Janet Pogue McLaurin

Janet Pogue McLaurin, FAIA, FIIDA, is recognized for her contributions to workplace design and research. As a global leader of Gensler's Work Sector practices and research initiatives, McLaurin has spent 40 years in both the Denver and Washington, D.C. offices of the design firm. Drawing on her experience in strategy, research, and design, she is a key thought leader at Gensler, focusing on how the physical workplace impacts work, performance, innovation, and well-being.

As the firm's Global Director of Workplace Research, one of the six centers of the Gensler Research Institute, McLaurin has led Gensler's global Workplace Surveys and the Workplace Performance Index (WPIx) client tool, which measures space effectiveness and workplace experience on projects. Her leadership of the global Workplace Surveys and development of the WPIx tool have enabled organizations worldwide to assess workplace performance and experience. McLaurin is active in developing workplace strategy and designing workplace environments for clients such as Vanguard, GSA, Capital One, Gallup, and The Coca-Cola Company.

McLaurin was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in recognition of her contributions to the profession of architecture and society, an honor considered one of the highest in the field. This recognition coincided with her 40-year anniversary at Gensler, where she co-founded the Shanghai and Beijing offices. She also served as managing director of Gensler's Denver office and has served on Gensler's board of directors and the Practice Area Management Committee.

A frequent media spokesperson and speaker, McLaurin has shared her workplace expertise and research with WSJ, Fast Company, BBC, NPR, Harvard LILA, Freakonomics Radio, and SXSW. She has appeared at industry events including The Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival, CoreNet Global, and IFMA World Workplace. McLaurin mentors and oversees joint research on architecture and design with Florida State University graduate students and has served as a guest faculty member at Harvard University's Learning Innovations program. Her research continues to influence the global conversation around the future of work, with findings from Gensler's Global Workplace Survey highlighting the relationship between AI workflows, employee engagement in learning, and team relationships.