Industry trailblazer appointed new UKGBC boss

Award-winning architect, engineer, curator and writer Smith Mordak has been appointed as the new chief executive of the UKGBC. Mordak, who is currently director of sustainability and physics at Buro Happold, will take on the role on 1 June 2023, with a handover from Julie Hirigoyen, who will be standing down after more than eight years at the helm.  Hirigoyen announced her plans to step down from UKGBC in September last year.  Mordak’s career has centred on creating and implementing strategies for the transition to a healthy, fair and sustainable built environment, and has included leading roles in architecture and engineering firms including Buro Happold, Webb Yates Engineers and Studio Weave. They are also a driving force behind numerous industry initiatives, including as board member for the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy and the Architecture Foundation, and as a nationally elected councillor at RIBA.  Sunand Prasad, chair of UKGBC’s board of trustees, said: “We look forward to their leadership of the team in this critical period for taking urgent and effective action to limit and reverse environmental degradation. “Smith combines a deep, science-based and systemic understanding of the climate emergency with a clear-sighted, principled and pragmatic approach for what needs to be done in response. From founding an innovative, award-winning design practice to helping a major international consultancy, Smith has consistently shown imagination and determination in achieving change. Along the way they have been active in significant industry initiatives to achieve an equitable and lasting transformation of the built environment to a sustainable and regenerative model.” Prasad added that Hirigoyen had been “an outstanding leader, growing consensus around the urgent need for action on the climate and biodiversity crises, building a highly effective and networked organisation equal to its critical mission, as well as steering UKGBC adeptly through times of global crisis”. Mordak said: “I’m looking forward to building on the charity’s extraordinary body of work and Julie’s inimitable legacy. We live in existentially challenging times. Our actions over the next few years will have an outsized impact on the Earth’s ecosystems and on many generations to come. I’m honoured that I’ll be playing my part in this crucial period as part of this powerful, change-making coalition.”       Hirigoyen added: “It is with great confidence and the utmost respect that I will hand over the stewardship of UKGBC to Smith. They bring creative wisdom, technical expertise and a deeply human-centric approach to the challenge of transforming our built environment into one where both people and planet can thrive.” Simon McWhirter, current director of communications, policy and places has been promoted into a deputy chief executive role and will focus on international, national and local policy work.  To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews Image: UKGBC