John Syvertsen

President of OWP/P since 1999, John is a visionary leader devoted to design excellence. By way of debate and conversation, he encourages his staff to maintain an open dialogue on the art of architecture.

In addition to leading a firm of more than 320 members, John has worked with The University of Chicago Law School since the mid-1990s. During that time, he directed project teams to complete a major Law Clinic and Classroom addition to the existing Saarinen campus. His experience in working with clients in a higher educational setting extends to nearly all of the colleges and universities in Chicago as well as other schools nationally.

John is Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chairman of the Urban Design Task Force for the Chicago Central Area Action Plan. He is a member of the Chicago Design Initiative and serves on University of Illinois at Chicago Chancellor’s Design Review Committee, the Board of Trustees of the Graham Foundation, the Board of Overseers of the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology and the Board of Directors of Family Focus, Illinois.

Previously he was on the Board of Directors, vice-president and president of AIA Chicago, Chairman of the National Committee on Design of the American Institute of Architects and president of the Chicago Architectural Club.