When it comes to building a better future for the built environment, the industry need look no further than the EG Rising Stars. Here is a growing group of people who are showcasing what great looks like in our sector. Here is a group of people who are driving change, delivering excellence and being the perfect set of cover models for a new property industry.
Meet this year’s batch of EG Rising Stars, nine individuals who join the more than 120 Rising Stars in our alumni. All nine are winning in real estate, but only one will be crowned as 2024’s EG Rising Star at the EG Awards on 21 November.
Joe Woolley, development manager, Urban Splash
Joe Woolley is development manager at regeneration company Urban Splash. He is described by colleagues as “an invaluable cog” in helping the company deliver new places in which people can live, work and play across the country.
Working across the wider Urban Splash business, Woolley works to a controlled budget, fully immersing himself in everything from the on-site labour to the bigger-picture progress meetings. Key to his role is honouring Urban Splash’s commitment to collaboration – working alongside established joint venture partners to bring new places to life. Partners include Places for People, with which Woolley is working on the delivery of large-scale placemaking schemes such as Port Loop in Birmingham (1,100 homes) and Park Hill in Sheffield – one of Europe’s largest listed buildings.
Woolley’s immersive attitude to every element of a project is what colleagues said made him stand out, highlighting his ability to see the bigger picture while fully understanding minute detail and job roles within the supply chain.
Woolley on…
What role – beyond your job – do you feel you have to play in the real estate industry today?
Our sector is crucial, not only in driving the UK economy but also in promoting economic and environmental sustainability. In the case of Urban Splash, through long-term committed regeneration that will help people live sustainably now and in the future.
I’m passionate about flying the flag for the impact companies like Urban Splash make, especially to those outside our sector who may not fully appreciate the extent of the built environment and its role in the future. I believe professionals like myself have a responsibility to nurture and sustain the growth and evolution of the industry as a whole, by encouraging the next generation of innovative thinkers.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
I am particularly inspired by the founders and leaders of successful companies. By identifying common themes in their journeys – such as resilience, vision, and leadership – I aim to incorporate those lessons not only into my work at Urban Splash but also into my own e-commerce business that I have built. I always aim to be flexible and open to new ideas, while trying to be forward-thinking.
I don’t just focus on my personal growth. I prioritise the development and wellbeing of the entire team and company, constantly pushing to create a more positive and efficient work environment. By fostering strong relationships and improving systems, I believe we all stand to benefit and grow together.
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
Working through from labouring on site, I realised that I could offer a lot to the industry by having an understanding of the processes involved at all levels of design and delivery, and most of all, I enjoyed it.
The real attraction of the sector for me is the constant challenges that are presented and the endless opportunity to learn, even when coming up against a project that you feel you are well versed in. No project is the same and the opportunity to solve problems as part of a team, utilising each individual’s unique skill sets to better myself and the company, is something that offers me a lot of satisfaction.
What does success look like to you?
Success to me is having the opportunity to create a meaningful impact within both the industry as a whole and the company I work for. It means being in a role where I can influence positive change and drive progress.
Equally important is enjoying the journey—working alongside a team that shares the same vision and collaborating towards a common goal. When we are all aligned and inspired, the work becomes more rewarding.
Ultimately, success also involves being a positive force in the careers of others, helping them grow and achieve their own goals. Being seen as someone who enhances the careers of those around me is a key measure of my own success.
Shaan Makwana, head of living capital markets, Carter Jonas
Shaan Makwana joined Carter Jonas in April 2023 having started his career at Foxtons.
A continual learner, Makwana spends most of his time asking questions and listening intently to the discussion. He likes to lead by example and has actively sought out opportunities to work with other departments across the business, which he usually achieves through cross-selling.
Colleagues said Makwana regularly demonstrates an ability to model long-term investment, has a sustainable approach to transaction underwriting and a great understanding of how to manufacture a transaction throughout an investment cycle.
He recently underwrote a strategy for a large regeneration scheme in north-east London consisting of 1,450 homes. The demographics did not support a break-up sales model, but he quickly identified that the best way to deliver the regeneration scheme was to hedge on PRS and affordable in the early stages. This is now placed with a housebuilder and a suitable “for-profit” housing association.
Makwana on…
What has been your greatest achievement since coming into the industry?
