Top guns join Populous EMEA Regional Board

Article posted by Coliseum, May 11^th, 2022

Image: Christopher Walker, Heather Storry, Declan Sharkey, & Populous

Celebrated design practice Populous announced on May 9^th the appointment of three new members to the EMEA Regional Board.

The ‘Populous’ stated that the appointments come as Populous continues to strengthen its presence in Europe to better serve its clients across the region. The design practice recently opened offices in Milan (Italy) and Paris (France), adding to its already-established bases in London (UK) and Dubai (UAE).

Kansas City, Missouri (US)-based Populous is a global architecture and design practice that has led the design and delivery of some of the most iconic sports and entertainment projects across Europe and around the globe, including the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England (UK), the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in London, Lyon’s 59,186-capacity Groupama Stadium in Décines -Charpieu, France, and the newly-opened 17,459-capacity Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, US.

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The ‘Populous’ further stated that joining the Board are Declan Sharkey, Senior Principal, Heather Storry, Principal and Head of People – EMEA, and Christopher Walker, Principal and Chief Finance and Operations Officer – EMEA. The trio will bring a range of skills and experience to bolster Populous’ capabilities in delivering world-class projects and creating the best possible working environment for its staff.

Enthused Christopher Lee, Populous’ Managing Director for the EMEA Region, “We are delighted to welcome Declan, Heather and Christopher to the EMEA Board. Each of these individuals bring a unique perspective to our discussions, and I know that both our projects and people will benefit tremendously from their expertise in helping to shape the practice’s strategic vision and objectives,”

Christopher Lee, Managing Director, EMEA, Populous, UK, is a Member of Coliseum – Global Sports Venue Alliance.

Declan Sharkey is a versatile and accomplished venue architect. During his 12-year career at Populous, Sharkey has been instrumental in coordinating the practice’s global strategic initiatives, playing a central role in shaping its approach to sustainability. He is currently leading large-scale projects including the proposed new stadium for Italian football clubs AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano, the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live, a new state-of-the-art live entertainment arena set to open in Manchester (UK) in 2023, and the 20,000-capacity MuCcc Arena in Munich, which will become Germany’s first climate-neutral event arena.

Heather Storry has more than 20 years of experience as a human resources professional, working principally within the built environment sector. Storry is passionate about inclusion and is an Ambassador for Blueprint for All (formerly the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust). In addition, she provides pro bono HR support to CRASH, a charity which leverages the expertise of the construction industry to help homelessness charities and hospices with vital construction projects. She also sits on the People Committee of the London School of Architecture.

Christopher Walker is a senior finance and operations professional with over 30 years of experience in professional services across the marketing and design sectors. Prior to joining Populous in 2019, Walker was the Regional Operating Officer at architecture firm Gensler, having previously served as Finance Director for brand agency Brand Union and global advertising giant Ogilvy.

Sharkey, Storry and Walker join Populous’ five existing EMEA Regional Board members: Peter Rigby, Chair, Christopher Lee, Managing Director – EMEA, Michael Trice, Nicholas Reynolds, and Shireen Hamdan.

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