1. What is the next biggest innovation or development in the built environment that you’re most looking forward to?
AI is poised to significantly transform how we engage with real estate developments and will touch every stage of the process, from improving on‑site safety, increasing the efficiency and frequency of reporting, and streamlining overall project management. I recently met someone at a conference who is using AI to optimise HVAC (“Heating, Ventilation, Cooling and Air Conditioning”) systems and enhance the building’s energy efficiency, sustainability, and indoor environmental quality.
Ignoring AI and the impact it will have risks putting you at a competitive disadvantage. It is top of mind across the industry and is being actively discussed, innovated, and advanced.
2. What have younger team members pushed you to rethink?
Younger generations generally take a different approach to work–life balance and have the confidence to challenge the status quo, which has pushed me to rethink what working efficiently really means. Earlier in my career, performance was measured by how fast you could crunch numbers and how long you stayed at your desk, rather than by the effectiveness of the outcome. Today, their approach is increasingly supported by regulation, for example, in France workers have a right “to disconnect” outside of working hours. Adopting elements of this mindset, whether by being more selective about the meetings I attend to better manage my time or by using AI to enhance productivity, has helped reshape my own approach to work for the better.
3. What would need to change for more women to reach partner level in the built environment industry?
We need to be better at assessing and challenging the systems and frameworks in place in each country which allow women to reach senior roles. In real estate, women have historically represented a smaller share of the workforce. Over ten years ago there were only two female fund managers at the manager I was working at the time —partly because many women left the industry before reaching seniority. This is now changing. Redevco’s Paris office, for example, is over 50% women across all teams.
Today, unconscious bias can still push women away from investment roles that are stereotyped as high pressure with long hours which may conflict over time with some women’s desire to balance work, family, or personal interests. This is why supportive regulatory and company structures are critical. In France and Spain, robust and relatively affordable childcare systems help women progress to senior levels more easily than in the UK. Companies can also play a significant role through strong maternity policies, childcare support, and flexible working.
Importantly, these policies must also apply to men, enabling them to share family responsibilities and better support women’s career progression.
4. How has the role of real estate within the built environment changed since you started working? And how has this impacted your role more broadly?
The role of real estate has changed momentously. At the start of my career, my job was to buy real estate based on the performance it would deliver, return it would achieve, location and tenants. You either invested in real estate to put money to work, or try capture cyclical market upside.
While real estate remains an alternative asset class, investment strategies have evolved to reflect different risk profiles and new ways of investing. Real estate is no longer viewed as just four walls and a roof; its role is firmly rooted in the broader built environment. We now consider the experience a place creates, who the users are, and which sustainability features and amenities are needed to ensure its long‑term relevance while thinking of financial performance.
