MEETING…MARGARET MC


MAHON


Wimberly’s Way Words: Catherine Martin Photography: Courtesy of WATG / Wimberly Interiors


Former Wilson & Associates Managing Director Margaret McMahon takes the reins at WATG’s newly-launched


interiors practice and tells of her aspirations to match the success of its architecture counterpart.


“Tomorrow morning, I’m going to Regent’s Park for a long walk,” announces Margaret McMahon with some relief, as Sleeper arrives at WATG’s London office. Sinking deep into her chair after a whistle-stop tour of the beautifully extended Georgian townhouse, it transpires that this has been a hectic week for the designer. In fact, it has been a hectic year. Since April 2011 when WATG President and CEO Mike Seyle announced her appointment, McMahon has stepped up to the challenge of expanding and differentiating the interiors division in her new role as Vice President and Managing Director of Wimberly Interiors. Labelled ‘a design studio of WATG’, Wimberly marks a new phase of growth for the renowned architectural practice, and naturally, Seyle wanted a respected figure at the helm: “Margaret’s industry experience and creative genius make her a superb addition to our strong interiors team and will further cement WATG’s reputation as the premier global hospitality design firm.” Of course, designing interiors is nothing new for


WATG. Along with Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Interiors has serviced the hospitality industry since the


days of the firm’s namesakes George ‘Pete’ Wimberly, Gerald Allison, Gregory Tong and Donald Goo. It is, however, the first time the discipline has been run as a separate entity.


“The perception was that WATG were an architecture


firm dabbling in interiors,” explains McMahon of the previous set up. “They had been practicing interiors for more than ten years but were unable to elevate to the level that architecture is at,” she continues. “The difference now is that I’ve come in at management level so we have a strong strategy for moving forward.” Despite the considerable distances between Wimberly’s


five offices, McMahon’s role involves overseeing the firm globally, working with Studio Directors Rhonda Ramussen in Irvine, Rachel Johnson in London, Mary Suenaga in Honolulu, and Martin Hawthornwaite in the new Singapore office. Her first task has seen her travel to each of the


offices, “assessing the teams, figuring out strengths and weaknesses, and really looking at the model that they currently design under.” Previously, a designer had to be able to do a full set


WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM MARCH / APRIL 2012 031


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164