‘The best conversations happen in the margins’ – Stephen O’Malley is heading to MIPIM

Each year, MIPIM brings the built environment into one dense, energetic stretch of coastline. For us, it’s about leaning into the conversations that turn big ideas into real-world delivery.

At the centre of those conversations this year is our Chief Executive Officer, Stephen O’Malley, representing the breadth of Civic’s work across infrastructure, sustainability and place. 

Stephen approaches MIPIM the same way Civic approaches projects - with a focus on system thinking, outcomes, and the often-invisible layers that make neighbourhoods function long after the headlines fade.

“I’m hoping the tone this year is less about declarations and more about delivery,” he says. 

“The real opportunity is in how climate ambition, infrastructure investment and viability actually meet on live projects. Water, energy and movement systems don’t always headline conversations, but they’re what make places workday today, and what hold value over decades.”

That mindset shapes how he moves through MIPIM itself.

“You’ll probably find me with coffee in hand, connecting conversations across rooms, I try to keep the diary realistic, walk between meetings and leave space for the unplanned moments. The best insights rarely come from the main stage - they tend to happen in the margins.”

When asked for a one-minute take on the market, his focus is immediate.

“It’s about systems,” he explains. “The next generation of investable places will be defined by how well they integrate water, movement, energy and nature. Get the invisible foundations right and everything else performs better - financially, environmentally and socially.”

And the conversation he hopes to have before the week is out?

“Someone saying: we’ve got the capital and the ambition - we just need help making it real. That’s where the interesting work begins.”

Travelling down by train, Stephen won’t be heading to Cannes alone. He’ll be joined by colleagues representing Civic’s wider expertise. 

Next in our MIPIM leadership profile series is Scotland Director, Isla Jackson. When asked to describe her superpower, Stephen doesn’t hesitate…

"She has a rare ability to zoom out, understand the whole system, and then zoom back in on the one move that unlocks progress.”

As we prepare for MIPIM, Stephen’s priorities reflect the practice’s wider outlook: "grounded conversations, system-led thinking and a shared focus on making good places work in the real world."