For a man leading a firm concerned about commercial-building interiors, James “Jamie” Lehouiller would seem to be a difficult fit. After all, he is focused on far more than the insides of things. In fact, as testimony from two letters of recommendation – and DiLeonardo International Inc.’s track record during his tenure there – makes clear, Lehouiller’s facility at reaching beyond boundaries to connect with diverse clients and staff is the key to his success.
“[Jamie] is able to forge relationships built on trust and honesty and establishes a commitment to the client that is immovable,” said Robert J. DiLeonardo, chairman of the firm, in a letter endorsing Lehouiller’s nomination to be one of PBN’s 40 Under Forty.
The 39-year-old, newly minted CEO of DiLeonardo has been with the firm for 16 years and has been instrumental in its global expansion, with offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Manila, Philippines and Shanghai.
Lehouiller’s drive to connect not only with clients but to improve and intensify communication within the firm come from his life growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont near the Canadian border, as well as his early years being mentored by DiLeonardo, experiences that he said in his 40 Under Forty application “taught me persistence, flexibility and hard work can solve almost any problem. … [and] taught me … the ability to deal with our global clients and staff with tactful audacity.”
The result has been a corporate culture that encourages dialog in the office that energizes the design studio, no matter the time zone differences, while fostering work that maximizes clients’ return on investment. •
