Cocktails & Leadership with Stephen Epstein & Kristina Singiser, AIA
Date: February 15, 2018 6:00 pm
Cost: $15 for members, $25 for nonmembers
Category: Design Talks, Education, Mentorship
Organizer: AWA+D
Join Stephen Epstein, formerly of Strogoff Consulting and currently CFO at CO Architects, as he discusses the different paths to leadership with design or architectural firms with special guest Kristina Singiser, AIA, of HMC Architects. They’ll speak about skillsets and personality traits that lend themselves to particular paths. The discussion will also discuss how to develop an action plan for your path. Stephen asserts that “Leadership starts day one” believes this topic is not just for mid-level professionals but also something emerging professionals and even students need to consider.
Join AWA+D and hosts Landry Design Group for a valuable and thought-provoking evening you won’t want to miss!
Tickets
RSVP here. $15 for members and $25 for non-members. All ticket sales are final.
Workshop Information
Learning Objectives
1. Gain an understanding of typical leadership paths within the design professions.
2. Enhance exposure to areas of practice that provide the best opportunities for ongoing leadership development.
3. Incorporate leadership development approaches and opportunities experienced by peers into their personal leadership development action plans.
4. Learn how to, and leave with, specific action steps to achieve individual leadership development goals.
Session abstract/description
Architecture and other design firms often encounter considerable challenges grooming their next generation of leaders. While competency, commitment, and innate leadership traits are widely present in design professionals, formal training, effective coaching and leadership development opportunities are often limited.
This seminar will describe specific steps design firms and professionals can implement to prepare the next generation of leaders to develop individual leadership paths. Topics include various industry paths to leadership, specific practice areas for seeking developmental opportunities, and approaches for acquiring the knowledge and emotional intelligence required for continuous leadership development while highlighting leadership as a career-long journey.
Attendees will leave the seminar with new perspectives on leadership, and renewed energy and determination to seek opportunities to develop inspired leadership strategies that impact themselves, their firms, our industry and the communities we serve.
About the Speakers
Stephen Epstein’s career spans more than twenty-five years providing leadership in finance, operations, and human resources. With MArch and MBA degrees, Stephen combines his enthusiasm for design and the built environment with a natural disposition for leadership, strategic thinking, and organizational and behavioral management. Prior to joining CO Architects, a 95-person Los Angeles based design firm renowned for its extensive portfolio of large and complex institutional, civic, academic, medical education, science and technology, and healthcare projects; Stephen was a Management Consultant with Strogoff Consulting and facilitated panel discussions, authored articles, and provided training workshops and seminars with topics including leadership development, financial accountability, operational and project financial management, profitability, risk management, project management, attracting and retaining talent, succession planning, and other practice management topics. Stephen has served as mentor and coach to senior, intermediate, and emerging professionals with the objective of preparing design professionals to assume increasing levels of leadership.
Kristina Singiser, AIA is a senior project manager in HMC Architects’ Los Angeles studio. With a passion for educational architecture, she spent the early part of her career working on K-12 projects, but now focuses on higher education. While she has managed various assignments, including performing arts and library projects, the last 10 years have been mostly student housing. She loves being part of the education process and it’s very important to her to help teachers make a better environment in which to teach. Kristina’s notable projects include a theater at the Palms Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, a $250 million project for UCLA, and San Diego State University’s award-winning Zura Hall renovation. While she is an advocate for smart design, she never loses sight of being a savvy business leader. Business savvy aside, anyone who has worked closely with Kristina will say that she is a dedicated mentor for the next generation. Extremely goal-oriented and focused, she provides a holistic vision and clarity while challenging her teams to validate solutions against critical business objectives. She also encourages those around her to be multi-faceted in their daily thinking.