Sean Li has built a team of more 50 since launching the Shanghai studio in 2007 and made the studio one of the practice’s best performing in recent years by securing key commissions from a range of blue chip clients.

Group chairman Stuart Rough, who worked closely with Sean to first establish the Shanghai studio, said the invitation to join the Holdings Board was both a recognition of his major impact on the company to date and the exciting future potential the company see in the region.

He said: “Sean was our first employee in China and he has been the main driver in helping us become a significant force in the country through his unique skill set and deep understanding of the Chinese business culture.

“Sean has been incredibly successful in securing new opportunities and developing these relationships to support the global business but his real passion remains the significant opportunity for Broadway Malyan in China.

“His elevation to the Holdings Board reflects the practice’s respect for what he has already done and its confidence in his ability to help lead the company into an exciting new era in China.”

Sean has been a member of the APAC board since 2010 and Ian Simpson, who chairs the APAC board, said Sean’s background in design management and business development, as well as his crucial operational and design visioning input, would be vital to the practice’s future success in the region.

He said: “Sean has been an exceptional colleague and an inspirational leader in China for more than a decade and has had a huge influence in supporting the fantastic growth we have seen in APAC in recent years.

“China is currently one of the world’s strongest economic regions but there have been many challenges since we first established a studio in Shanghai and Sean’s leadership has been fundamental in skilfully navigating these while building strong partnerships colleagues throughout the APAC region.

“Since launching the Shanghai studio he has built and developed a strong team and established Broadway Malyan’s reputation in a number of key sectors, most notably in retail and education where the practice is recognized as a market leader in the evolving international schools sector.”