President and COO of OBMI (Miami, FL), a global master planning, architecture, and design firm.
By Liisa Andreassen
Correspondent
Unifying OBMI’s growing global presence into a cohesive, high-performing culture is at the top of Mike Wilson’s agenda. As company COO and president, Wilson shares that they’ve recently opened new studios, onboarded emerging leaders, and expanded into key markets like London, Dubai, and Cairo.
In 2023, OBMI experienced exponential growth that continued through the first portion of 2024, none of which would have been possible without the team’s support and determination. The firm had a 20 percent increase in overall employee growth and announced the opening of new offices in London and Egypt.
Known for its work in Bermuda and the Middle East, OBMI aims to use its new London office as a base to grow its European business. The firm is targeting work in luxury resorts, high-end residential, and commercial developments.
In Egypt, OBMI has been working on a project – SouthMED – located on the north coast. It’s a community centered on placemaking, well-being, and sustainable practices. OBMI’s holistic and organic design approach to the master plan and architecture combines contemporary design while celebrating and preserving the site’s natural environment. Envisioned as a coastal escape, OBMI carefully planned the positioning of SouthMED to fully enjoy 100 blocks of direct access and views to the majestic Mediterranean Sea. To support an active lifestyle community, designers created multi-lane roads and nature trails to increase accessibility for exploring, walking, and cycling.
“Now, my priority is to ensure that as we grow, we preserve the essence of OBMI – collaborative, agile, and design-driven – while building the systems and leadership capacity needed to thrive for the next 90 years,” Wilson says. “With this growth comes thoughtful scaling and maintaining our ‘one company’ culture across time zones, languages, and market demands.”
That’s why OBMI is investing in leadership development, improving internal communication, and refining its project delivery systems.
“It’s all about balancing legacy with progress: honoring our roots while preparing the next generation to lead,” he says.
As part of leadership planning, the company has introduced career scorecards and mentorship frameworks to develop leadership accountability and empathy. Its global HR team plays a vital role in coaching and support, while annual planning sessions now include workshops on people management and team dynamics.
This year, the OBMI leadership team has emphasized strengthening leadership and positivity skills throughout the firm, creating an invaluable experience for employees to learn about these topics and grow together. OBMI’s corporate social responsibility team endorsed a program to decrease employee stress levels and prioritize mental health with complimentary unlimited memberships to “Calm.” The organization also offers employees a competitive benefits package with 401(k) matching, employer-covered health care coverage with dental benefits, and more.
“I’m excited by the caliber of new talent joining OBMI and the depth of passion across our studios,” Wilson says. “Our London Studio launch and strategic hires signal a bold next chapter. I’m also energized by how our teams are embracing AI and digital tools in design and operations. It’s a rare moment when innovation, purpose, and leadership alignment converge.”
OBMI takes a boutique-management approach. What does that mean exactly? Wilson defines this as personalized attention – internally and externally.
“We empower our teams to be nimble and collaborative while staying connected to leadership,” he says. “Our size allows us to customize our solutions and foster deep client relationships, while our global reach enables us to deliver complex projects at scale.”
A recent project also showcases how the company is engaged in sustainability and creating a resilient future. For example, at Al Hamra Palace in Saudi Arabia, OBMI’s team transformed a historic royal residence into a sustainable boutique hotel. They used adaptive reuse strategies, preserved existing structures, and integrated local materials – balancing heritage with environmental sensitivity. It’s a testament to how OBMI fuses cultural context with long-term ecological responsibility.
In order to stay on top of leading-edge design and technology and sustainability research, it collaborates with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Miami, and others. These relationships also strengthen its recruitment pipeline.
“It’s all part of our long-term commitment to shaping the future of design,” he says.