Kirksey welcomes Martin Gollwitzer as its first-ever Chief Operating Officer to lead strategic and growth initiatives
Kirksey celebrated its 53rd anniversary this summer and has expanded into both Austin and Dallas in the last five years, so adding the new C-Suite role reinforces its commitment to driving smart, long-term growth across Texas and beyond. Martin joined Kirksey on October 1st and brings significant industry expertise to the firm.“To continue this success and maintain a pattern of growth, we needed to add depth to the strategic management of our architectural practice and staff, focus on consistent project management and quality control processes, and efficiently manage these elements across all three offices,” said Wes Good, Kirksey President & CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Martin to the Kirksey leadership team, who will help lead us in these areas.”
Martin brings over two decades of experience in leadership, having led transformative projects and teams in multiple sectors, including mission-critical, commercial, and public infrastructure. With a proven track record of hiring and retaining the best architectural talent at both Perkins & Will and Gensler, Martin’s expertise will help Kirksey continue to grow, adapt, and evolve to meet the immense size and scale of the firm’s expanding list of game-changing projects.
In this role, Martin will focus on optimizing Kirksey’s internal processes, strengthening client relationships, and enhancing the firm’s growth initiatives to ensure sustainable success. He will work with Kirksey’s 220+ employees across Houston, Austin, and Dallas to refine operational best practices focused on quality and innovation.
Martin has been instrumental on both sides of the architecture business – within operations and as a practitioner. While at Gensler, he acted as a key team member on over 10 million square feet of mission-critical projects, including over two million square feet of portfolio evaluations.
Martin has worked closely with Kirksey and community organizations like Preservation Houston and the South Texas chapter of 7x24 Exchange, so many Kirksey team members know him as a peer and a friendly face.
“Kirksey has been a trailblazer in smart, sustainable architecture for over 50 years. I couldn’t be more excited and honored to join such an outstanding firm, and I look forward to working closely with so many good friends,” Martin said. “This feels like a homecoming.”
Martin earned a Bachelor of Interior Design from the International Academy of Design in Tampa, Florida. He holds a Texas-registered license in interior design, is a certificate document technologist, and is an accredited LEED professional.