The successful revamp of the living capital markets (formerly BTR investment) department at Carter Jonas is my greatest and favourite achievement. In April 2023, I was selected to lead on living sector investment at Carter Jonas, which encompasses both investment advice and transactional support/agency. Since then, we have transacted on urban living sector investment, built a healthy pipeline, have integrated new systems and procedures, instilled a great work ethic – but most importantly, created a dynamic team which people want to work in.
As the department is in its infancy, there isn’t a “cookie-cutter” approach. The team is small but allows professionals to experience a concentrated approach with individual projects, which in-turn provides our vendors/investors with a hands-on, bespoke service. It allows for an in-depth experience for colleagues involved in projects, thus enhancing their experience within the sector.
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
I was an 18-year-old without a clue of what I wanted to do. But reading about the housing market in 2014, (which I believe to be the last peak of our sales market) piqued my interest as a potential lucrative industry to work in which could help me achieve my dream at the time of owning a tiny, one-bedroom flat in west London.
In all seriousness, I learnt the fundamentals quickly, became very involved in a rapidly developing built environment and was given a true introduction to living sector investment schemes by entities such as Quintain, Essential Living, Greystar and others, which made me sure that this was a sector I wanted to remain involved with.
If I were to reframe the question as to why I would continue in real estate investment, it boils down to the individual influence we can have on the built environment from all angles. With the vast developments in tech and ESG governance, we now can invest, operate and enhance the built environment better than we ever could.
What does success look like to you?
Success in my career is defined by a combination of client satisfaction, continuous professional development, effective mentorship, positive contributions and personal fulfilment.
To demonstrate, I have previously supported bodies such as Career Ready as a mentor. Career Ready is a charity focused on helping boost social mobility by connecting young people aged 15-18 with workplace opportunities and support. This is a charity I feel strongly about as I was once of the same age, without much of an education but ambition to enter a corporate real estate environment without much help but a tummy full of a fire.
Cher-Crystal Hewitt-De Lisle, apprentice surveyor, Allsop
Cher-Crystal Hewitt-De Lisle is a second-year degree apprentice studying real estate while working in the residential investment team at Allsop. She is passionate about sharing her experiences of working in the industry to help open it up to a wider audience.
Hewitt-De Lisle is credited with bringing a uniqueness to what she does by trying new things, whether it be through implementing social platforms like Linkedin and AI into the team’s method of work or being the person to take that step to try something new and needed, such as arranging the first real estate National Apprenticeship Week event to foster networking opportunities crucial for industry connections and to bridge the gap between apprentices across property firms.
Hewitt-De Lisle on…
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
The property industry is a multifaceted sector – no two structures are ever the same and neither are the processes. Having experienced just a minute slice of its complexities, I have been able to gather the widescale importance that it plays in each one of our livelihoods. Whether it’s for leisure, work, living, or whether you are just passing through, all of us encounter property and see the way it fosters community engagement. To me, it represents stability and safety, offering a sense of grounding even when other aspects of life may be uncertain. Recognising the profound impact property has on our daily lives, I am proud to be part of this dynamic industry.
What does success look like to you?
To me, success involves sacrifice, stepping out of your comfort zone, embracing growth, maintaining consistency, and always striving to provide value and assist where you can, whether that be through working on a team project, volunteering or even solving an internal issue. The results of that I think are what leads to success and self-fulfilment.
Success looks like your own version of refinement and for me, that is being healthy, happy and content with all that I’ve done to get to my destination. To me, success means being “purpose-full”, with a clear objective and an end goal in mind. It’s about understanding why you’re here and recognising the value you bring.
My purpose lies in sharing experiences, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change – I’ve upheld the values of continuous learning and determination in every task. I believe in taking tangible actions to achieve measurable impact, aiming to improve the real-world experience for newcomers in the industry – achieving professional accomplishments and personal fulfilment.
If you could stand for one thing, what would it be?
Continual education and learning. This is one thing that I see being the most important privilege someone can possess and that I think shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially in a day and age when learning can be at your fingertips and comes in many forms and at all levels.
Teaching shouldn’t be restricted to a certain age, gender or race, it should be accessible and equitable to all. However, not everyone is given that advantage, so if we have access to it, we shouldn’t take it for granted. I think education is the first step to achieving an industry that is ESG-focused. Because without the initial knowledge, there is no real foundation for growth.
