Leadership

Rand Ekman has a passion both for projects and for driving broad-based, measurable change in practice. Rand’s most recent professional role was Partner and Chief Sustainability Officer at HKS where he formed HKS’ approach to Environmental, Social & Governance bringing together firmwide leadership advancing sustainability, public interest design, and social equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Rand participated on a number of USGBC national committees, was 2012 AIA Chicago Board Chair and President, and 2015 AIA Committee on the Environment Chair, Co-Chair of the Large Firm Roundtable Sustainability Committee, and has served on the boards of The Illinois Green Alliance, and long-term participation on Boards of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative and mindfulMATERIALS. Recognition includes a Chicago Magazine Green Award winner and awards from The Urban Land Institute, Financial Times, and the AIA.

Rand began life in Berkeley, CA, and for many years has called Chicago home. He has a bachelors in philosophy and a masters in architecture. (Yes they are related.)  Rand has a personal bias toward action. Getting knowledge and information into an actionable form for practitioners is critical.