Barbara Bouza joins CannonDesign as Executive Director of Market Strategies & Growth – Live, Work, Play

An architect celebrated for shaping inspiring spaces that bring people together across cultures and communities, she’ll lead the charge in growing our presence and impact in people-focused markets, including housing, civic and community spaces, sports, entertainment and workplace. Her move to CannonDesign was profiled by Fast Company.

“Barbara is a powerhouse leader with a rare gift for connecting architecture, experience, strategy, technology and human impact," said Juliet Rogers, CannonDesign’s Executive Director of Firmwide Strategy. “She’s spent her career blending these worlds with remarkable creativity, designing future-forward experiences long before others imagine them. I can’t wait to see how her leadership continues to push us forward.”

As president of Walt Disney Imagineering, Barbara led the global team behind Disney’s theme parks, resorts, cruise ships and immersive entertainment experiences. Known for fusing storytelling with technology and design, she helped bring to life groundbreaking projects like the Avengers Campuses, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, World of Frozen in Hong Kong and Fantasy Springs in Tokyo. Before Disney, she held roles at leading firms including Gensler, Morphosis, Foster + Partners, RBB Architects and Pei Partnership Architects. 

In her new role at CannonDesign, Barbara will identify market growth opportunities to guide our firm in realizing the full potential of what Live, Work, Play can mean for our clients. Just as important, she’ll forge new partnerships with organizations committed to improving the way people live today, opening doors to unexpected and yet-imagined opportunities.

Barbara is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a former president of AIA Los Angeles and the founding president of Architecture for Communities LA, where she helped amplify the social impact of design across LA neighborhoods. A former board member of Imagine LA, she has long been dedicated to addressing family homelessness and poverty. She currently sits on the SCI-Arc Board of Trustees and Fast Company’s Impact Council, and was honored with the 2022 Distinguished Leader Award from the New York Hall of Science for her career-long contributions to STEM fields. 

Barbara’s role is one of three new Executive Director roles CannonDesign is announcing today, each focused on different areas of strategy and growth. Along with Barbara, Aaron Call joins as our Executive Director of Incubate & Launch and Abbie Clary steps into the role of Executive Director of Health for All.