Gensler, a major architectural firm with signature buildings across Asia, Europe and North America, tapped one of its own to help carry out its mission to keep the look of the built environment in Austin, Texas, as local as possible — but with an international flair.

Kirsten Cessna, a nine-year company veteran, has stepped into the role of co-managing director of Gensler's Austin office. She works closely with Todd Runkle, the firm’s other co-managing director in the Texas capital. Cessna, who arrived at Gensler Austin in the spring, said she plans to use her leadership position to try to help Austin expand as a world-class city while maintaining its personality, from live music venues to murals at sporting events and everything in between. 

Austin "continues to grow its tech sector, but now we’re seeing more opportunities in healthcare and life sciences, as well as sports and entertainment. It’s a great time to come to Austin and bring in opportunities to our people that will shape this city as it develops into a leading global market,” Cessna said in an email to CoStar News.

Gensler said each of its projects to date in Austin had to have a local flair because Austin's developers tend to want to avoid a boilerplate approach without local personality. That local approach was reflected in Gensler's design for the new soccer stadium for Major League Soccer’s expansion into Austin, the Moody Center basketball arena and concert venue at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Whole Foods Market headquarters building in Downtown.

Cessna, who earned her bachelor's in architecture from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA at the University of Texas at Arlington, started at Gensler in 2015 as an associate in the firm's Dallas office, where she worked in the company’s aviation practice. She became a firm principal in 2022.

She said Gensler’s Austin office wasn’t on her radar until she met with Runkle to discuss the leadership opportunity in the Texas capital. 

“After speaking with Todd Runkle, and spending a weekend here with my family, I was impressed with Austin’s welcoming culture, and the focus on health, wellness and the outdoors,” Cessna said. “My family and I love being outdoors, going hiking on neighborhood trails or spending the day on the boat. It’s the best of both worlds — I am taking the next step professionally and get to experience a culture that aligns with my values.”

Cessna was an interiors intern at the design and architecture firm HOK in St. Louis. She then joined Corgan in Dallas as an interior designer, but her perspective on life and career would change yet again when she took a job at Gensler in 2014.

“In the early days of my career, I aspired to become a project manager. But the truth is, that was the highest position I had seen a woman achieve. I envisioned spending 10 to 15 years in the industry and then go into academics,” Cessna said. “However, joining Gensler changed all of that — not only did they offer an entirely different career path forward, but I was also impressed with the firm’s approach to growing the business and ensuring financial stability for their people.”

Cessna developed a specific style while also balancing the needs of her clients as she worked her way up the Gensler ladder. 

“My personal style is Scandinavian, mid-century modern, but my work is focused on understanding and expressing the client’s vision. The space needs to function and meet their aesthetic vision, and in the details is where we bring it all together,” Cessna said.

Looking ahead, Cessna sees Gensler playing an important role in the continuing growth of Austin and Central Texas.

“From a growth perspective, it’s easy to see and feel the excitement about Austin’s potential, and really, all Central Texas, from San Antonio, along I-35, up to Waco. The surrounding markets are very much growth-minded, but still looking for ways to preserve their culture,” Cessna said. “Looking ahead, I can see a lot of opportunity for unique placemaking and transformative projects that will not only meet the needs of a growing town, but also enhance their history and culture.”