Adelaide’s Leadership Team Grows

Two new Associates in Adelaide, and two new Senior Associates join the Executive Leadership Team 

Our Adelaide studio is excited to share promotions that strengthen the leadership team. Our newest Senior Associates are architects, Shalini Shah and Michael Willis who joined the studio’s Executive Leadership Team last year. Shalini leads Communications, which sits within the studio’s Business Development pillar. Michael is managing Project Planning which falls under the pillar of Service Delivery. Alexis Bromilow and Bryce Bessell have been promoted to Associate to support our expertise in designing for the education and defence sectors.  

On the appointments DesignInc Adelaide Director, Richard Stafford, commented, “It is both exciting and fulfilling to watch and support the continued professional growth of Shalini, Michael, Alexis and Bryce. All are long-term employees and most have been with DesignInc since commencing their careers. Within their new roles, each will add diversity of thought and skills across the leadership of our studio.”

Shalini Shah has been part of our architecture team since Stafford Architects merged with DesignInc’s Adelaide studio in 2008. Her collaborative approach as an education specialist facilitates the development of user-focused design solutions. Her passion for project detailing and delivery aims to meet and exceed project and client expectations and she enjoys the challenge of solving problems of site, brief and budget.

For me, the ability to positively impact people’s lives and wellbeing through the built environment is the most rewarding aspect of being an architect. As a new addition to the leadership team, I am passionate about guiding and empowering the team to deliver well-considered, well-resolved and well-detailed outcomes while ensuring we celebrate the small wins as importantly as the big ones.

Shalini Shah
Senior Associate, DesignInc Adelaide

Michael Willis joined DesignInc in 2016 as a registered architect with over ten years of project experience across a wide variety of sectors including education, health, defence, national parks, tourism, commercial and residential. As a project team leader, Michael’s strengths and experience contribute to considered and coordinated project delivery with a high quality of resolution and attention to detail.

Alexis Bromilow started with DesignInc as an interior design student in 2013 and is a vital member of our interior design team, leading projects within our education portfolio. Alexis has a contemporary design sensibility, working with stakeholders and the design team to develop future-ready learning environments. Alexis commented, “By considering how individuals behave and interact with interior environments, we can approach the design as a multi-sensory tool that brings people together and connects people to place.” Her knowledge of sustainability – local products and materials, and their impact on the environment and occupants – is central to her design approach.

Continuing to progress my development within the leadership team and contribute to the studio has fostered my sense of belonging within the practice. Being involved in the continual improvement of our design outcomes and project planning, and seeing the growth within the team across the studio has been fantastic.

Michael Willis
Senior Associate, DesignInc Adelaide

Bryce Bessell began his career as a graduate of architecture at DesignInc in 2016. He recently obtained his registration in 2021 and is quickly becoming a sector leader in our defence portfolio. He has demonstrated remarkable skills in designing and delivering intricate technical buildings for the Airforce, Army, and Navy. Bryce’s philosophy is centred around achieving exceptional design at all levels, from the larger environment down to the smallest details. “Understanding the complexity of each component that contributes to a building and its surrounding environment is essential to its success. Being an architect enables me to be a part of a team that develops, explores, and delivers these components into something tangible that will have a lasting impression on the built environment and its community,” said Bryce.

Offering congratulations to the new leadership, Richard Stafford said, “As a studio, our first focus is on our clients and achieving best-for-project solutions. Our second focus is on supporting each other and embracing the challenges that our ever-changing and complex industry throws at us. Shalini, Michael, Alexis and Bryce understand and champion our approach – they represent the guiding principles and behaviours we value.”