The Propcast

The Propcast

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The Propcast episodes

  • Season 11 Of The Propcast Is Finally Here!

    We had an incredible response to the last season where we focused on ESG within Proptech. We wanted to follow up with something equally as exciting and we're happy to announce a brand new focus for this season of the Propcast.

    This season we'll be taking a deep dive into the exciting vertical of ConTech. Our host Louisa Dickens will be speaking with some brilliant leaders in the ConTech space over the next 10 episodes, sharing their industry insights on the trends in the market and their predictions for the future of Construction Technology.

    Make sure to subscribe to the Propcast and leave us a 5* rating for this season - you'll not want to miss it!

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    2 min
  • Strategy & Consulting Around Sustainability in ESG with Daniel Stephens & Farzana Huysman

    Summary: In the final episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Daniel Stephens, Senior Partner and Farzana Huysman, Junior Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company.

    Daniel and Farzana share what their roles at McKinsey & Company involve and the risks and strategies they're spending most of their time on. The guests discuss the common themes and questions they get asked by clients - including finance, real estate and insurance.

    In this episode you will hear about decarbonisation strategies McKinsey and Company have been focusing on and how their efforts compare to other organisations in the space.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022

    Companies Mentioned:

    • Measurabl
    • British Land
    • Hillbreak

    Shout Outs:

    • Jon Lovell
    • Matt Ellis

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • We're shifting to a regime where insights into sustainability topics are shifting from voluntary to mandated - Daniel
    • Hiring new talent is of course extremely important, but I believe that in a couple of years time everyone is going to need some level of proficiency on climate - Farzana
    • The landscape is moving so fast and that's not something we're used to in the real estate industry, therefore a different skill set is required to understand the technical solutions and how they can monetise - Daniel

    About Our Guests:

    Daniel Stephens:

    Daniel Stephens is a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company's Washington, D.C., office. He is the Global Co-leader of McKinsey's Climate and ESG Finance Practice and serves financial institutions in North America and around the world on topics relating to credit risk, regulatory compliance, disclosures, reputational risk, and business building with respect to climate and ESG topics.

    Dan's recent work includes standing up the climate risk program at a global trillionaire bank; conducting climate stress testing at a major North American bank; working with multiple banks on ESG and climate regulatory response; and building an ESG-led business model for a large global bank.

    Outside of ESG and climate, Dan serves a broad range of clients across the commercial financial services space, as well as several public finance entities, including financial regulators, government lending programs, and government distribution programs.

    Dan holds an A.B. in History from Princeton University and a J.D. with honours from Harvard Law School. He is a founding board member of Foster America, a not-for-profit that serves at-risk youth and child welfare agencies.

    Farzana Huysman:

    Farzana Huysman is a project manager in McKinsey & Company's London office, where she focuses on serving financial institutions on sustainability, covering topics such as financing of decarbonisation and new green businesses, assessment and adaptation to physical climate risk, and de-risking the energy transition.

    Farzana's recent work includes scaling transition finance capabilities at an emerging markets bank; supporting growth and innovation of climate solutions for a global insurance broker; and assessing implications of physical climate risk for a European property insurer. Beyond financial institutions, Farzana has supported strategy and digital transformation efforts for clients in life sciences and shipping.

    Farzana's background is in engineering, with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and previous work in building engineering. She co-leads the London office's pro-bono support for a UK charity tackling global poverty.

    About McKinsey & Company:

    McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm. They are the trusted advisor to the world's leading businesses, governments, and institutions.

    They work with leading organisations across the private, public and social sectors. Their scale, scope, and knowledge allow them to address problems that no one else can. They have deep functional and industry expertise as well as breadth of geographical reach. They are passionate about taking on immense challenges that matter to their clients and, often, to the world.

    They work with their clients as they do with their colleagues. They build their capabilities and leadership skills at every level and every opportunity. They do this to help build internal support, get to real issues, and reach practical recommendations. They bring out the capabilities of clients to fully participate in the process and lead the ongoing work.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:03] Daniel: Can you tell us more about what your role is?

    • I run our climate sustainable finance practice and a huge part of that is real estate finance. We work with big real estate investors, insurance firms and asset managers helping them answer how sustainability is going to impact their financing business and what they can do about it.

