Gary Wright

As Executive Director for Growth, I focus on ensuring that our services and capabilities reach a broad spectrum of clients, sectors, and industries. My role is to help unlock the full potential of Charcoalblue across regions, geographies, and markets—enabling us to evolve alongside changing industries, audiences, and guest expectations as demand grows for experience-driven spaces and trusted solution partners.I bring an authentic, relationship-led approach to my work, always focused on the goals of the end user. By remaining agile and responsive, I help shape the right teams, structures, and capabilities to meet the constantly evolving demands of the experience economy.What matters most to me is doing good work, in the right way, with the right people. I believe in challenging convention, bringing energy and enthusiasm to every opportunity, and creating the conditions for teams, clients, and collaborators to succeed together.

What Excites You Most About Your Work

What excites me most about work is pursuing the art of the impossible—taking ambitious ideas and finding practical ways to bring them to life. I enjoy solving complex challenges, creating opportunities where none seem obvious, and working with teams to turn bold visions into meaningful, successful outcomes.

What Brought You to Charcoalblue

I was drawn to Charcoalblue by the opportunity to bring my experience in turning ambitious visions into reality, while working alongside a team that shares the same drive, ambition, and commitment to meaningful work. The chance to help create impactful experiences that inspire clients, engage audiences, and shape environments in a positive way was a natural fit for both my professional values and aspirations.

What Does Great Design or Experience Mean to You

A great design or experience has impact when the whole journey has been thoughtfully developed. It’s about knowing how to balance analogue and digital moments, while always putting human-centred design first.When I experience a space, I want to feel educated, informed, enthralled, and surprised. For me, the mark of a truly successful experience is when people are still talking about it afterwards—if it becomes the conversation in the pub, then it has made a lasting impression.

A Project That Shaped How You Work

Working on the Chicago Shakespeare Theater shaped my entire approach to delivering large-scale, highly ambitious projects. I entered the project with a degree of naivety—working in an unfamiliar city and region, tasked with designing and delivering a highly complex, first-of-its-kind adaptable space under extremely challenging conditions.That experience taught me the value of a fully aligned, coordinated, and purpose-driven team. It showed me what can be achieved when people remain focused, creative, and resilient in the face of complexity. In many situations, a project like that might have failed, but the determination to keep moving forward proved what is possible when teams commit to a shared vision.It shaped the way I approach projects today: with the belief that very little is impossible. With the right creative thinking, the right team, and the right mindset, even the most ambitious ideas can be realised.

What Clients/Colleagues Value About You

I like to think that clients value my integrity, authenticity, and creative approach to problem-solving. I strive to build trust through honesty, transparency, and delivering on commitments, while bringing creative thinking to every challenge. By combining a genuine, relationship-led approach with a focus on practical outcomes, I aim to create confidence, add value, and help clients realise ambitious goals.

What You Hope People Feel in a Space You’ve Worked On

I hope that the spaces I have worked on deliver a fully integrated experience, where human interaction comes first, supported by technology, architecture, and systems rather than led by them. My aim is to create environments that feel intuitive, engaging, and centred on people, where every element works together seamlessly to support the experience. Ultimately, I want these spaces to leave a lasting impression—moments that people remember, talk about, and feel compelled to share with others.

A Problem You Love Solving

I love solving problems that others consider unsolvable—it’s a challenge that genuinely drives me. I believe that almost everything is possible if you take the time to understand the constraints and find the right mechanisms to unlock the opportunity. For me, the excitement lies in reframing challenges, bringing the right people and thinking together, and turning perceived limitations into workable, creative solutions that deliver real outcomes.

What We Won’t Learn from Your CV

I’m an enthusiastic golfer—though not a particularly good one! I spend a lot of time in nature, staying informed and inspired by the world around me. I have travelled extensively, learning from different cultures and perspectives, which continually challenges and broadens my own thinking.

A Place That Shaped or Inspires You

A place that inspires me is the river at the rear of my house. It’s where I go for reflective thought and a sense of tranquillity within the chaos of everyday life. I find myself observing the ever-changing landscape around it, which reminds me of the need to continually adapt and grow as the environment evolves.

Coffee, Travel, or Creative Ritual

I walk every morning when possible, early before the day begins. It opens my mind, gives me space to think clearly, and often helps me develop new strategies or approaches to challenges that weren’t quite working the week before. It’s an essential part of my daily routine, helping me reset, reflect, and start the day with focus and perspective.

What Are You Learning About Right Now

I am currently learning about The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense, as I find this approach closely aligned with my own thinking and way of working. I am drawn to ideas that challenge conventional logic, as they often open unexpected pathways to innovation and better solutions.

A Book, Podcast, Building, or Creative Work That Inspires You

A book that inspired me was The Devil in the White City. The story of the World’s Fair, delivered against such a complex and challenging backdrop, and what was achieved through ingenious design and exceptional execution, has stayed with me. The way ambition, creativity, and delivery came together to create something extraordinary resonates strongly with me. It also connects to Chicago, a city that continues to inspire me.

Cultural Value You Most Identify With

Creativity and innovation is the value that means most to me because it is the driving force behind progress, problem-solving, and meaningful change. It allows ideas to be challenged, reimagined, and transformed into something better than what already exists. I am motivated by finding new ways to approach complex challenges, pushing beyond convention, and unlocking opportunities that others may not initially see. For me, creativity and innovation are not just about ideas, but about turning those ideas into real, impactful outcomes that improve experiences, environments, and connections between people.

Cultural Value That Guides Engagement with Others

Collaboration is key to how I engage with teams, partners, and clients because I believe the best outcomes are never achieved in isolation. Strong collaboration builds trust, aligns purpose, and creates the conditions for better ideas to emerge. I value open dialogue, shared problem-solving, and bringing together different perspectives to shape stronger solutions. For me, collaboration is about creating momentum collectively—where everyone contributes, challenges thinking constructively, and works towards a shared goal that none of us could achieve alone.

Cultural Value That Inspires You to Go the Extra Mile

Professional excellence, to me, is simply about consistently doing a good job—delivering work that is thoughtful, reliable, and of a high standard. I believe that when you focus on getting the fundamentals right and take pride in the quality of what you do, it naturally leads to stronger relationships, greater trust, and ultimately more opportunities to work together again. It’s about accountability, consistency, and care in execution, ensuring that clients, partners, and colleagues feel confident in both the process and the outcome every time.