On The Move October 2025: Creatives Shaking Up The Industry

Interior Design spotlights the industry’s latest movers and shakers—from key promotions and new hires to notable retirements in recent weeks.

Meet The Creatives On The Move In October 2025

Tarkett

Tarkett has promoted Antonio Bucca to senior director, product management, Soft Surface, after serving since 2013 in various roles, most recently as senior director of sales operations. Bucca, currently pursuing an executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, will lead product strategy development to drive growth and innovation. Melinda Rutledge succeeds Bucca as senior director of sales operations after two years as senior director of operations excellence. She brings over 20 years of operational excellence experience and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, focusing on sales productivity and revenue growth.

Lawrence Group

Lawrence Group has hired Nick Naeger, as associate principal/senior project manager for its student housing practice at the firm’s St. Louis headquarters. A Kansas State University architecture graduate, Naeger brings 20 years of experience specializing in residence halls, dining facilities, and academic spaces. His portfolio includes projects for prestigious institutions such as Penn State, University of Notre Dame, Colorado State University, Texas Tech University, and Washington University in St. Louis. The addition strengthens Lawrence Group’s student housing expertise following its 2023 acquisition of nationally recognized student housing design firm KWK Architects.

Perkins Eastman

Perkins Eastman has promoted 68 team members, including six new principals, 10 associate principals, 19 senior associates, and 33 associates. The new principals are: Heather Cain, Vijo Cherian, Kyle Kernozek, David Smallets, Brett Swiatocha, and Kathryn Wagner. The new associate principals are: Seri Carroll, Jack Chin, Renee Deets, Malcolm Edwards, Sarah Johnson, Charles Sinclair, Nate Sunderhaus, Douwe Wieberdink, Xie Xin, and Yun Yang. The promotions recognize individuals who inspire teams, advance culture, and champion design innovation across the global firm’s 25 studios.

Ware Malcomb

Ware Malcomb has welcomed eight new leaders from CBRE’s U.S. Design Collective, the commercial real estate firm’s in-house architecture and design division, across its Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, and New York offices. The additions include Christopher Herron (director, structural engineering, Atlanta) and Lydia O’Neal (director, interior architecture & design, Atlanta); Adrienne Harbarger (director, interior architecture & design, Chicago) and Sally Unger (director, interior design, Chicago); Lauren Prickett (director, interior architecture & design, Dallas); Sarah Szekeresh (studio manager, branding, Denver); Ernie Garcia (studio manager, architecture, Miami); and Matthew Danowski (director, electrical engineering, New York). The move follows last month’s announcement that the entire domestic Design Collective team joined Ware Malcomb.

Ware Malcomb also appointed Demetrios Stavrianos as director, architecture in its Phoenix office to lead the firm’s Mixed-Use, Retail, and Multifamily practice areas and regional business development. Stavrianos brings 35 years of experience spanning townhouses, mid-rise and high-rise multifamily, mixed-use residential, retail, urban planning, museums, food & beverage, and commercial office design. A University of Illinois at Chicago architecture graduate, he is known for his engaging leadership style, long-standing client relationships, and passion for mentoring teams while developing creative solutions to win work across the Southwest region.

MillerKnoll

MillerKnoll has appointed John Hoke as board chair, effective October 13, 2025, succeeding Mike Volkema after 25 years of service. Hoke has served on the MillerKnoll Board since 2005 and spent over 30 years at Nike Inc., most recently as chief innovation officer. The company has also named Jeff Stutz chief operating officer, effective September 8, 2025. Stutz has served as chief financial officer since 2015 and helped navigate Herman Miller’s acquisition of Knoll, Inc. in 2020. He will oversee international contract business, global manufacturing operations, and Europe-based brands including HAY, Muuto, and NaughtOne.

