HED Creates New Design Leadership Role to Strengthen Client Partnerships

Event summary

  • HED promotes Bernard Vilza, AIA, to newly created Design Discipline Leader role on February 10, 2026.
  • Role focuses on strategic alignment of design talent with projects and mentorship across career stages.
  • Position underscores HED's integrated design model combining architecture and engineering.
  • Vilza will work across multiple sectors to deepen client partnerships and deliver tested design solutions.

The big picture

HED's creation of a dedicated Design Discipline Leader role reflects an industry-wide trend toward design-led thinking as a competitive differentiator. As architecture and engineering firms face increasing pressure to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions, strategic leadership in design becomes crucial. With over 400 professionals serving multiple sectors nationwide, HED's move positions it to potentially strengthen its market position among the top 200 design firms in the U.S.

What we're watching

Design Integration
How effectively HED can translate its integrated design model into tangible client value across diverse sectors.
Talent Retention
Whether the new mentorship-focused role can help HED attract and retain top design talent in a competitive market.
Client Differentiation
The pace at which this leadership change will translate into differentiated design solutions that set HED apart from competitors.