The British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced Katrina Kostic Samen as its new President.
Katrina Kostic Samen, Founder and Managing Partner at KKS Strategy, formally takes over the position from Ken Shuttleworth, Founding Partner of Make Architects, at the BCO’s Annual General Meeting in London on Wednesday 11th July 2018.
As Chair of the BCO Annual Conference held earlier this year in Berlin, Katrina set out the vision for her Presidential year, challenging delegates to look at the workplace from multiple occupier perspectives, and to ensure that they are designing and delivering offices which are inclusive and provide for a diverse workforce.
Commenting on her appointment, Katrina said: “As technology evolves at pace, and the way we live and work changes, so too must our commercial offices.
“The recent BCO Annual Conference 2018 in Berlin focused on a key issue – how to design and build workplaces which are inclusive for a diverse workforce. At the Conference, I challenged delegates to redefine the BCO to mean “Building Communities for Occupiers” – to move away from thinking in old fashioned terms about creating a building, and instead shift to a more diverse and inclusive world where the role of placemaking is central. I will continue to extend this challenge to the BCO membership throughout my presidency.”
Katrina started her career at Wilmot Bower Architects, before moving to Gensler where she was instrumental in setting up the firm’s London office in 1989, and went on to become its first female Partner.
After 19 years at Gensler, Katrina founded KKS in 2004, an all-female-led interior architectural practice based in London. The practice today both advises major developers and end users in the financial, legal, insurance, media and corporate sectors throughout the UK, USA and globally.
Katrina regularly speaks on best practice for workplace design, development criteria, and occupier strategy. She has been a BCO member since 2006, a Board Member for eight years, and will be the organisation’s third female President.
Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, commented: “I express my sincere thanks to the outgoing President, Ken Shuttleworth, for his significant contribution to the BCO. During his presidency, Ken was a driving force behind the BCO NextGen design competition ‘The Office of 2035’, as well as leading a new programme of outreach to our membership through the President’s survey. He also chaired our 2017 Annual Conference, held in London, presenting a thought-provoking programme of plenary sessions and tours, which was very well received by delegates. We are grateful for his commitment to the BCO, not just during his presidential year, but across the course of his 18-year membership.”
