Real Perspectives Podcast

You should not be thinking about opening your office post-COVID before you speak with our next guest. A creative and innovative industry veteran, Laurie Sewell rose through the ranks at Servicon since she joined the company in 1988, working in payroll, supplies, inventory control and distribution, and appointed President of Servicon in 2008. She oversaw a management restructuring in 2014 that led to her further appointment as CEO in 2015.  

The enterprise she leads is a commercial cleaning company based in Southern California with operations throughout the Western United States. As you can imagine, her business has been growing as of late, but it’s her approach to her workers and their culture that has helped the company achieve success.

Today, we sit down with Doug Demers, the managing principal of the Seattle office of B+H, a global architecture and design strategy firm. Doug is, first and foremost, an entrepreneur – in business, at play, and in life there is nothing he approaches without wondering how he could do things differently and improve the outcome. His entire Advance Strategy team, located in the Seattle studio he founded as B+H’s first US office, has enthusiastically embraced his unshakeable belief that there are no challenges that can’t be solved for the better.

Today, we are excited to talk to Nellie Hayat and Parin Ahmadi, co-founders of Workplaced, a brand new commercial real estate venture that connects industry experts with employers that want to build world–class employee & workplace experiences!

Nellie is a former workplace strategist at Stripe. She specializes in employee experience and advises companies on how to design and curate spaces to unlock employees' potential and keep them happy, engaged and healthy.

Before Workplaced, Parin was an owner's rep in commercial real estate. She worked in workplace project management for various firms such as JLL, Newmark Knight Frank, The CRE Group and Knotel delivering projects for Capital One, Stripe, Brex, Sonder and Sonos, among others. Parin's expertise in construction project management and passion about community fuels her ability to build beautiful spaces that spur end-user creativity and engagement, promote balance and drive growth.

Today, we have an opportunity to chat with one of The Registry’s oldest friends, the affable Paul Zeger. Paul has been instrumental in helping us get off the ground back in 2008 and served at one time on our Editorial Board. Paul is a partner in the San Francisco-based Polaris Pacific where for over 30 years, he’s helped lead his clients in identifying and capitalizing on residential-development opportunities across the western United States. Paul’s client relationships include some of the most successful real-estate-development firms on the West Coast—TMG Partners, Emerald Fund, Lennar Urban and Wilson Meany, to name a few.

Rob Zirkle is the founding principal at Brick, an Oakland, California-based architecture firm that describes itself as friendly, un-conventional, can-do architects. Rob brings a strong record of successful and recognized design excellence to a wide variety of project types in both architecture, interiors, and urban design.

Having studied under noted Pritzker prize-winning architect Glen Murcutt, Rob brings a sensitivity to the details of design that make memorable architecture transcend the everyday. Through the benefit of two prestigious traveling fellowships in architecture, Rob’s extensive travels bring a well-rounded, global perspective to how urban design and architecture shape our cities’ spaces of social and cultural exchange.

Rex Hime is the President & CEO of the California Business Properties Association. CBPA is the recognized voice of all aspects of the commercial retail industrial real estate industry in California — representing the largest commercial real estate consortium with over 10,000 industry members.

Established in 1972, CBPA proudly serves as the legislative and regulatory advocate for property owners, tenants, developers, retailers, contractors, land use attorneys, brokers, and other professionals in the industry by representing their interests at the California State Capitol in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C.

Shannon Loew, is the founder and CEO of Settle-based Hatchback Cottages. The company was created to increase housing options in Seattle while complementing the character of the neighborhoods people love. By generating the opportunity for supplemental income, Hatchback can help stabilize homeowners and create options for their future, which helps families and communities stay connected. The company encourages and empowers every owner to participate in the housing economy - using their backyard to positively shape equitable growth. Hatchback is driven by a team of committed designers, analysts, contractors, and advisors who share in the belief in backyard cottages as an innovative housing solution.

Alan Collenette is a great friend of The Registry and someone with whom we have been collaborating for many years in his capacity as a commercial real estate industry leader. Over the past decade, as a Managing Director of Colliers leading the firm’s efforts across Northern California, Alan created and led a rapid expansion strategy for Colliers' brokerage operations in San Francisco by recruiting top brokerage teams in the region. He added new service offerings including multi-family investment sales, institutional debt and equity capabilities, and high-end specialty urban retail services. Alan also helped launch an Asia Pacific Division dedicated to sourcing opportunities for foreign direct investment. As a result, revenues increased fifteen-fold over a ten year period.

Today, we sit down with Veronica Givone. She was recently hired by IA Interior Architects in their London office as Managing Director and head of the firm’s hospitality practice. Veronica will drive the firm’s global hospitality market efforts to develop and expand the practice and collaborate with the firm’s bank of talented design and architectural professionals.

Veronica brings deep expertise and a wealth of experience in the hospitality and residential sectors. Previously a design director at a large international firm, Veronica launched their hospitality group to much success, designing notable projects throughout Europe. Veronica specializes in the boutique, luxury hotel market, and has led substantial refurbishment hotel projects in London, including The Westminster Curio Collection by Hilton. Additional notable clients include JW Marriott Venice Resort, Hilton Barcelona Public Spaces, and The Lowry Hotel Riverside Suites, among many others.

John Pollock is Chief Executive Officer of Meridian and is responsible for the vision, growth and profitability of the company. John directs the company’s strategy and manages operations, including development, sales, marketing, asset management and finance. Prior to his appointment as CEO, John was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the company.

With more than 20 years of knowledge shaped by a wide range of experiences in commercial and residential real estate development, John has proven his ability to lead, develop and manage projects of any size. Prior to joining Meridian in 2006, John served as General Manager for national home builder Centex Homes where he was responsible for all land development, construction and sales in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

From 1997 to 2003, John served as Vice President of Bovis Lend Lease, a leading international project management and construction company operating in more than thirty countries. At Bovis John’s responsibilities included managing finance, project controls and risk management and he was involved in a wide range of transactions in size, scope and geography. Notable developments included: Santana Row in San Jose, CA, Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco, CA, Lincoln Square in Bellevue, WA and the Privatization of Fort Hood Family Housing in Killeen, TX.

John is a member of Urban Land Institute and sits on the ULI Health Care and Life Science Council. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from St. Mary’s College.