Council on Vertical Urbanism Will Appoint New Leadership
Design and development leaders will guide the organization as it oversees a database of over 45,000 tall buildings.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in People
The Council on Vertical Urbanism will install new board leadership on October 26, 2026, during the organization's annual summit in London. This transition follows the group's 2025 rebranding from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Why it matters
The leadership change signals a strategic shift for the organization as it maintains a vast global database of over 45,000 high-rise structures. These changes could influence future industry standards and technical guidelines used by urban developers and real estate operators.
The Council maintains a database of 45,000+ tall buildings, while incoming vice chair Scott Duncan brings a track record of leading 30 tall and supertall tower projects. The leadership transition marks a significant personnel shift for the organization.
The players
David Seel
He currently serves as the chief operating officer of Buildings + Cities at SJ Group and will lead the Council board.
Scott Duncan
A design partner at the international architecture firm SOM who has contributed to 30 tall and supertall tower projects.
Ilayda Oner Mermerbas
She serves as the deputy country manager for Turner International, a global construction services firm, in Türkiye.
Olivier Vassart
The CEO of Steligence at the global steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal who has a long academic background in structural research.
The details
The board transition will see David Seel, current COO of Buildings + Cities at SJ Group, move into the role of board chair, while Scott Duncan of SOM will assume the position of vice chair. The organization is also expanding its board of trustees with the addition of Ilayda Oner Mermerbas of Turner International Türkiye and Olivier Vassart of ArcelorMittal. These appointments occur at the 2026 VU Summit, which serves as the professional convening point for global urban design experts.
Timeline
September 23, 2026: The Council announced the incoming board leadership.
October 26-29, 2026: The leadership transition takes effect at the annual meeting in London.
Market Landscape
The transition follows the 2025 rebranding of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat into the Council on Vertical Urbanism. This shift reflects an industry-wide trend toward focusing on integrated, high-density development rather than just structural height records.
Operators in high-density real estate development should monitor these personnel changes as they likely indicate future shifts in Council design standards. Keeping track of the 2026 summit outputs will be essential for aligning internal project criteria with upcoming industry guidance.
The takeaway
The appointment of technical experts like Scott Duncan and David Seel signals that the Council is doubling down on complex tall-building structural engineering. Developers should review their current project specifications against any updated technical guidance emerging from the 2026 VU Summit.
Further reading
For broader trends in industry leadership, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