Emily Robson, assistant chief executive, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
Having joined Knowledge Quarter Liverpool as a graduate policy assistant in 2020, Emily Robson has worked her way up to assistant chief executive.
She has played a key role in helping to shape policy direction for the organisation, identifying opportunities to expand its impact and finding new ways of supporting the needs of the various organisations that comprise the eclectic KQ Liverpool community.
This work includes the inception of the Future Innovators Programme, which welcomes dozens of students each year from local schools to take part in activities at institutions across KQ Liverpool, including live venom extractions at the Snakebite Research Centre at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, hands-on robotic demonstrations at the Manufacturing Technology Centre at Liverpool Science Park and immersive VR demonstrations at the Digital Innovation Factory.
In the past 12 months, Robson has led a successful funding application that will see KQ Liverpool invest almost £1.3m, matched by funding from the Liverpool City Region Investment Zone, to scale up its groundbreaking innovation skills and outreach programmes over the next five years. It will also bring forward new partnership programmes to target underprivileged communities and address issues around digital barriers, social mobility and access to opportunities in careers such as health and life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
Her rapid ascent to assistant chief executive, said colleagues, was testament to her work in the strategic development and delivery of inclusive innovation programmes in the innovation district.
Robson on…
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
The saying goes that you’re only as good as the people around you and, for me, the team and people I work with are the inspiration for building my career. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing mentors and colleagues early in my career who have provided me with knowledge, insight and the confidence to be bold and aspire to make a difference. I hope as I develop my career, I’m able to provide the same level of support and inspiration to others.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for the next generation of leaders in the industry today?
The biggest challenge the next generation of leaders in the industry face has to be in relation to climate change. But where this is a challenge, there is also opportunity. Future leaders have the opportunity to innovate and think creatively about how we build more sustainable places, fit for future generations.
What does success look like to you?
Success to me is about ensuring the work I do is helping to make a positive difference to places and people’s lives. I’m a big champion of inclusive innovation and want to play my part in helping to ensure opportunities in the innovation economy are more accessible to people from all backgrounds than has previously been the case. There’s no point delivering new developments if they’re not going to generate a wider impact in terms of improving social mobility and driving inclusive economic growth. For me, success is where these factors all come together.
James Wragg, chief commercial officer, Student Cribs
James Wragg has worked at Student Cribs for nine years, working his way up from a graduate position to chief commercial officer. His rise through the ranks came through creating the firm’s bespoke system, Catalyst. The platform, Student Cribs’ core operating platform, makes the unmanageable single asset manageable by systemising processes within the business for customer and employee.
Catalyst has transformed the business into a scalable and manageable organisation, helping it achieve 100% occupancy in 2023/2024.
Wragg on…
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
My experience of student housing while studying in Brighton wasn’t great. When I interviewed at Student Cribs nine years ago, I saw a lot of opportunities to solve the challenges I’d had. This led me to choose real estate as a career.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
My late father, Michael Wragg. He taught himself how to renovate and built the house I grew up in mostly by himself (with two kids in between jobs). This regularly inspires me to try my hand at things that put me out of my comfort zone.
What role – beyond your job – do you feel you have to play in the real estate industry today?
This has to be about supporting early-stage careers (school leaver and university graduate) to ensure that the real estate industry benefits from this brilliant new talent.
Leo del Rosso, senior lending manager, Commercial Acceptances
Leo del Rosso joined Close Brothers, Commercial Acceptances’ parent company, in 2016 as part of its Aspire school-leaver programme. After working as a structured finance analyst at Close Brothers, he joined CA as assistant lending manager in 2017, was promoted to lending manager in 2019, and to senior lending manager this year.
Del Rosso leads a team of four and is responsible for a portfolio with loan commitments in excess of £100m.
He is committed to improving diversity across the property sector and is part of the Tomorrow’s Developer steering committee alongside colleagues in CA and Close Brothers Property Finance. The Tomorrow’s Developer network seeks to reverse the decline of property developers and small housebuilders; to safeguard and increase the supply of new homes by supporting the next generation; and to remove barriers to entry while increasing diversity within the industry.
Del Rosso on…
What role – beyond your job – do you feel you have to play in the real estate industry today?
As someone who went straight into an apprenticeship programme with Close Brothers (the parent company of Commercial Acceptances) after leaving school, rather than attending university, I am a big advocate for others following a similar path.
