How girl who loved Legos went from MIT back to the perfume counter to CEO of multi-billion dollar design firm

Published

4 months ago

May 22, 2025

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As a kid, Diane Hoskins always loved building. Legos, Barbie Dreamhouses, the racecar sets that her brother got but didn’t have the patience to put together himself when it took reading along with an hour’s worth of instructions.

“Whatever it was … I just love putting things together and building things,” Hoskins, global co-chair of architectural firm Gensler, told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin in a recent CNBC Changemakers interview.

That childhood building bug also made Hoskins the atypical example of a person who knew exactly what they wanted to do from an early age. “It led me to want to be an architect,” said Hoskins, named to the 2025 CNBC Changemakers list for her role at Gensler, where she served as co-CEO for two decades before becoming global co-chair in 2024.

Founded in 1965, Gensler employs 6,000 people across 57 locations in 16 countries, and generated close to $2 billion in revenue last year.

While she said her passion for building as a child “became a drive that just felt right,” Hoskins did not take an exactly linear path to the top of the world of architecture.

She shared with CNBC some of the lessons learned on the journey to the top of her profession.

Say ‘no’ quickly to life under an ‘all about me’ boss

Once Hoskins graduated from MIT and had mastered all of the basic skills to be a professional architect, she went to work in her “dream job” at a firm run by a genius in the field. That genius was the worst boss she could have ever hoped for starting out in her career, she now says.

The story, which Hoskins shared last year in an MIT commencement address, was a warning to the current generation of students that their vision of an ideal architecture experience may be more difficult to find than they realize, and it’s an important lesson about being prepared to pivot quick, and even pivot away from a long-sought path.

“You buy into this mythology of working in the office of ‘fill in the blank’ architect, who you believe is the epitome of architecture. … I went to work for one of those architects and found it to be not creative, and basically all about that person and what they wanted and not about the ideas of anyone else on the team,” she told Boorstin.

And quickly, she realized, “I don’t want to do this. I won’t live my career as the support cast of someone else’s vision,” Hoskins recalled.

She moved back to her family’s home in Chicago and went to work at the perfume counter at the department store Marshall Field & Company. Even though she had an MIT degree, she said that decision made her feel “extraordinarily independent and satisfied.”

“It was about saying no to something I know was not right for me, even if it might have checked a lot of boxes on what kids in college think is the right job path,” she said.

Eventually, a former classmate came into the store one day and suggested during a conversation that Hoskins apply to her firm. It was a huge firm that had the exact opposite approach of the one she quit, with team-driven projects involving people from various backgrounds and countries.

“It wasn’t in the service of a particular architecture ego that was at the center of the pyramid,” Hoskins said.

This belief has turned into a guiding model at Gensler, and not just for Hoskins in her roles as co-CEO and co-global chair. “It’s a bit of the antithesis of the CEO ethos, the commander at the top, the pyramid and all that thinking,” she said. “We believe strongly in collaborative leadership,” she added.

At Gensler, there are co-chairs in every leadership role within the firm, co-regional heads, and co-leaders in “every domain of work practice areas,” she said.

Terrace at IBM flagship office at One Madison Avenue in New York City, designed by Gensler.

Alexander Severin, courtesy of Gensler

Follow inner path, not expectations, even if it’s non-linear career

Even once Hoskins was established in architecture, she left to get her MBA because she wanted to learn from the perspective of her clients and what was driving their needs in real estate development.

“I left the profession again,” Hoskins said. “I had the courage to follow an inner path rather than expectations.”

Learning about real estate, and also studying business and management theory and concepts in competitive strategy, including the work of Michael Porter and Peter Drucker, gave Hoskins a “deep thinking on how business works,” which she says has benefitted her ever since.

There will always be a framework involving a budget, schedules, a team of people, and maximizing resources, but Hoskins says growing an organization’s skills and learning beyond a core sector focus, such as architecture, is critical.

Every business, Hoskins says, needs to be about innovation today. “Business can’t run on yesterday’s premise,” she said. “Innovation is the thread in every single business enterprise today.”

That goes for the sector most closely associated with innovation, too. “Solutions need to be framed by more than one discipline,” she said. “More people in our tech companies would benefit from having been in other domains,” she said, “bringing more perspective to these tools across our daily lives.”