    [3:07] Farzana: Can you tell us what led you to McKinsey and what is your role?

    • My background is in mechanical engineering but within McKinsey I work at the intersection of financial institutions and sustainability. So, essentially working with banks and insurers looking at how the sector can help to unlock the net zero transition.

    [4:27] Daniel: Are risks always visible in a portfolio and how do you assess risk when it comes down to climate?

    • I like to think about what the financial impacts are in properties today and how they may manifest.
    • We're interested in things like whether the expectation of future physical risk causes potential buyers to devalue this property now, therefore the need to anticipate future impacts.

    [7:29] Farzana: What do you spend most of your time doing?

    • Essentially, the bulk of the work I am focusing on is working with, for example banks, that have set net zero commitments and are trying to reduce their finance emissions.
    • They can do this by either divesting any high emitting assets or lending that they're doing or we can support them in investing in technologies that help to reduce the emissions of their existing assets.

    [9:49] Daniel: What are the risks associated with transitioning to net-zero?

    • A change in public policy is one of the largest risks and it is not always foreseeable as they rely on political processes.
    • Public policy can cause certain goods or services to rise in price and therefore be consumed less.

    [12:07] Farzana: Would you like to add anything to the risks associated with transitioning to net-zero?

    • One of the big things to highlight is data, in order for a bank to work out their finance emissions they need to have a view of what the emissions linked to every asset are, and this requires a huge amount of data tracking.
    • Another risk is choosing which technology they should invest in, this can vary from country to country and certain technologies are more advanced in certain markets.

    [15:34] Daniel: What strategies are clients going for when trying to balance rising energy prices, maintaining a profit and pushing forward to net-zero?

    • There are firms across industries who haven't made sustainability commitments yet as they are waiting for regulatory landscapes to be more clear.
    • Some may seem to not be doing much on the surface but they're collecting all the data, identifying opportunities and becoming much smarter behind the scenes.

    [17:27] Daniel: What are the major trends and changes you've seen within ESG and real estate since working at McKinsey?

    • The shift in the quality of data is a big trend that is happening.
    • Another inflection point is that increasingly investors are looking to understand ESG more and in particular what part of ESG may have a financial impact on the business.
    • We have been in an era that has been about the construction of new green buildings, we are now shifting to a phase where we're dealing with much harder topics such as in aviation and transforming current real estate stock to make it more efficient.

    [20:03] Farzana: What trends have you seen in ESG and the finance and insurance sectors?

    • I see the leaders as those who can convene partnership across the entire value chain of these technologies.
    • You see a number of these partnerships emerging and they will be able to meet targets in sustainability much quicker than smaller set-ups.

    [24:35] Daniel: What are the key questions that clients in real estate should be asking?

    • It is very early days, there is certainly a theme around energy efficiency and in some markets that's going to be about regulations and others it's going to be because it improves the value of a property.
    • The most interesting thing happening is the blocking and tackling in the engine room, a lot of firms don't have the data to understand their portfolio in detail.

    [27:33] Daniel: Do you think there is a skill gap at the moment that needs to change?

    • The landscape is moving so fast and that's not something we're used to in the real estate industry.
    • A different skill set is required to understand the technical solutions and how they can monetise.

    [29:21] Farzana: What are the two most important questions you can ask as a business owner when trying to make your business more sustainable?

    • Number one is "What do I focus on?" There is so much out there in terms of climate solutions that you could tackle, and businesses need to make a decision on the breadth and the depth of these solutions to inform the capabilities and the resources they need to build up.
    • Number two is "How do I get the skills in?" Hiring new talent is really important but I also believe that everyone is going to need some level of proficiency in climate.

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    34 min
  • How To Integrate ESG Into Your Portfolio Effectively. with Eric Duchon & John Fitzpatrick

    Summary: In the ninth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Eric Duchon, Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Real Estate and John Fitzpatrick, Chief Technology Officer of Alternative Asset Management Technology at Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager. John featured previously in Season 2 of The Propcast.

    Eric and John share where Blackstone is on ESG and why they are seen as one of the leaders in this space. They talk about what Blackstone is focusing on as a business when it comes down to strategy, investment and innovation across their diverse and global portfolio.

