Press Releases November 12, 2021

New Leadership for Renowned French Interior Design Firm Pierre-Yves Rochon

Jakubowski is the first woman to serve as Managing Director at PYR, which was founded in 1979 by legendary French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon.

Amy Jakubowski, who for 30 years has designed some of the world’s most luxurious places for iconic hospitality brands, has joined French interior design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR) as Managing Director. Based in the firm’s Chicago office, Jakubowski oversees PYR’s client engagement and business strategy in North America and Asia, working in concert with the firm’s flagship studio in Paris—including the company’s founder, Pierre-Yves Rochon.

“I am delighted to welcome Amy to our firm. Her design sensibility, appreciation of elegance and beauty in placemaking, and experience delivering work of extraordinary caliber to clients around the world complement PYR’s values through and through,” says Rochon. “I am excited for this next chapter of PYR’s story in North America and Asia, and am confident that our clients and colleagues are in excellent hands under Amy’s leadership.”

Jakubowski’s portfolio includes high-end hospitality, residential, and mixed-use interiors projects across the globe. Among them: The Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in New York; the Champagne Suite at the New York Palace Hotel, also in New York; and the Suzhou International Financial Square Tower in China. Most recently, she was Director of Interior Design at Leo A Daly. Her experience prior to that includes serving as Managing Director and Design Director at Wilson Associates; as Partner and Managing Director at Puccini Group; and as Partner at BBG-BBGM.

“After three decades in the profession, joining PYR—whose people, work, and values I’ve long admired—is an enormous honor and privilege,” says Jakubowski. “I’m ready to hit the ground running, and my number one priority is ensuring continuity and excellence at every level of our practice. The needs of our clients across North America, Asia, and beyond will be met with the same level of care and attention to detail that are the hallmarks of the PYR brand. This is my promise.”

Jakubowski succeeds Lamarr Reid, who served as Managing Director of the Chicago office for the last 15 years. Reid is collaborating closely with Jakubowski to ensure a seamless transition, and will remain a principal and an integral part of the PYR senior leadership team.

“Amy is absolutely the right person for this job. I know—because I helped pick her!” says Reid. “She brings it all: the experience and savoir faire, the empathy and listening skills, the business savvy and problem-solving capabilities. But above all else, it is her commitment to outstanding client service that makes her shine. There’s no one I would entrust more to lead PYR into the future.”

In addition to working closely with clients across the globe, Jakubowski leads a team of 25 professionals in PYR’s Chicago studio. Her vision, she says, includes even greater collaboration between PYR design teams in the Windy City and the City of Light. It’s an approach that will strengthen the firm’s Parisian roots while guaranteeing clients the exclusive and elusive “French Touch” they know, love, and seek.

“This is a new era for one of the world’s foremost luxury brands in interior design. My job is to honor PYR’s rich and colorful history while keeping its approach fresh and relevant,” she says. “I look forward to harnessing the power an extraordinary legacy to build an exciting future.”

Amy Jakubowski is an award-winning licensed interior designer and business leader with over 30 years of international experience in mixed-use developments, hotel repositioning and renovation, new builds, restaurants, residences, retail, and corporate offices. She is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and is a frequent speaker at national and international design and real estate industry conferences. Jakubowski holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. She is a LEED Accredited Professional.