And in Hoskin’s view, that is true for all professions. The path to success, she says, is often about not coming at it “from a single set of ideas.”

Watch the Changemakers Spotlight video above to learn more about Hoskin’s career and her advice to finding career success on your own terms.

Environment

Electric haul trucks could save Fortescue over $400 million in fuel per year

Published

9 hours ago

September 13, 2025

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Electric haul trucks could save Fortescue over 0 million in fuel per year

Fortescue is marching towards zero emissions as it invests in new, zero-emission mining equipment options across its global operations. And that investment? It’s already paying off. One analyst says the company’s saving almost $400 million in fuel costs alone. Each year.

From massive, Liebherr-built electric haul trucks and excavators to more than $400 million in Chinese equipment from XCMG, Fortescue is putting its money where its mouth is and making real efforts to decarbonize its global mining operations.

“We’re moving rapidly to decarbonize our Pilbara iron ore operations and eliminate our Scope 1 and 2 terrestrial emissions by 2030. To achieve this target, we will need to swap out hundreds of pieces of diesel mining equipment at the end of their life with zero emissions alternatives,” said Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto, when the XCMG order was announced. “As the global mining industry continues to evolve, we’re proud to be at the forefront of driving innovation in value adding green technology and showing the world that industry can decarbonize.”

Those efforts aren’t just cutting back on air pollution. Electric equipment assets are helping to keep the company’s workers safe and healthy, too. What’s more, they’re saving the company money – they’re already seeing $300-400 million in fuel savings annually.

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Liebherr T264 electric haul truck

Fortescue’s 6MW electric vehicle charger stuns the EV and mining industries — Liebherr T264; via Fortescue.

The Liebherr T264 electric haul trucks now working for Fortescue defy common sense notions of size, scale, and power. Each truck tips the scales at 176 tonnes (194 tons) and can haul more than 240 tonnes (265 tons) of payload thanks to powerful electric motors and a big-as-a-house-sized 3.2 MWh battery that can be recharged in a little over 30 minutes by Liebherr’s proprietary 6 MW DC fast charger.

If you could keep the car from exploding, that 6 MW (that’s 6,000 kW to you and me) charger could zap a Tesla Model Y Long Range’s 75 kWh battery in some thirty (30) seconds.

“Fortescue has ordered 360 of (T264 battery electric haul trucks) as part of a $4 billion deal with Liebherr to electrify operations at its enormous iron ore mines,” says Gavin Mooney, general manager at Australian energy software platform, Kaluza. “Fuel and energy costs are Fortescue’s biggest operating costs as well as largest source of emissions. By electrifying operations like this it will be able to kill two birds with one stone.”

Battery electric vehicles have moved millions of tons of material at Fortescue mines over the last two years alone, and continue to keep the minerals moving with ~~minimal~~ less impact to the environment.

Electrek’s Take

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With billions of dollars on the line and pressure to reduce carbon emissions coming from all sides, it should come as no surprise that the race is on to bring practical, electric, and autonomous heavy mining equipment to market. At CES 2024, electric equipment from Hyundai, Bobcat, Volvo CE, and Caterpillar garnered lots of attention with their innovative concepts, and analysts like IDTechEx estimate that a single 150-ton haul truck can use over $850,000 worth of fuel in a single year.

Meanwhile, big electric haul trucks like this 240 ton unit from Caterpillar can, in certain use cases with high amounts of regenerative braking, operate without any significant cost to recharge. At that point, the reduced maintenance and downtime of BEVs compared to diesel vehicles becomes icing on the TCO cake.

We spoke to Fortescue Zero executives a few months ago on a special interview episode of Quick Charge. Check it out (above) then let us know what you think of Fortescue’s fuel savings in the comments.

Sources links throughout; featured image by Fortescue Zero.

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Environment

World’s First all-electric deconstruction site runs on Volvo CE

Published

11 hours ago

September 12, 2025

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World's First all-electric deconstruction site runs on Volvo CE

Volvo Construction Equipment powers world's first all-electric deconstruction at Siemens site

This world’s first fully electric deconstruction site is being hailed as a landmark in sustainable urban development — and it’s powered by Siemens technology and Volvo Group’s battery-electric trucks and heavy equipment.

