A design firm focused on architecture, engineering and interior design, Lionakis boasts a 115-year history and continues today on the industry’s cutting edge with client services and company culture. In January, the firm welcomed Laura Knauss as their new president. She now oversees 185 people across four offices throughout California.
“Lionakis is a great place to build a career. We value and invest in our team. We want them to stay with us for the long haul.” — Laura Knauss, President
Knauss’ Lionakis career spans 33 years and she is now the first woman to be president of the firm, though women have held other leadership positions for years. Women are represented at all tiers of the company’s management and leadership, from associates to principals.
Lionakis specializes in three core markets — civic, health care and education — and women have been two of the firm’s market leads, with Knauss at the top of the education market until her recent promotion. Laurie McCoy currently leads the firm’s health care market.
“All team members within those markets report up to the leads, and I think when women are those leads, it’s an inspiration for other women,“ Knauss says. “We have women in leadership roles throughout the firm, both technical leaders and business services, all in visible and inspiring positions.”
Knauss notes that all hiring is done with names and photos removed, so that applicants are reviewed for merit. “We hire the best people in the industry. Whether they’re men or women does not matter, but it absolutely gives women and others that have traditionally been unrepresented in our field a fair shot at a career with us.”
The firm offers an impressive amount of schedule flexibility, including part-time work and 9/80 work weeks, which evolved in an effort to attract talent to the profession and allow team members — especially women with young children — to have a career and a family.
“Lionakis is a great place to build a career,” concludes Knauss. “We value and invest in our team. We want them to stay with us for the long haul.”
