id50 2025 – LW Design Group

After the monumental celebration of LW’s 25-year milestone, the firm enters the new year with renewed vigour, staying true to its promise of growing stronger. Its quarter-century milestone marks not just a celebration of the past but a commitment to the future, ensuring that the LW legacy continues to thrive through visionary leadership and a dedicated next generation. 

As new Partners take their places, their roles have been clearly defined to fortify the firm’s foundation: LW’s powerhouse of globally recognised design excellence. The firm’s philosophy of being “stronger, not bigger” is taking centre stage as it focuses on enhancing expertise, operations and leadership to uphold and elevate its unparalleled standards in the design world. The firm is currently diversifying their hospitality with the opening of its first luxury lodge project in Kenya, a collection of dynamic F&B spaces within the new Mandarin Oriental in Dubai, an upscale restaurant in downtown Toronto, and several large-scale hospitality developments in Saudi Arabia in collaboration with leading operators. 

Chic Nonna Photography by Natelee Cocks

Leadership for the Next Generation

To further secure its legacy, LW has strategically appointed Pooja Shah-Mulani and Andrew Harms as Managing Partners. Their leadership represents the perfect blend of leading creative innovation with commercial and operational proficiency. 

Shah-Mulani will lead as Managing Partner with a focus on creative strategy, expanding LW’s reach into exciting new markets. Her role embodies the LW DNA, championing innovation and collaboration with clients to craft a bold vision for the brand while ensuring every project reflects the firm’s hallmark of excellence.

Managing Partner, Harms, meanwhile, will steer the firm’s commercial and operational strategy, focusing on optimising delivery and enhancing performance across all levels. With an emphasis on pushing LW’s operational systems to meet market trends even more completely, Harms’s leadership will be pivotal in refining LW’s reputed attention to detail, including the continual growth of its in-house BIM department for delivering seamless, fully coordinated design packages. Together, Shah-Mulani and Harms will now manage LW’s global Interior Design practice, overseeing operations across Dubai, Denmark and Hong Kong. Their combined leadership ensures a unified vision, fostering collaboration across studios and upholding the firm’s unwavering commitment to excellence. By continuing to strengthen this integrating bond of creative innovation and operational proficiency, they aim to set new benchmarks in delivering world-class design. 

Expanding Design Excellence

Rachel Kidd, as Partner and Senior Design Director, will play a global design-focused role, further strengthening LW’s stronghold on FF&E standards worldwide. Her vision will ensure that LW’s design DNA continues to evolve, creating timeless, innovative spaces while upholding the firm’s renowned aesthetic. In addition, LW’s longstanding senior design team exemplifies the firm’s commitment to nurturing talent and expertise, ensuring that its DNA is passed down through mentorship and collaboration.

Gina Munro, Design Director, has over 15 years of experience at LW, having worked in both the Dubai and Hong Kong studios. Now based in Cape Town, Munro rejoined the team two years ago, bringing her unparalleled passion and years of expertise to lead and inspire the firm’s growing team. 

Jesper Axel Petersen, Associate, hails from Denmark and is a key figure in LW’s F&B design offering. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and creative space planning to transform places into unique destinations, Jesper’s talents reflects LW’s commitment to embedding its design philosophy into every project. 

Debra Parkington, Associate and Studio Lead in the Hong Kong office, joined LW with extensive experience and leadership skills. Her strong aesthetic vision and strategic approach will be instrumental in expanding LW’s presence and impact across the APAC region.

The Road Ahead: Building on Strength

As LW steps into this new chapter, the firm is poised to uphold its legacy while redefining its future. With its leadership firmly in place and the next generation empowered, LW continues to focus on pushing boundaries, elevating standards and inspiring innovation in every project it undertakes.

View the visionaries.

View the complete id50 2025 list.