Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) welcomes digital scientist and cloud entrepreneur Rob DeMillo as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), charged with accelerating the global AEC firm’s technological development across all regions and disciplines. Named Top Digital Media Influencer in 2012, alongside Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, DeMillo brings 20+ years of experience to SOM.
In his role as CTO, DeMillo will utilize his expertise and vision to steward critical technology reform at SOM. He will provide strategic direction for integrating the global firm’s numerous technologies and stakeholders and will lead a variety of enterprise and software development initiatives. With a wealth of international knowledge and experience, DeMillo will help SOM utilize new technologies and cloud-based platforms to create a collaborative and seamless digital workspace across 11 offices.
“We specifically recruited Rob from outside the AEC industry to leverage his expertise in advancing our technology,” said SOM Partner Carrie Byles. “He will help us revolutionize the profession and improve the lives of our clients, employees, and collective impact on the planet.”
DeMillo began his career as a scientist, working for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on several missions, including the Galileo, Mars Observer, and Magellan. Following NASA, he joined MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, working on advanced algorithms for severe weather detection as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) system.
Following NASA and MIT, DeMillo found success in entrepreneurial and corporate realms, holding leadership positions at Discovery Digital Networks and some of the top digital media companies in the world. He also founded MediaRush, one of the first companies to develop technology for home media distribution; and Transpera, a mobile video advertising company.
In 2016, DeMillo joined Nimble Collective, a cloud-based animation platform built for creators by creators to streamline the animation process used by the entertainment industry. The company provides tools to eliminate high-cost infrastructure, which allows remote artists to collaborate outside of traditional office spaces without access to local software and technology.
“During my time at Nimble Collective, I realized the usage model that was applied to animation could work across a variety of industries, most notably architecture, engineering, and planning,” said DeMillo. “I feel strongly that AEC is the next logical vertical market for technology reform, which aligns completely with SOM’s vision for the future.”
DeMillo is currently a venture partner at SparkLabs Global Ventures, a startup accelerator located in Korea whose mission is to fill the critical gap for entrepreneurs seeking connectivity, knowledge, and mentorship as they work to expand into the world market.
About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is an influential collective of architects, designers, engineers and planners, responsible for some of the world’s most technically and environmentally advanced buildings, and significant public spaces. From a strategic regional plan to a single piece of furniture, SOM’s designs anticipate change in the way we live, work and communicate, and have brought lasting value to communities around the world. The firm’s approach is highly collaborative, and its interdisciplinary team is engaged on a wide range of international projects, with creative studios based across the globe.