When Susan Klumpp Williams began her career at HOK in 1985, she couldn’t have known how deeply she’d shape the firm and the buildings that shape our cities. Nearly four decades later, she carries forward that early spark into some of the world’s most significant architecture.
Learning to Lead, One Project at a Time
Susan’s path doesn’t rely on flashy themes; it’s rooted in drive and results. With a landscape architecture degree from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Georgetown, she combined creative and business know-how early on.
By her early 30s, she was navigating global challenges, managing the highly secure U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Since then, she has taken charge of HOK’s studios in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa, and Miami, working day-to-day with teams and clients alike at HOK+1. Her voice is heard not through titles, but in how she makes things happen.
Projects That Show What She Values
Susan doesn’t lead from afar; she’s gotten her hands dirty on buildings people live in and love. A few milestones:
Nationals Park, Washington D.C.: One of her early triumphs, this Major League baseball stadium went ahead with a fixed-price contract and still earned LEED Silver. That wasn’t expected, but that’s how she sees success: where people enjoy being in a place.
ADNOC Headquarters, Abu Dhabi: A 74-story tower, sleek and sustainable, earning LEED Gold while balancing shape, systems, and teamwork across continents.
Msheireb Downtown Doha Phase 4, Qatar: A massive, mixed-use project spanning 3 million square feet. Susan helped push it past plans and into construction, despite the complexities of size, geography, and vision.
Other notable works include the consolidated D.C. Forensic Laboratory, FBI Lab HQ in Quantico, Dulles Airport expansions, and U.S. embassies in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere.
Sharing the Top Role, Because It Works Better That Way
When long-time CEO Bill Hellmuth stepped back due to illness in 2022, Susan and Eli Hoisington stepped in as interim co-CEOs, and that structure stuck.
Officially appointed in 2023, they made HOK’s first pair of co-CEOs, and Susan its first-ever female CEO. In her own words, splitting duties lowers the burnout risk: he handles design, she focuses on operations, and they rotate travel duties so neither gets overwhelmed. Susan also sees this as an opportunity to show how different strengths, when combined, make any leadership stronger.
On Working in a Field That Wasn’t Written for Her
Architecture didn’t offer a clear path for women in senior roles once they started families. For Susan, sticking around meant pushing past old patterns. She found mentors early on, worked hard, and took on the projects others passed by, even when she might have been the only woman in the room.
Her mantra is practical: be organized, plan your time, and build support around you. She credits her husband’s support and her own ability to manage both home and office duties for helping her keep going.
Helping Others Find Their Roads Forward
Leadership, to her, isn’t just about projects; it’s about people. Susan has taken an active role in HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council, making sure that inclusion isn’t just talked about, but measured and tracked.
She says that ignoring half the potential talent pool isn’t just unfair, it erodes creativity. So she mentors, champions, and tries to open doors for younger women, especially those who might be tempted to quit before getting started.
When Work Doesn’t Happen, She Finds Peace in Everyday Moments
Susan prefers quiet moments over headlines. One of her favorites? Cycling through D.C.’s National Mall with her family, often ending at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, a stop she says always brings her back to what really matters.
Her favorite days? When people walk into places she helped design, they feel at home. That, to her, is what matters.
Susan Klumpp Williams Feels Different from the Start
Grounded and real, nearly 40 years of thoughtful, hands-on work.
Dual leadership done right involves understanding strengths, sharing duties, and making hard work easier. A quiet but active champion for women, for inclusion, for the architects up next. Still human behind the titles, bikes, family, powerful museums, and meaningful memories. In her career, Susan hasn’t just helped shape buildings. She’s shaped how leadership can feel: fair, firm, flexible, and human. That’s a story worth reading.
