Workspace Design Show

26 – 27 February 2025 | Business Design Centre, London

Kay Sargent

Director of WorkPlace Thought Leadership, HOK

“We are no longer designing the environments—we are designing the experience.”

Kay is the Global Director of Workplace Thought Leadership for HOK. With a passion for using design to transform how and where people work, she spends her days (and many nights) working with clients on workplace strategy and design.

Based in Washington, D.C., Kay leads project teams that solve clients’ business and organizational challenges related to real estate business process, strategic planning, workplace strategy and change management. She collaborates with organizations ranging from tech startups to Fortune 500 companies to optimize their real estate portfolios and create the most innovative work experiences. She was recently selected from her field of peers to provide Congressional Subject Matter Expert Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives on “Federal Real Estate Post-COVID-19: A View from The Private Sector” and has since been called her shared her expertise with Congressional Committees multiple times.

Kay is a member of both American Society of Interior Designers’ College of Fellows and the International Interior Design Association’s College of Fellows, a select body of designers whose work has significantly influenced the profession. The American Society of Interior Designers also has honored Kay with its highest award, naming her a “Designer of Distinction” whose body of work represents excellence in interior design.

Outside of HOK, Kay serves on the prestigious Delos Advisory Board alongside wellness and sustainability advocates such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Deepak Chopra. She also serves on the Advisory for CoRETech / Real Comm and Co-chaired the 2023 events. She has also served on the international board of directors for AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association; CoreNet Global; IFI, the International Federation of Interior Designers/Architects; IIDA; ASID; and NCQLP. Kay is co-chair for the ASID Foundation research task force and on the leadership team of IFMA’s WE Workplace Evolutionaries and the advisory board of Work Design Magazine.

Kay has authored numerous reports and articles on the workplace and has spoken at CoreNet, IFMA and other industry events. CoreNet and Tradeline, Inc. both have honored her as a top-rated speaker. A mentor to many, she is a founding member of the D.C. chapter of UPWARD, which accelerates career advancement for executive women.

Attend Workspace Design Show
Workspace Design Show is a must-addition to London’s design calendar, attended by the region’s top architects, designers, occupiers, developers, consultants, coworking companies, and fit-out companies. Register now to attend Workspace Design Show for free from 26 – 27 February 2025 at the Business Design Centre, London.