After 43 years as Managing Principal at H. Hendy Associates, owner and founder Heidi Hendy has named longtime employees Susan Dwyer and Carolina Weidler as co-CEOs of the interior architecture and design firm with a newly-formed Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) structure. As managing principals at Hendy, Dwyer and Weidler’s co-CEO appointment follows a growing trend among companies splitting the chief executive role. In a recent Harvard Business Review study of 87 public companies led by co-CEOs, almost 60% were more profitable than peer organizations with one person in the top spot. The co-CEO model is particularly well suited to lead Hendy’s new ESOP employee-owned organization, with all stakeholders vested in the success of the firm.
“It is obvious that Susan and Carolina together are a significant force, each bringing wisdom, subject matter authority and sage leadership instincts to the mix,” said Heidi Hendy, firm founder. “Their perspectives are complementary, and we’ve witnessed the power of their co-CEO compatibility these past two years as they expertly led Hendy through the pandemic with a priority for preserving our team and culture, diversifying the work, maintaining profitability and visioning for the future. A future that looks very bright, and one that I’m proud will keep the Hendy creative spirit alive for the next 40 years and beyond.”
Under the new co-CEO leadership structure, Dwyer and Weidler will divide responsibilities for the firm that promises a commitment to designing high-performance environments that defy conventional norms. Dwyer will lead the firm’s finance and business operational functions. Weidler is responsible for marketing and practice operations, leading with her Lean Six Sigma training. The pair will share oversight of human resources and organizational growth, including a goal to expand the firm into new markets and bolster its newly formed healthcare studio.
“Our top priority is to ensure we maintain Hendy’s signature culture – our secret sauce – that keeps the best talent working here and delivers superior designs for our clients,” said Susan Dwyer, Hendy co-CEO. “Carolina and I wholly believe in everything Hendy stands for, and we are committed to growing the firm at a pace that enables us to sustain our cultural promise. It’s our shared vision and values that make Carolina and me such strong partners. I regard her in very high esteem and respect her deeply.”
“I believe in Hendy and cannot wait to lead the next generation of the firm with Susan. We share a passionate commitment to promoting excellence and providing an outstanding place for our team to grow and thrive,” said Weidler, Hendy co-CEO. “Our highly compatible, complementary views to decision-making have provided an extremely valuable balance these past years. I admire Susan very much and look forward to doing great things together!”
Dwyer brings 25 years of experience to the co-CEO role, including leading Hendy’s Corporate studio for the past 18. Prior to Hendy, she served as a job captain at HKS and before that, a designer at DMJM Rottet. A graduate from the USC School of Architecture, Dwyer is a licensed architect and is NCARB certified in six states.
Weidler created and has led Hendy’s Science & Technology studio for seven years. Prior to Hendy, Weidler honed her niche expertise designing process-driven spaces working at SAA as studio director of its Special Projects Group dedicated to process-driven spaces and industrial development. She began her career at Ware Malcomb in the project manager role that set her trajectory designing high-performance environments. Weidler graduated from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia with a B.S. in Architecture and earned her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University.
An award-winning firm, Hendy is a creative powerhouse of architects, designers, collaborators and communicators who are experts in the business of transforming space into elevated, extraordinary human experiences. Driven by design that’s made to make a difference with a soul that puts people first, the Hendy team brings diligent work, skillful listening and higher thinking to its projects, pushing boundaries of possibility. Hendy has been named one of the Orange County Register’s “Top Workplaces” and was awarded “Best Place to Work” by the Orange County Business Journal for seven years running. It was also named an “Employer of Choice” in 2021 by nationally-recognized consulting firm PSMJ. More information about Hendy can be found on its new website, www.hhendy.com
The post HEIDI HENDY APPOINTS CO-CEOS TO HELM AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FIRM UPON RETIREMENT appeared first on Civil + Structural Engineer magazine.
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