University can be a fantastic experience for many, however, I think that there are a lot of people leaving school who are ready and wanting to head into the workplace and I hope that more companies start to offer similar programmes.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
I really look to everyone I meet in the industry for inspiration. I believe there are qualities and advice that you can take from everyone in improving yourself and building your career. More specifically, as shown by this shortlist, there are a number of young professionals in the industry making impressive progress and when I see that, it always drives me on further to continue pushing myself.
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
It impacts almost every aspect of our lives and well-designed and thought-out real estate can have such a positive impact on society. The chance to be a part of that, in my case the funding side of the industry, can be very rewarding while being incredibly interesting.
What does success look like to you?
Enjoyment. If you can be in a position where you enjoy your job and have a genuine interest and passion in the role, then I think you can comfortably sit there and say that is success. Many people aren’t in that position, so I think it is a privilege if you are.
Jenna Harris, head of co-living at Harris Associates and co-founder of Harris Studios
Jenna Harris joined Harris Associates five years ago to launch its living sectors business. Since then the company has transacted on more than £4bn in the PBSA, co-living and BTR sectors. She has also been at the forefront of Harris Associates’ dynamic and disruptive marketing, recently launching its Harris Studios business, an in-house property marketing agency, which promises to make real estate marketing “unboring”.
Harris is also a passionate advocate for gender equality and has ensured that Harris Associates achieves a 50:50 gender split. She is an active member of Women in Real Estate and mentors and champions women in the sector.
Harris on…
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
Some of my best ideas come from analysing what grabs my attention in other sectors and thinking about how I can apply that to our clients in real estate, from hospitality to consumer brands. You’d be surprised where a great idea can stem from.
I am extremely lucky to work with incredibly inspirational people, like Jonathan Harris, who has been in the industry for over 40 years. His insights are invaluable, and I learn from him each and every day. We are grateful to be working with some of the most high-profile clients in the market who are driving new initiatives forwards and helping to regenerate and improve UK cities.
What has been your greatest achievement since coming into the industry?
Other than the transactions I’ve worked on, I am very passionate about educating the market about my sector – co-living. As it’s a nascent sector, there have been a lot of misconceptions about the asset class and so I teamed up with Vervlife, the UK’s largest co-living operator, to publish a report, the first of its kind to featured real data from live schemes and survey residents. This sat alongside a series of presentations and panels where I helped to debunk myths about co-living and give an insight into the demand and who the product is actually for.
I also stayed in a co-living building and filmed a video about the experience to give investors a true insight into how these buildings actually function. This video garnered more than 20,000 impressions. We recently launched a co-living project in Brixton with all the marketing collateral (such as an industry-first magazine and a series of video content instead of a flat PDF) being powered by Harris Studios. From this project we found that e-mails were 300% more likely to be opened with video content attached as well as 30% of inbound interest versus a usual process where you would see around 5% of enquiries. This demonstrates how our marketing is reaching new investors globally and driving real results.
Our investment into marketing is not to achieve vanity metrics such as likes, it is to achieve real results for our clients. Harris Associates is pioneering a new agency model and it’s incredibly exciting to be a part of.
I also launched our Harris Associates podcast “Reinventing Real Estate”, which has become one of the most popular podcasts in the sector. In this series, we host C-suite executives from Alex Pease, chief executive of Watkin Jones, to Adam Brockley, founder of Scape and Morro, and Dan Batterton, head of BTR at L&G. This content helps to democratise the sector and allows people to access and be inspired by these property “household names” who would otherwise be out of reach to most. It is an opportunity to gain knowledge and learn from the best in the industry, inspiring young people to get into the sector.
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
There is a huge opportunity to have real impact on the sector by leveraging marketing to bring assets to life, not only to domestic investors, but appealing to global capital. The need to clearly convey the USPs of the project is so important. You need to be able to take investors on a journey to understand the asset and the end consumer, which no other investment agency currently does.
If Coca-Cola spends more than $4bn a year on marketing a can of carbonated soda, then why shouldn’t a £100m building deserve the same attention?
Excellent marketing helps to get investors excited and focused on your asset as well as reaching a wider, global audience – especially in times when capital is moving from one sector to another. As a metaphor, if investors are fish, then our marketing gives you a commercial fishing net, not a single fishing rod, to capture all potential interest.
