In this interview, Olly reflects on his career path and key moments, including his work on St Helier Harbour. As a former EOT Studio Representative and now a Trustee, he champions making the benefits of employee ownership visible and tangible, rooted in fairness and shared purpose, and focused on empowering everyone to play an active role in shaping the business’s future.

Could you tell us about your journey with Broadway Malyan?

During my Part 1 at the University of Bath, I participated in an exchange programme in Lisbon. A tutor encouraged me to apply and assured me the course would be taught in English. Two weeks later, I flew out – only to spend the next six months completely baffled by lectures that were, in fact, in Portuguese. Despite the confusion, I enjoyed being in Lisbon and decided to stay in the city, so I started looking for a local job.

After a few months of roaming Lisbon’s tiled streets with limited success, someone suggested I approach Broadway Malyan. I had an impromptu interview with the Director of Architecture, who spotted a render in my portfolio featuring the comic character Tintin. As it happened, he was a huge Tintin fan and called over the studio leads to see my work. They were the first English-speaking people I’d spoken to face-to-face since arriving in Lisbon, so a tidal wave of unbridled enthusiasm came crashing their way – and by the following Monday, I was working there.

An unexpected change in personal circumstances led me to relocate back to my home city of Birmingham, where I was introduced to the studio lead and joined the Broadway Malyan team based there, before eventually moving to London, where I’m now based.

Whenever I’m back in Birmingham, I try to spend a day or two working from the studio to stay connected with the old gang. It’s a testament to what I’ve often felt is Broadway Malyan’s greatest asset: the people. I really enjoy working in different studios and experiencing each one’s unique take on Broadway Malyan culture.

Are there any projects that had a significant impact on your development as an Architect?

I spent three years working on St Helier Harbour for Ports of Jersey, which was one of my most formative experiences at Broadway Malyan. I was part of a brilliant team and am immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a project so closely aligned with my values as a designer – a significant piece of public infrastructure with real social impact.

The unique nature of the terminal typology meant there was a lot to consider operationally. Ensuring the building functioned properly required close collaboration with specialist consultants. This was not only incredibly interesting but also a valuable lesson that architects cannot and should not try to know everything.

Could you explain what an EOT is and why you became involved?

Broadway Malyan introduced its EOT in 2016, meaning the business became majority employee-owned and committed to treating employees like shareholders by sharing information, influence through the Trustees, and benefits like the profit share.

The EO model tries to give employees a more meaningful voice in the strategic direction of the business, helping to surface ideas or concerns. It’s a system where Trustees, partly elected by employees, monitor the effectiveness of the board to deliver the successful future direction of the business and regularly seek reassurance on matters that impact colleagues.

I became involved because I believe in that principle. An EOT recognises that we all contribute to the success of Broadway Malyan.

I care a lot about studio culture and community, which led me to take on the London studio Rep role before eventually progressing into my current Trustee position. We spend a significant part of our lives at work, so it's important to me that it's a positive and productive environment where everyone feels valued.

Can you explain the difference between EOT Trustee and an EOT Representative, and how you see their roles working together?

EOT Representatives are deliberately close to colleagues at the studio level, working closely with teams to listen, support and respond to colleagues’ ideas, concerns and contributions as owners. Reps can then raise those topics either with studio leaders or with the EOT Trustees, who can work directly with the Board to help shape and influence decisions at a global strategic level.

I personally don’t see the two roles as hierarchical; they serve different purposes but are equally important. We rely on each other, and I think collaboration and regular communication are key to a successful EOT. Our roles are similar in that a key part of our work involves ensuring employees' feedback as owners is heard, while also understanding what's happening across the business and how it affects people.

We've recently moved from having two London Representatives to electing more of a cohort, which I'm really pleased about. It allows us to represent a broader range of voices and perspectives across the studio, making the role stronger and more inclusive.

Ultimately, we all want to work for a company that shares our values. These roles give us a way to influence this and ensure it reflects the things that matter to us.

What would you like to achieve in your new role as a UK EOT Trustee?

One of my priorities is to make the EOT feel more real and visible to all Broadway Malyan employees. I want us to introduce clear metrics and gather feedback that demonstrates the value of this model in practice.

I hope we’ll reach a point where every Broadway Malyan employee can confidently describe the benefits of being part of an EOT – not just in theory, but through real, concrete examples like the annual profit share, the opportunity to work in another studio, or contributing to decisions that shape the future of the business.