was the first Australian design firm to establish a recognised China design business”.

Woodhead started in Adelaide in 1927 and like other Adelaide practices, Hassell and Woods Bagot, grew to become a significant global player in architectural services.

Di Marco comments: “We continue to foster a culture of innovation by being the first in our industry to achieve Climate Friendly status in 2006 — taking the initiative to offset all business carbon emissions.

“Woodhead was the first Australian design firm to establish a recognised China design business and to set up a European association. More recently Woodhead has led the integration of BIM technology into architecture and design project processes.”