Pioneering this new way requires a fearlessness and understanding that when you bring about change there will always be people to contest it and want to maintain the status quo because it’s more comfortable, but it just fuels my desire to progress the industry.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for the next generation of leaders in the industry today?
There is a huge opportunity by embracing marketing and technology to move the sector forwards. That’s why we launched Harris Studios, our in-house marketing agency, to pioneer a new way in real estate.
There is also an opportunity to show clients real hospitality and invest in and nurture those relationships. Consciously curating the projects you take on, you make sure you are passionate about them and you can give them 100%.
Rebecca Shafran, director of research – living sectors, BNP Paribas Real Estate
Rebecca Shafran is solely responsible for supporting the entire operational residential markets team at BNP Paribas Real Estate from a research perspective. Providing intelligence across healthcare, hotels, PBSA, senior living, build-to-rent and single-family housing for rent, is no small task yet, say colleagues, Shafran exceeds the expectations of stakeholders while building positive and respectful partnerships across the industry and within the business.
Internally, she co-ordinates BNP PRE’s company-wide Lunch & Learn webinar series and acts as a mentor and role model to the wider research team, which includes many people at the start of their careers.
Shafran is passionate about her faith and has played an influential role in educating BNP PRE employees and management as part of the multicultural network.
Self-motivated and rigorous, Shafran continues to raise the bar on what is possible, understanding the difference between leading and managing, embracing differences and encouraging diversity of thinking.
She was one of just 12 people across the business promoted to director this year.
Shafran on…
What role – beyond your job – do you feel you have to play in the real estate industry today?
To highlight to others that it is possible to be a working parent and build your career in this industry. With support from business leaders and managers, I have a deep belief that the diversity that working parents bring to the workplace is hugely positive for building strong, dynamic teams.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
I have been privileged to have worked with some of the greatest minds in this industry. I’ve had some fantastic mentors along the way. I’ve also been extremely lucky to have been supported by my employer, who encouraged my participation in career coaching and leadership programmes. These inspired me greatly and resulted in a positive mind shift in the way I considered my career.
What has been your greatest achievement since coming into the industry?
Being selected as a finalist for this award, and making director at BNP Paribas Real Estate. After three maternity leaves, my career had plateaued but sticking with it, working hard and surrounding myself with supportive colleagues has culminated in professional growth that has been far beyond my expectations.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for the next generation of leaders in the industry today?
Gen Z were practically tech-savvy from day dot. They are perfectly positioned to integrate innovative technologies effectively into the real estate industry. As the industry focuses increasingly on the bed sectors, using technology to harness data from within our real estate assets to create smart and sustainable homes, maximise operational efficiencies and deliver quality accommodation while providing higher rates of return to investors will be key.
If you could stand for one thing, what would it be?
Diversity, equity and inclusion for all, with no double standards and where everyone treats each other how they would want to be treated. Particularly I have a passion for multiculturalism in the workplace, which I see as a key positive diversity dynamic and as such have taken an active role on the steering committee of the BNP Paribas Multi-Cultural Network.
What does being an EG Rising Star mean to you?
I’m very honoured to have been selected as a finalist and recognised by the industry, which means a huge amount to me. As a working parent, I have certainly made sacrifices which at times have left me with mum guilt. Being selected as a finalist proves that the hard work was worth it. I also hope I can be a strong role model for my children and any other women struggling to balance work and home life who may be having doubts about their careers in this industry.
Jan Dierckx, design technology senior manager, Gensler
Jan Dierckx is a senior computational design lead at Gensler’s Design Technology Studio. He bridges design, engineering and computer science to drive integrated, sustainable solutions.
Dierckx has a background in civil engineering and architecture and studied computational design and robotics at University College London before qualifying as an architect in the UK and Europe. This multidisciplinary background has allowed him to drive forward a more integrated, high-performance, and sustainable design methodology.
His work at Foster + Partners on projects like the Stirling Prize-winning Bloomberg headquarters and Apple’s California headquarters showcases his talent and impact on groundbreaking designs.
During his time at Gensler, Dierckx has transformed workflows and processes for the Europe region as well as globally, supercharging data-driven design.
He has been awarded with the Gensler Research and Innovation Award twice in a row, last year for the masterplanning toolkit he co-created, which enables designers and urban planners to create and measure an entire city in a fraction of the time, and this year for his involvement in parametric and automated workflows, allowing for development control regulation documents to be generated from a smart development model in a fraction of the time.
