Hadley Keller Lloyd: Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about Catherine’s time with you and when you first knew she was the right fit.
Pat Benner: She has been fabulous. By the time she hit the ground, she's just an incredible designer, she's got lots of energy, lots of good ideas. From the outset, she has run the office from northern California and I've gone back and forth. As we've been building the office up there, she has really been leading that, and since I made her partner, she’s been fully building out that office.
HKL: Do you think that physical distance allowed her to take on more of a leadership role?
PB: Definitely—because she was managing things firsthand. Of course, I went up for important meetings or for business development, but she was on the ground. I was able to trust her because she was carrying the ball in a beautiful way.
HKL: How did your firm’s aesthetic evolve as you transitioned to having a creative partner?
PB: Interestingly, I think I'm most known for somewhat more traditional work—but my first love has always been modern work. Catherine worked for Pamela Burton, who is much more modern. She loves the work that we've been doing, but she'd also like to push in a slightly more modern way. I would call it warm modern, where there's an emphasis on modern clarity and materiality, but with classical principles underpinnings. I'm hoping she can help steer us in this slightly more modern direction.
HKL: How did Catherine’s responsibilities change immediately after being named partner?
PB: We really run the two offices as one in terms of workload. She is the studio director, so she's managing the workload on projects. And I'm doing more of the business development, although she's participating in BD in San Francisco.
HKL: What characteristics made Catherine a good candidate for partnership?
PB: First of all, I just passionately love what I do—and she does too. And I think it's just being in sync on how we feel aesthetically, how we deal with people. She's very similar in nature to me, but with her own differences that I think are helpful. I find her a really helpful sounding board. I've done this myself for a long time, so it's really been nice to get feedback.
HKL: For you, what have been the biggest changes to get used to with a new partner?
PB: Just coordinating our roles. But it's been easy; it just feels right. I think having two offices was just really good from the beginning. The minute I realized how much I could count on her, it's worked out beautifully.
HKL: What advice would you share with peers who are thinking of naming a partner?
PB: You have to take a leap and really trust your instincts on someone and let them move into a role. The letting go and being willing to delegate and trust is huge.
HKL: After six years together, what made this the right time to announce her as a partner?
PB: As the business was growing up in San Francisco, I really needed someone on the ground, and one thing I'm finding is it's very hard to hire at a senior level. I had the talent and I knew it was going to happen, so why not do it now?
HKL: What’s next for you?
PB: Catherine has had some experience with very small-scale boutique hotel and commercial work, so I think we'll start expanding in that area a bit. I’m very excited about her bringing those new things to the table.
This story is from Issue 9 of The Quarterly. Click here to see the full issue.
