2025 Ones to Watch - Industry Leaders: Thaddeus Siemasko, SV Design, Architecture + Interiors

“As founder of the firm 38 years ago, Thad Siemasko has built an enduring legacy of thoughtful design and purposeful growth. His commitment to community shines through transformative work like the Cabot Theatre preservation and decades of collaboration with Harborlight Homes, elevating both culture and housing access in our region.”

What daily habit or routine helps you stay focused or motivated as a leader? Design daily, greet the whole office each morning, and fit in as much exercise as possible.

Who has had the greatest impact on your career or leadership journey? My (now retired) partner, Jean Verbridge.

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? Transitioning SV from a primarily custom single-family residential firm to one which now includes an equal amount of market-rate and affordable multi-family housing and institutional and commercial projects. This pivot involved doubling the size of the company to effectively handle the project load. It included the opening of two additional office locations to extend SV into a wider geography. The result has been the design of a sizable portfolio of affordable housing units, substantial community facilities such as YMCAs, and numerous institutional projects.

What is one major challenge you’ve overcome as a leader, and what did it teach you? As the founder, I had a natural tendency to hold on to a much higher level of control than was helpful to facilitate the growth I wanted to achieve. I’ve worked hard on developing the alignment of the senior leadership team which has led me to have the confidence to delegate responsibilities more broadly. I’ve learned that a trusted team working together can produce more than the sum of the parts.

How do you inspire, motivate, or mentor others within your organization? Simply by example. There is no task at SV I haven’t done or won’t do. They see me in the trenches with them and know they are fully supported. I suspect they feel the level of passion I bring to the work and hope it provides inspiration. I consider and treat SV’ers as colleagues, not employees. I detest being called ‘the boss’!

What advice would you share with emerging professionals striving to become future leaders in commercial real estate? It is a wide field, and there’s always room to pursue additional opportunities that expand your knowledge and grow your capabilities. It is also a small community and your reputation for integrity in it is the most important thing you can have.

What book, podcast, or app has most influenced your approach to leadership? Founders Mentality by Chris Zook and James Allen.