Dierckx on…
What role – beyond your job – do you feel you have to play in the real estate industry today?
I became an architect and design technologist because I was always interested in creating solutions to make people’s lives better. This can be by designing and building the most sustainable building in the city, but also really by thinking about human comfort and the human experience. I believe technology and innovation will be a key factor in this if they are used for good. To me, it is possible to find the sweet spot between real estate which provides value and is also sustainable and provides high-quality living.
Outside of my role to create such solutions through technology and innovation, I also advocate within my field and beyond to think in this way, by connecting with the industry through social and speaking engagements. It is also always important to think about the next generations of innovators, so a connection with academia and research is very close to my heart as well.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration in building your career?
Gensler is an amazing place to learn how to become and impactful and compassionate leader. I always try to look in every direction for inspiration, whether it is by learning from senior leaders at the company, discussing interesting topics over lunch with my peers, or being inspired by connecting with junior staff and students. Connecting with people of all levels, ages and cultures, both inside and outside of my organisation, helps me to stay current and understand where I can have most impact and purpose in the next step of my career.
What has been your greatest achievement since coming into the industry?
It was quite special to be part of the team that designed and built the new Bloomberg HQ in London. It was my first project as a professional, and one that I stayed involved in from design to completion. Together with the team, we weaved a lot of innovation into that building and co-created a design icon which really attempts to be an example for the future of real estate. The building was awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2018; but for me the greatest achievement was to visit a friend who ended up working there a few years after completion and experience it full of life and learn how the building impacted their life. It was probably one of the first times I realised how much impact we can have.
Why did you choose real estate as a career?
I always knew I wanted to be an inventor, a creator of things and a problem solver, to make life better and easier for people. The built environment is an amazing field to be in, because buildings need to be beautiful and pleasant, but also work, be cost-effective and withstand the test of time. This combination of design and engineering really attracted me and challenged me to solve difficult problems. I discovered that through computer science and data you can supercharge designers by helping them better understand the impact of their design decisions. If this happens in real time, you effectively create an iterative and informed design loop, where beauty and performance go hand in hand.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for the next generation of leaders in the industry today?
The built environment tends to be a bit slow in adapting to change, unless there is a disruptor. These disruptors can take many shapes, but technology definitely is one of them. We had the disruption of CAD and BIM, and now we are at the beginning of disruption through AI. I believe that there are enormous opportunities if we use AI as a very powerful and multifaceted tool to create better and more human design. It will give us the opportunity to create buildings which learn and adapt in real time to their inhabitants. With this great power also comes great responsibility for the next generation of leaders, because we must not fall into the trap of using these new technologies to create one-sided efficiencies – for example, purely financial gain – rather than balancing this with many other factors.
What does success look like to you?
I feel the greatest success when I have made a difference. When I have meaningful impact in big or small ways. I measure success by how much I am trusted by my peers, and how effective I am by leading through excellence. There is a big difference between managing and leading; when you lead people, they need to want to follow you, and for people to follow you, there needs to be trust. This is key to enabling innovation in an environment as high-pressure as architecture and design, where there are no prototypes; there is one shot to get the building right. I find the greatest joy just walking the office floors and being stopped by colleagues to ask for advice; sometimes very technical, sometimes a leadership question, and sometimes more design-oriented asks.
If you could stand for one thing, what would it be?
Collaboration. It is imperative to everything we do as humans and as professionals, especially in the built environment. It requires respect for other opinions, other expertise and other cultures. It requires compassion and to balance out your needs and priorities with those of others. And it requires communication, to take the time to express what you think and how you feel, and make at least as much effort to give others the space to do the same. Collaboration is not easy, sometimes it throws you a curveball, but it really makes for a better work environment, and better work.
Fast-forward 15-20 years, what is the real estate sector/built environment best known for?
I hope the real estate sector will be best known for the communities it creates; for families, for work and for leisure. Communities which are inclusive and open to all, and where technology and innovation have been used to make them more accessible than ever, without burdening our planet.
If you would like to support EG’s Rising Stars or connect with them to share in their future greatness, make sure you book a ticket to this year’s EG Awards. We’ll be celebrating our 20th edition on 21 November. Secure your place at https://www.eg.co.uk/eg-events/eg-awards-2024
All photos © Louise Haywood-Schiefer
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