Board Appointments at Global Architecture and Engineering Firm NORR

TORONTO, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Brian Gerstmar, President and Chief Executive Officer of NORR, a global architecture and engineering firm, today announced three new appointments to the Board of Directors to guide  business imperatives and lead environmental, social and governance strategies.

"Our Board is comprised of a strong team of strategic and operational thinkers, a balance of skills and experience, and a diversity that is representative of our workforce," said Gerstmar. "As we celebrate our 85^th anniversary in 2023, our firm continues to evolve to maintain our strong position within our industry and navigate one of the most significant times of change for all businesses – and the world."

Peter Dubin, Vice President, Restaurants and Board member, has been appointed as Chair, The NORR Group of Companies. Peter's wide-ranging experience in the A&E industry brings together design, strategic thinking and a strong business acumen. "Leveraging the design expertise of our diversified practice is playing a pivotal role in the creation of more resilient, adaptive structures, an essential element in today's buildings," said Dubin. "When designing new projects, we must build flexibility into their designs to accommodate future adaptive reuses more effectively, maximizing lifespans and minimizing the carbon footprints created during conversions. By doing so, architects and engineers are helping to solve global challenges such as climate change and the housing crisis."

 Anthony Ricciuti, Executive Vice President, Retail, has been appointed as a Board member. Anthony has led transformational projects for international and national brands – and was a critical design partner during the pandemic for essential retailers. "As many of our clients begin their journey to carbon neutrality, they are looking to us to provide real solutions," said Ricciuti. "Our ecosystem and our environments are connected, so we become a big part of that problem solving. The need to regenerate existing buildings is more prevalent today than ever before. It's globalized, and it's urgent."

Rachel Turner-Lauck, Vice President, Operations, has been appointed as a Board member. Rachel is an architect and operational leader, and thrives where design, technology and people intersect. "We've witnessed immense change in our industry in a very short period of time," said Turner-Lauck. "With today's environment being all about hybrid, our key objective is to harmonize project teams and technology platforms to keep everyone connected in a positive way. While the pandemic was a big catalyst for collaboration platforms, the latest disrupter is artificial intelligence.  I believe that once we fully understand and harness the power of AI, it will become another great addition to our design tool kit."

"The decisions we make as a firm today will have a profound impact in the long term," said Gerstmar. "Our design focus is both at the local level for our employees, clients and partners, as well as the global level for the good of all people and the planet."

The NORR Group of Companies Board of Directors  (As at June 1, 2023)

Peter Dubin – Chair & Vice President, Restaurants
Brian Gerstmar – President & CEO
Jonathan Hughes – Chief Operating Officer
Anthony Ricciuti - Executive Vice President, Retail
Victor Smith - Director
Colin Soule - General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Jacqui Souter - Vice President, Human Resources
Rachel Turner-Lauck - Vice President, Operations

NORR is an employee-owned, fully integrated A&E firm. Our professional team of 800 architects, engineers, planners and interior designers work collaboratively across 12 market sectors from offices located in Canada, the US, UK and UAE. Our mission is to create socially aware, environmentally responsible, and financially viable architecture and engineering design solutions to ensure our clients achieve their business goals while contributing to healthier and sustainable spaces and places across the globe. Founded in 1938 by Canadian Architect John B. Parkin, we've been building on our reputation for inspired design for 85 years. We continue to advance design through sustainable stewardship, diversity of people, the power of technology and the pursuit of excellence for the built environment. 

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