An athlete by heart and a business executive by profession, Isabella is currently the CEO at Snohetta. “I spend about half my time traveling to visit employees in our other studios, and then the other half I spend at our home office in Oslo,” Isabella tells us in an exclusive conversation. But there are times when she takes her CEO attire off, puts on her ski boots, grabs a helmet, and embarks on an outside adventure.
“I was very interested in sports when I was young. So, when I went to university for my higher studies, I found a place where I could study economics, play tennis in the summer, and ski during the winter,” she informs. Skiing goes in generations for Isabella. Her eldest son is a skiing enthusiast, so you can often find Isabella in different skiing destinations cheering for her kid, when not skiing herself.
The Norwegian-born executive has been the CEO of the global architectural and design company since 2018. Before joining Snohetta, she worked as Vice President for Business Operations at Avast Software and had several leadership roles at Microsoft. “I am not a designer. I’m interested in understanding the business aspect of what we do, being both strategic and opportunistic, and finding ways to build a structure where needed,” she states.
This is why Isabella’s time is usually spent either in team meetings with her managers across the globe or talking to clients, partners, and those who shape our market. Upon finding some time from her busy schedule, she would either be learning more about AI or how the company can improve how they work together and share knowledge.
“What you did at AVAST or Microsoft is completely different from how you manage things at Snohetta. How challenging is the current role, considering you don’t come from a design or architectural background,” we asked her.
“Many of the leadership skills are transferable. So, it’s about transparency, openness, setting a direction, talking to people, making sure everybody feels involved and heard, building a strategy, and executing that. That’s pretty similar from company to company,” she answers.
Isabella then sheds light on Snøhetta’s approach to fostering a multicultural and inclusive workplace, emphasizing the collective importance of each role within the global company. “As an organization, we strive to reflect the diversity of all the societies that we work in and build a transdisciplinary company where all roles and employees are equally important,” the CEO emphasizes.
As our discussion veers toward sustainability, Isabella shares Snøhetta’s commitment to regenerative architecture and design. “We like to talk about sustainable design, but we also like to talk about regenerative architecture and design, where it’s more proactive and giving back. I think we’ve been on a journey for the past couple of years to understand what sustainable design or regenerative design means for us. Snohetta was founded on the core principles of sustainability, and so we’ve always been very focused on the three pillars of sustainability, which have been social, environmental, and, governance, sustainability,” she notes.
Isabella emphasizes the company’s continuous pursuit of pushing boundaries and staying at the forefront of regenerative design. “For the first 20 years, we were more focused on social sustainability, and now we havebroadened our focus to include the environmental impact that our designs have. And so, as we talk about regenerative architecture and what that means for us, we’re trying to push the envelope in every single project we have.
Foresighting the future, Isabella highlights the excitement surrounding various projects and exhibitions. “We have tons of exciting projects coming up. I don’t think I can single out one project, but I would say that for me, in 2024, it’s the company gathering that we’ll have again in September, where we bring all 300 employees to Oslo, take the train to the Dovre mountains, and walk Snøhetta together. That’s what I’m looking forward to most. It will be wonderful,” she states.
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