Case study

78 | September 2019 | Commercial Design http://www.commercialdesignindia.com

Follow the leader

dwp’s Regional managing director, Philip Gillard, talks about why he is building a team

of leaders who can kick him out of the way

BY OSCAR ROUSSEAU

P

hilip Gillard
joined Design
Worldwide
Partnership
(dwp) two
months ago as regional managing
director to pull down barriers and
lead expansion into Europe and
the US. His success will be built on
three pillars: producing great design
that is proÀtable and Iun.
Gillard is responsible Ior a
team oI more than  people
in the Middle East that Iorm a
vital part oI dwp·s strong
global workIorce. He is the latest
in a string oI ke\ appointments
Iollowing the arrivals oI - ustin
Wells global head oI hospitalit\
Eli]abeth 9 alkovics design director
and Gillian Blair C,D·s Young
,nterior Designer oI the Year Ior
. And he brings a wealth oI
commercial and design experience
to the table.
As the Iormer managing director
oI US design giant Gensler Gillard
was a vital part oI the leadership
team that increased turnover Irom
m to .bn and expanded
the workIorce Irom  to 
people. During this \ear tenure
he worked on some oI the most
diverse megaprojects in Europe
and the Middle East – including a
GCC project that at the time was
Gensler·s biggest in histor.
“, started working in the Middle
East Irom  onwards and was
mainl\ based in Dubaiμ Gillard sa\s
looking back on the path that led
him to dwp. “Gensler was involved
in projects Ior Dubai ,nternational
Financial Centre. We won the
masterplan did the Gate Building

Rit] Carlton 7 he Sk\ Gardens

loads oI thingsμ he shares.

AIter winning highproÀle jobs

in the Middle East he helped to

establish Gensler·s oIÀce in Dubai

with a team oI just three people

and pla\ed a signiÀcant role in the

regional growth oI the compan\.

Due to personal reasons he leIt

Gensler in . But the time to

hang up his boots and exit the

Middle East·s architecture and

design sector was a long wa\ oII

Ior the sportmad Gillard.

He joined dwp in Ma\ 

aIter a conversation with Brenton

Mauriello group chieI executive

oIÀcer and Scott Whittaker group

creative director in which the\

shared an “incredibl\ powerIulμ

vision Ior the Iuture oI the Àrm.

At the heart oI ever\thing was

the philosoph\ that architecture

and design is simple elegant and

timeless. With this as a backbone

oI the business Gillard is joining

dwp as it steps into the Iuture

b\ embracing digital connectivit\

and design technologies such as

building inIormation modelling

(B,M). 7 he business uses B,M

soItware Revit in all interior design

projects to ensure high Tualit\

construction documentation

Áexibilit\ and enhanced

multidisciplinar\ coordination

particularl\ between interior

design and MEP.

Ramping up the Iree Áow

oI inIormation to share ideas

experiences and skills across dwp·s

oIÀces in in Australia Asia and the

The Champagne Bar,

Pink Bar, Thailand.