ASTOUND Group Taps Industry Veterans to Lead Creative Expansion

Ross Guntert joins as Executive Creative Director and Head of Design, arriving from Gensler where he served as Northwest Region Design Director. His portfolio includes the development of NVIDIA’s flagship headquarters. At ASTOUND, Guntert will focus on integrating AI into the firm’s design workflows and scaling architectural systems across North American sports venues. He holds a Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley and emphasizes that the most successful design is measured by memory rather than mere visual appeal.

Ivan Druzic, an industry veteran with two decades of experience, joins as Executive Creative Director, Experiential. Previously a Vice President at Mosaic North America, Druzic is known for his work on immersive projects like the Stella Artois Sensorium. His role at ASTOUND centers on multi-sensory storytelling, ensuring that brand activations—from stadium sponsorships to retail pop-ups—translate consumer insights into tangible environments.

CEO Dale Morgan noted that the appointments complete a year of senior leadership investment, pairing the firm's existing fabrication capabilities with a sharpened creative engine. Guntert and Druzic will collaborate to manage the studio's diverse output, ranging from Fortune 500 tradeshow exhibits to large-scale stadium projects in the United States and Canada.