OpenAsset is pleased to welcome Amélie de Backer to our team, an amazing marketer with 15 years of experience running marketing and communications in the built environment.

From the boardrooms of architecture and engineering firms Gensler and WSP, to the pages of the BBC and The Guardian, Amélie has built her career at the intersection of the built environment and bold communications. Now, as OpenAsset’s Head of Marketing, EMEA, she’s bringing that cross-market expertise to build OpenAsset’s presence in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

We sat down with Amélie to get her take on where the industry is heading, career lessons, the need for a shift toward authenticity, and why great marketing can never just be translated.

1. You’ve built your marketing and communications career across France and the UK. How has that shaped you?

Working across two countries early in my career taught me that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. What resonates in Paris doesn’t always land in London. It made me more adaptable, more curious, and honestly, a better listener. You learn quickly to read a room, and a market.

2. You’ve worked at some of the biggest names in the built environment. What have you taken from that?

So much. At WSP, Gensler, and PRP, I learned how diverse this sector really is: the projects, the people, the expertise. I learned that really tall buildings sway (and yes, you can get seasick at the top). I learned how to take complicated, technical topics and turn them into campaigns that actually mean something to people.

Working closely with boards and leadership also sharpened how I think. It’s about outcomes and ROI, not the details of how you get there. And working across the UK, France, and Germany reminded me that great marketing has to be rebuilt for each market, not just translated.

3. Who has influenced how you work?

Two people stand out from my previous jobs. Charles Malissard, who I worked with at WSP, taught me to always be prepared and to never give up on what you want. And Craig Sheach at PRP, who constantly pushed me to think differently, to think bigger picture, and led with real kindness.

4. What trends are you seeing that are affecting marketing and bids teams across EMEA?

AI is the obvious one, everyone’s talking about it. But what I find more interesting is the shift towards authenticity. Clients and candidates alike can see through a polished veneer. The brands winning right now are the ones that feel approachable, a bit more human, a bit more real. The move towards B Corp is part of that too; people want to work with and for companies that actually stand for something.

5. What’s shifted in how you think about the built environment over your career?

How seriously it takes its responsibility to the communities it designs for. When I started out, sustainability was an afterthought. Then it became a buzzword. Now you see firms making genuine, long-term commitments: becoming B Corp, investing in social value, walking the talk. You can’t fake it anymore; you get called out. And the care for people within the sector has always struck me, the mental health charities, the mentoring, the real support. It’s a genuinely good industry.

6. What does life outside the built environment look like for you?

Running after my toddler, reformer pilates, and travelling whenever I can. Basically, anything that gets me away from a screen and moving.

7. What are you most looking forward to building in the EMEA region?

The relationships. Rekindling some older ones, building new ones, getting out and meeting people across the sector. Alongside that, strengthening the OpenAsset brand across EMEA and making some noise. Watch this space.

To hear more from Amélie, read her articles below and follow her on LinkedIn.