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Meet Our Newest UK Core Team Member, Rosie Oliver

February 9, 2026

We’re excited to announce that Rosie Oliver, Studio Director at Gensler, has joined WOD’s UK Core Team. We sat down with her for a quick chat about her experience within the industry, her current role and more…

WOD: Let’s start off with your background and how you became involved with the workspace sector…

RO: I began my career in the UK, qualifying as an architect and working with David Adjaye on high-end residential, retail, and cultural projects. While rooted in architecture, the work was highly user-focused and often involved designing custom furniture and interior elements. This early experience shaped my interest in using material, light, and colour to create atmosphere, texture, and emotional impact across both private and public spaces.

In 2008, I embarked on what was initially intended to be a two-year adventure, which ultimately evolved into a 17-year professional and personal journey. Driven by curiosity and a desire to broaden my experience, I relocated to Dubai at a time when the effects of the Global Financial Crisis had not yet fully reached the region.

Within weeks, however, the impact became clear and the majority of projects across the UAE were placed on hold. Transport infrastructure was a notable exception, prompting me to pivot quickly into transport design. This transition led to my involvement in major public infrastructure projects, including the Abu Dhabi Metro and the Toronto Metro and West Kowloon Terminus, a project that later took me to Hong Kong.

I spent seven years in Hong Kong, where my experience expanded into retail and, more specifically, interior design — the point at which I found my true calling. Working my way up through leadership roles, further opportunities took me to Singapore, where I spent eight fantastic years immersing myself in the local culture and becoming increasingly focused on workplace interiors.

Workplace design combines everything I love: people-centred design, meaningful relationships, and deeply collaborative creative processes.

WOD: Tell us more about your current role…

I am currently a Studio Director at Gensler, a role that I find great purpose in. It combines my interest in the entrepreneurial business of design and it gives me the opportunity to actively practice my belief in empathetic, people-centred leadership.

WOD: What are the key issues relevant to your client base at the moment?

RO: Regardless of sector, our clients are focused on defining the experience multiplier and understanding its true impact on their business. For most, occupying amenity-rich, Grade A office spaces is a given. What truly differentiates organizations—and provides a competitive edge—is how effectively they integrate innovation in the workplace, convey their brand and values (extending far beyond traditional branding to reflect the very DNA of the business, including ethical practices and sustainability), and design spaces that foster strong internal communities.

This can be achieved by recognizing and celebrating employee diversity or creating thoughtful, memorable experiences within the workspace that drive engagement and collaboration. Ultimately, accountability and purpose-driven decision-making are essential to realising these goals.

WOD: What are your thoughts about the role of women in our industry? Are there still barriers and ‘glass ceilings’? What changes are needed, if any, to support women in office design?

RO: I bring extensive first-hand experience as a female leader working in design studios across different parts of the world. My professional journey has evolved from architecture into interiors, reflecting both my personal interests and the opportunities that have shaped my career.

While meaningful progress has been made, I believe architecture in particular still has work to do in fully supporting, retaining, and normalising women in leadership roles.

Throughout my career, the presence of strong role models has been essential. Seeing women I could relate to lead successfully and on their own terms has played a powerful role in building confidence, ambition, and a sense of long-term belonging within the profession. Visibility matters, and it directly influences how women envision their own leadership paths.

This belief is a key reason I am deeply drawn to Women in Design as an organisation. Its mission and values strongly resonate with my own experiences and aspirations. I am passionate about contributing to a culture that supports and celebrates women in leadership, and I hope to inspire others by being visible as a woman who has built a successful leadership career while embracing her femininity, balancing family life, and leading authentically.

As a mother of two daughters, aged nine and twelve, this work is especially meaningful to me. I want to demonstrate that it is possible to lead, succeed, and stay true to yourself — a message I hope empowers women and girls of all ages to believe the same.