MG2

MG2 has announced the retirement of MJ Munsell, chief creative officer, after over three decades of retail design leadership studying consumer behaviors and mentoring designers. Munsell joined MG2 as a retail principal in 2013 and was elevated to the firm’s first-ever chief creative officer in 2020, championing human-centered design across diverse markets. She led project teams for high-profile clients including Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Tommy Bahama, and Hyatt. Under her leadership, MG2 became a top retail design firm recognized by VMSD and ENR, and an Interior Design Sustainability Giant. Munsell continues as an industry consultant following her July 2025 retirement.

The Gettys Group

The Gettys Group has announced a strategic organizational restructure and senior leadership promotions to strengthen operational integration and position the firm for long-term growth. Key promotions include Angelica Acebedo-Frint to chief creative officer, overseeing creative direction and AI integration; Chris McDonough to senior principal, leading strategic assignments; Ryan Schommer to principal, interiors: Bespoke; Kara Orth to principal, interiors: Prototypical; Anne Hiter to principal, procurement; Matt Swope to chief of staff; James Kokonas to director of AI; and Jillian Kennedy to director of human resources. The Chicago-based integrated hospitality design firm has been serving developers, operators, and brands for over 35 years.

Corgan

Corgan has made three strategic leadership hires to bolster growth in Data Centers, Health, and Office sectors. Ken Clausen joins as principal in data centers in New York, bringing 30 years of mission critical project management expertise to the firm ranked No. 1 data center architect in the U.S. Joey Kragelund is appointed associate principal and Los Angeles health studio leader with over 35 years of healthcare experience. Patrick Magness joins as associate principal and office sector studio leader in Phoenix with 30 years of experience. The hires support Corgan’s rapid growth, having expanded into six new markets and doubled headcount to over 1,200 employees in five years.

The Designers Group

The Designers Group has acquired Interior Images, a Los Angeles-based design firm specializing in healthcare and senior living environments, which will become TDG’s West Coast studio. Cheryl Sanders, founder of Interior Images, joins TDG as senior vice president of healthcare to oversee the firm’s expanding portfolio of Senior Living, Healthcare, and Hospitality projects nationwide. Sanders brings over 35 years of expertise and founded Interior Images in 1990, growing it into a recognized leader in senior living design with projects spanning skilled nursing, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and dialysis units nationwide. The acquisition furthers TDG’s mission to bring lifestyle-focused design into healthcare and senior living spaces.

Spiezle Architectural Group

Spiezle Architectural Group has appointed Damian Huneycutt, AIA, ACHA, as associate principal in its Charlotte, North Carolina office. Huneycutt brings over 20 years of healthcare design experience, guiding complex projects from concept to completion while exploring construction innovation, prefabrication strategies, and alternative delivery methods. Certified by the American College of Healthcare Architects, he is known for dedication to improving patient, family, and caregiver experiences through efficient, functional design. A University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate with degrees in architecture and daylighting design, Huneycutt is an active industry speaker, contributor to leading publications, and mentor to emerging leaders.

DXA Studio

DXA Studio has promoted Aaron Schlesinger to senior associate and Hyejin Oh to senior associate and director of quality control. Schlesinger joined DXA in 2019 and brings thoughtfulness, precision, and consistency to projects across all phases of development. Oh joined in 2014 and is a registered architect in New York and Washington D.C., holding certifications including CBO, CSP, LEED AP BD+C, Certified Building Code Specialist, and MCP. Additional promotions include Paula Allen to senior architect and director of communications; Josh Kayden and Jetnipat Phruttinarakorn to intermediate designer III; Haotong Xia to intermediate interior designer I; and Carl Buck and Will McRae to intermediate designer I.

DLR Group

DLR Group has appointed Eric Phillips, as international director to guide the firm’s global expansion. Phillips brings over 25 years of experience and joins from NBBJ, where he drove long-term growth strategy in Asia and oversaw business operations across Shanghai and Hong Kong studios. Based in Nashville, he will evolve DLR Group’s work in the Middle East and China while expanding into new markets including Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. The 100% employee-owned integrated design firm has 1,800 employee owners across 35 offices, with international presence including studios in Shanghai (since 2013) and Dubai (since 2017, now hosting over 80 professionals).