Growing up in a small town in central Minnesota, Chantell Walsh’s creativity took the form of graph paper floorplans and endless hours outdoors inventing adventures. A pivotal job shadow at local architecture firm KKE Architects during high school solidified her path.

After earning her degree in architecture, Walsh landed in Chicago, working under a mentor who taught her to embrace process over perfection. That ethos followed her to Strategic Hotels & Resorts, where she joined as a consultant in 2010.

Fifteen years later and now vice president of design and construction, Walsh leads design efforts across the company’s evolving portfolio, which includes Regent’s U.S. debut property in Santa Monica, California and the highly anticipated transformation of the Waldorf Astoria New York.

For Walsh, success lies in crafting spaces that evoke emotion and above all tell a story.

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