#57 Designing an Organization with Kate Thatcher, CEO of A+I, Architecture Plus Information

Kate Thatcher is the Chief Executive Officer of Architecture +
Information (A+I), a strategy-led architecture and experience
design agency based in New York.


As CEO, Thatcher drives the acceleration of innovation,
collaboration between teams and subject areas, and further
development of culture and inclusion initiatives within A+I.


Kate first began her career at A+I in 2004, returning again in
2011 upon completion of her Masters in Architecture degree from
Yale University. At A+I, Kate has led design teams creating
spaces for world-class companies like Equinox, Chanel, and
Horizon Media. She became a principal at A+I in 2018 and was
named the agency’s first CEO in 2020. Her innovative project
experience and unique perspective having worked up the ranks of
the organization inform her leadership style.


A tireless advocate for equity within the architecture and design
professions, Kate is responsible for the launch, in 2020, of the
firm's +IMPACT initiative, a platform for A+I’s employees to
leverage their talents and expertise on opportunities at the
intersection of design and social impact. 


In this episode we talk about:


How Kate became the first ever CEO of A+I, what she did to
prepare for the role, and her advice for younger professionals on
how to develop their leadership skills

Challenging the status quo narrative of the lone starchitect

Nonlinear career paths, and not regretting the forks in the
road

Why it can be difficult to leave things behind as you advance
in your career, but not being afraid of the new opportunities it
may bring

How her role as CEO is like a design exercise

What a strategy-led integrated design agency is, and how A+I
is different from traditional architecture firms

The alignment of an institution’s vision, the space they
occupy, and the people that inhabit that space

What a strategist does, and how they are equal parts data
scientist and spatial storyteller

Kate’s experience as a parent during the pandemic, and her
hope for what the future post-pandemic work-life might be like



 


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