The deconstruction project (that’s kind of like a really careful demolition) marks the first full-scale electric deconstruction of its kind, and serves as important proof that with the right partners and the will to do it, urban construction projects like this can be carried out sustainably, today – and all without fossil fuels. It’s all part of Siemens’ €500 million technology campus redevelopment, the deconstruction site in Erlangen, Germany, and marks a pivotal step in advancing sustainable urban transformation and circular construction practices.

In collaboration with the demolition specialists at Metzner Recycling, Volvo CE deployed a fully electric fleet of equipment assets specially chosen to deliver quiet, precision demolition across the 25,000 cubic meter job site.

As well as deconstruction tasks, the electric machines helped sort and process approximately 12,800 tons of construction waste, with 96% recycled into raw materials for future use – supporting the shift towards circular materials management.

VOLVO CE

“At Siemens Real Estate, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable construction and demolition,” explains Christian Franz, Head of Sustainability at Siemens Real Estate. “This groundbreaking electric deconstruction project boasts an impressive 96% recycling rate and is a testament to our commitment to achieving excellence in sustainability … this project illustrates how partnerships and determination can create a lasting impact and help shape a more sustainable real estate industry.”

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In addition the construction equipment was hauled into the site by Volvo Truck’s battery electric semi trucks, enabling emission-free operations from demolition, to crushing, materials processing, and transport.

Electrek’s Take

With a full line of electric wheel loaders, excavators, articulated haul trucks – even drum rollers and off-grid charging solutions to haul around with their electric semi trucks – Volvo is in a great position to take advantage of increasingly restrictive noise and emission regulations across Europe.

It’s too bad they’re suing California to be able to pollute more.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo CE.

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Hyundai wants to bring back the hot hatch, and its new EV concept nails it

Published

13 hours ago

September 12, 2025

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Hyundai wants to bring back the hot hatch, and its new EV concept nails it

Hyundai offered a first look at the hot hatch earlier this week after unveiling the Concept Three, its first compact EV under the IONIQ family. The new EV, set to arrive as the IONIQ 3, already has a sporty, hot hatch look, but that could be just the start.

Hyundai has a new EV hot hatch in the making

The Concept Three took the spotlight at IAA Mobility in Munich with a daring new look from Hyundai. Based on its new “Art of Steel” design, the concept is a stark contrast to the Hyundai vehicles on the road today.

Hyundai took the “Aero Hatch” design to the next level, deeming it “a new typology that reimagines the compact EV silhouette.” And that it does.

When it arrives in production form in mid-2026, it’s expected to take the IONIQ 3 name as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the IONIQ 5.

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Hyundai is set to unveil the electric hatchback next spring with an official launch planned in Europe in September 2026. According to Hyundai’s European boss, Xavier Martinet, the IONIQ 3 could make for the perfect EV hot hatch.

Martinet hinted that the IONIQ 3 could receive the “N” treatment, telling Auto Express that “The concept is quite sporty, and obviously you have heritage with N brand.” Hyundai’s European boss added that “it’s a fair topic to consider.”

Although it doesn’t sound too convincing, Hyundai’s head of design, Simon Loasby, called it “an opportunity.” Loasby was quick to add, “We’re not calling it N, it’s not approved yet.”

“But I think everyone in the company is realising what Europe needs, and that’s compact hot hatches, so it’s a topic for discussion,” Hyundai’s design boss added.

The Concept Three is 4,287 mm long, 1,940 mm wide, and 1,428 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,722 mm, or about the size of the Kia EV3 and Volkswagen ID.3. Both of which are set for hot hatch variants.

If the IONIQ 3 N does come to life, it will be the third Hyundai EV to receive the high-performance upgrade, following the IONIQ 5 N and IONIQ 6 N.

The IONIQ 5 N “was just the first lap,” according to Joon Park, vice president of Hyundai’s N Brand Management Group. He told Auto Express that Hyundai is “at the starting line” and plans to apply what it learned from its first EV hot hatch to upcoming models.

If you’re looking for an affordable electric hot hatch, Hyundai already offers one. After Hyundai cut lease prices last month, the IONIQ 5 N is now listed at just $549 per month. That’s $150 less per month than in July.

Want to test one out for yourself? You can use our link to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 models in your area (trusted affiliate link).

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