Finegold Alexander Associate and Marketing Manager Lauren Hickey sat down with us to discuss her experience working in marketing in the AEC industry. Lauren manages the firm’s marketing efforts at Finegold Alexander. She brings a rigorous yet collaborative approach to our proposal and interview process and executes the firm’s marketing strategies, which require the resources of not only the staff in her department but the entire firm. With over 10 years of experience in marketing, her focus has been in AEC and commercial real estate sectors.

Q: What inspired you to be involved in the AEC industry?

I stumbled upon the AEC industry but am so happy that I did! When I was in college, my dream was to either be a sideline reporter or work in marketing for top university athletic department. And like many of us in Marketing, I needed to pivot and found a job posting for marketing assistant position at an Engineering and Landscape Architecture firm. Over ten years later, I’ve realized the AEC industry is the perfect professional home for me. I love that marketing at an architecture firm provides such a diversity of tasks. No two days are alike, and at Finegold Alexander I’m surrounded by creative people that push me to be creative and think outside of the box. One of my favorite parts of my job is the architectural photoshoots once we’ve completed a project. It’s amazing to see a project go from a rough sketch to a beautiful structure that makes a positive impact on the communities we live in. 

Q: If you could give advice to a young marketing professional in the AEC industry, what would you say?

Join and attend marketing organizations, whether that be at the BSA or SMPS Boston. Having a network and meeting peers within the AEC industry has been invaluable to my career. If it’s your first job in the AEC industry, it can be a little overwhelming and feel like a different language, as the AEC industry has a love for acronyms! These organizations provide many events to help demystify the industry and people to reach out to when you need advice.  

Q: Do you have any favorite projects/processes you work on?

I’m definitely a competitive person and will never say no to a game of horse, darts or bowling. This translates well into my day job as a lot of my work is focused on winning new projects for the firm. My favorite process is developing a well-crafted proposal and then working with the team to develop an interview presentation that ultimately wins the job. It’s the best feeling!  

Q: What have been some of your career highlights/proudest achievements so far?

I am proud to be managing a marketing department and working alongside rock star marketing coordinators! We’ve been able to achieve a lot since I’ve joined in January 2021. To name a few, we’ve won some big projects such as Framingham Justice Center, JV Fletcher Library or AMSA New Academic Building, launched and promoted our FA Energy division, won multiple design awards both national and locally, and have won multiple SMPS Boston awards for our holiday emailers and social media campaigns. I can’t wait to see what we achieve in the years to come!

Q: Do you have a favorite city to visit for architecture?

My friends and family will probably say Boston and Massachusetts in general, because whenever we are near a FA project, I MUST point it out and tell them about the project whether that be The Lucas when we go to South End for SoWa Open Market, Eliot Innovation School during a North End night out or when we walk the plaza in front of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. Outside of FA projects, I love visiting castles, and absolutely loved seeing Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

Click here to learn more about Lauren Hickey!