Elizabeth De Silva

Elizabeth De Silva is the Head of Business Development, Bids & Communications at Populous for the Asia Pacific region, leading strategic growth, pursuit excellence and brand engagement across a diverse portfolio of sports, entertainment and civic projects. Based in Brisbane, Elizabeth oversees regional business development strategy, bid governance, and communications—working closely with Populous’ global leadership team to strengthen relationships with clients, partners and government stakeholders throughout the region.

A highly regarded business development strategist with more than 16 years’ experience across Australia, the UK and Asia, Elizabeth is known for her collaborative leadership style, commercial acumen, and ability to translate complex client needs into clear, actionable strategies that deliver measurable outcomes. Her role unites three key functions within Populous: driving new business opportunities, leading the APAC bids team, and overseeing communications activity to ensure that every engagement reinforces Populous’ position as a global leader in design and placemaking.

At Populous, Elizabeth combines this international experience with a deep understanding of design and the built environment. She works closely with market leads and regional principals to align business development activity to key growth sectors including sports, entertainment, cultural precincts and civic infrastructure. She leads the regional bids team to deliver excellence in pursuit management, ensuring every submission meets Populous’ global standards of innovation and design integrity. She also directs the APAC communications function, providing strategic oversight of media, brand, and internal communications to amplify Populous’ impact and reputation across Asia Pacific.

Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Business (Marketing and Public Relations) from the Queensland University of Technology and holds an Internal Communications Black Belt from Melcrum UK. She is an advocate for Australia’s design exports and a mentor to emerging professionals in the built environment sector, with a particular focus on equity and leadership development for women in architecture and design.

Elizabeth’s career is defined by her ability to connect people, ideas and opportunities to create impactful outcomes for clients and communities. She brings a strategic lens to everything she does—whether developing a pursuit strategy, advising directors on market alignment, or crafting communications that inspire and inform. At Populous, she plays a pivotal role in advancing the firm’s vision to design the places where people love to be together across Asia Pacific and beyond.