One of the world’s largest architecture practices, Woods Bagot, has appointed group managing director Ross Donaldson to the position of executive chairman, effective from 1 March 2015.

In Donaldson’s eight years as group managing director, Woods Bagot’s net revenue has increased seven fold, to approximately US$157 million. During this period, Woods Bagot has opened five studios in San Francisco, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, making it the seventh largest architecture firm in the world.

In 2007, Donaldson moved to Asia to focus on growth in the northern hemisphere. This move saw the company’s Asian business increase from five percent of revenue and zero profit to approximately 25 percent of revenue and 30 percent of profit.

Donaldson predicts that domestic construction in Australia will continue to be fuelled by Chinese investment, as a result of deregulation in China and the slowing of the Chinese market.

A former academic, Donaldson holds a strong belief on research and academic partnerships, as seen in his publication Public #2: Education Futures, and in his collaborations with Stanford University, Columbia University and Buro Happold for the Zero-E project.

As well as his new executive role, Donaldson will also take up an adjunct professorship at the University of Western Australia.

Woods Bagot will announce its appointment of a new group managing director in March.