Inspirational Women: Accelerating Action with Sharon Grob, Partner & Head of Business Development, Studio Moren

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, Design Insider is proud to present a special series highlighting Inspirational Women leading the way in commercial interiors. These visionary professionals are shaping the industry through experience, their unique approach, and a commitment to driving meaningful change.

This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, underscores the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers and fast-track progress toward gender equality. At the current rate, full parity won’t be reached until 2158—five generations from now. By amplifying the voices of women who are making a tangible impact, we aim to inspire industry-wide action and showcase effective strategies that help move the needle faster.

In this exclusive interview series, we speak with Sharon Grob, Partner & Head of Business Development, Studio Moren, to explore her journey, insights, and the initiatives she supports to create a more inclusive and equitable commercial interiors sector. From championing rising talent to breaking down barriers in leadership, she shares how we can all contribute to a future where women thrive.

Can you start by introducing yourself, your role, and your business? What drives your passion for the work you do?

I am a Partner and Head of Business Development at Studio Moren, a London-based Architecture and Interior Design Studio specialising in hospitality. Over our 32-year history, we’ve worked on hundreds of projects, with highlights including the new Park Hyatt London River Thames, Hyde London City, 1 Hotel Mayfair, The Westin London City, Art Hotel Battersea Power Station, and Shangri-La at The Shard.

I have a genuine passion for both travel and design, so it’s a privilege to turn up every day and combine the two while working alongside a talented team of architects and designers. This takes on an additional dimension as I come from a background in financial services. My role allows me to bring that expertise into play when working with clients, many of whom are now Private Equity and institutional investors. I love that I can go beyond networking and engage in meaningful discussions about value achieved through professional design.

The 2025 International Women’s Day theme is “Accelerate Action”—a call to urgently address systemic barriers to gender equality. In your experience, what are the most pressing challenges women face in the commercial interiors sector, and how do you think these can be addressed faster?

The commercial interiors sector has made great strides towards gender equality, but challenges do remain. Across the industry, there’s greater representation of women in interior design than in architecture, and I’m not entirely sure why. One of the biggest barriers is the lack of women in leadership and decision-making roles. Despite their expertise, women often struggle with unconscious bias and limited mentorship opportunities; both formal and informal.

At Studio Moren, our management team is led by the inspiring Wan Yau, and I see incredible female talent rising through our ranks—so the future looks bright! However, work-life balance remains a challenge. Long hours, travel, and demanding projects often clash with caregiving responsibilities, which still disproportionately fall on women.

Mentorship & Sponsorship – Programmes to support career progression.
Pay Transparency – Comparative reviews to ensure fair compensation.
Flexible Work Culture – Making it easier for women to balance work and life without compromising career growth.

Perhaps women also need to speak up more when we see imbalance. Sometimes, we’re guilty of letting things slide because we’re too busy. Change happens when we challenge the status quo.

Supporting organisations that uplift women is a cornerstone of this year’s campaign. Are there any groups, initiatives, or movements within the commercial interiors industry—or beyond—that you actively support or draw inspiration from? How can individuals and businesses in this sector help accelerate their impact?

Initiatives like this feature by Design Insider are hugely important! Supporting organisations that uplift women is key to driving real change. Within the industry, groups like Women in Construction (WiC) provide invaluable mentorship, networking, and career development. Beyond that, initiatives like Lean In continue to inspire and equip women with leadership skills.

To accelerate their impact, businesses could look to go beyond symbolic gestures with initiatives like:

Sponsoring initiatives that support women’s career progression.
Running mentorship schemes to develop female talent.
Ensuring women’s voices are heard at every level of decision-making.

Which other inspirational women are disrupting the commercial interiors sector or related fields right now, and what impact do you think their work will have on the future of the industry—or society as a whole?

I have to start with Studio Moren’s own Wan Yau. Wan was employee number one when Dexter Moren established the practice 32 years ago and has quietly become one of the most respected and influential women in the business.

The hotel brands also have some inspirational women at the top with Emma King at IHG, Anne Becker Olins at Accor and Emmanuelle Simon, also at Accor . The more we see women leading the conversation, the more diverse and forward-thinking the industry will become.

One of the IWD principles emphasises understanding what works and doing more of it. What strategies, tools, or practices within the commercial interiors sector have you seen that are effectively advancing women in leadership, design, or business? How can these be scaled to make a broader impact?

Mentorship schemes, leadership training, and inclusive hiring practices have been game-changers. But one area where we could do even better is visibility—women need to be speaking up more.

Too often, we are the quiet achievers, getting the job done but not shouting about our successes. We need to celebrate and highlight women’s achievements more publicly—whether that’s through awards, panel discussions, or simply taking ownership of our wins. If we amplify female voices, we inspire the next generation to follow suit.

What advice would you give to young women looking to make their mark in the commercial interiors sector? How can they contribute to the global effort to accelerate action for gender equality?

Build your network – Both formal and informal connections matter.

Speak up – Your ideas are valuable, so make sure they’re heard.

Find mentors – Learn from those who’ve paved the way.

Stay curious – The industry is constantly evolving, so keep learning.

Most importantly, use your voice—no one else will do it for you!

At the current rate of progress, full gender equality won’t be achieved until 2158. If you could accelerate one key change within the commercial interiors sector that would have the greatest impact on closing the gender gap sooner, what would it be?

More women in leadership.

When women hold decision-making roles, they drive policies that foster equality—better hiring practices, pay transparency, and flexible work structures. We also need to call out patriarchal attitudes rather than sweeping them aside for the sake of not “rocking the boat”. If we don’t challenge the status quo, change will never happen.

Finally, what message would you like to share with the global community this International Women’s Day to inspire collective action towards gender equality?

True progress requires action.

We all share responsibility for change—whether that’s championing women, calling out inequality, or just “owning our own space”. Let’s build an industry where talent and ambition matter more than gender—and let’s celebrate the women leading the way!