    In this episode you will hear how Blackstone ensures attractive returns for their investors whilst making a positive impact on the communities in which they invest.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews

    Companies Mentioned:

    • Sphera
    • Schneider Electric
    • EQ Office
    • Willis Tower

    Shout Outs:

    • Don Anderson
    • StuyTown
    • Kenneth Caplan
    • Kathleen McCarthy Baldwin
    • Jonathan Gray

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • We believe that ESG is a real source of value and a way to mitigate risk in our portfolio - Eric

    • What drove me into this space is the use of passion to drive change, whilst driving value - Eric
    • We do need the technologies that help us automate and optimise our buildings but this also requires the people that know what they're doing - Eric
    • Technology is important, but having a clear strategy is the starting place that people should have if they want to achieve their ESG targets - John

    About Our Guests:

    Eric Duchon:

    Eric Duchon is Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Real Estate. As part of the Real Estate Asset Management team, he partners with the firm's central ESG team and Portfolio Operations to initiate, manage, implement and report ESG initiatives across the global Real Estate portfolio.

    Prior to joining Blackstone in November 2020, Mr. Duchon was at LaSalle Investment Management where he was a Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainability. Prior to LaSalle, Mr. Duchon spent over 9 years at Cushman & Wakefield as the Director of Sustainability Strategies.

    Mr. Duchon received a BBA from Emory University – Goizueta Business School and a Masters in Real Estate Development Degree from New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate.

    John Fitzpatrick:

    John Fitzpatrick is Chief Technology Officer of Alternative Asset Management Technology at Blackstone. He handles all aspects of technology across Blackstone's Real Estate and Private Equity businesses and assists our portfolio companies with managing their technology programs and strategy. He is also involved in the firm's balance sheet investments in targeted, early stage, technology-related opportunities.

    Prior to his current role, Mr. Fitzpatrick oversaw various initiatives across the entire Technology and Innovations group. Before joining Blackstone in 2011, Mr. Fitzpatrick worked at Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, for seven years where he was most recently the Head of Product.

    He received a BS in Finance from St. John's University and currently serves on the Blackstone Charitable Foundation's Leadership Council.

    About Blackstone:

    Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $941 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:06] Eric: What is your role at Blackstone?

    • I lead ESG for Blackstone Real Estate globally, this means myself and my team work with all the departments at Blackstone to ensure we are implementing our ESG priorities as they are aligned with our fiduciary duty to add value to our portfolio and deliver great returns to our investors.
    • We are finding ways to continue delivering value and ensuring that we are improving the environmental, social and governance performance of our companies and our assets.

    [4:44] John: What are your responsibilities in your role at Blackstone and how have they changed?

    • My responsibility is alternative asset management technology, this involves everything under our private equity and real estate umbrellas, it's more than half of the AUM at Blackstone and really fits within ESG.

    [5:35] Eric: What does ESG mean to Blackstone and how has it changed since you joined in 2020?

    • There were great initiatives happening across Blackstone when I joined with regards to ESG however, the firm needed a more programmatic approach which is what we have done over the last 2 years.
    • We're focused on 3 main areas; diversity, decarbonisation and good governance. This guides everything that our ESG teams do and how we continue to integrate this more programmatic approach into our portfolio.

    [7:40] John: How does your team assist with the ESG part of Blackstone?

    • If you want to hit targets and goals then you need to be able to get the data and track it to see your progress over an extended period of time.
    • It's our job to collect that data in the most streamlined fashion so we can process that content in real time to ensure we are driving towards those targets

    [9:05] John: Are there any more climate focused ESG investments across your portfolio that you could share with us?

    • The data and insights that we have got from Sphera have helped us improve and learn in this space and helped our ESG technical ecosystem.

    [9:42] Eric: How do these investments assist with your portfolios?

    • We worked to develop a framework which sets out Blackstone Real Estates ESG priorities across 6 pillars, these set the tone for how we engage with the portfolio companies in order for them to develop their 3 year strategic ESG roadmaps.

    [13:31] John: How do you tackle the technology gaps in businesses across your portfolio?

    • We use our data initiatives to help them implore technology and try to make the transition as seamless as possible. We can then analyse and track their data and help them achieve their targets.
    • We tend to make investments in solutions that have a competitive advantage or a unique data set like Sphera.

    [17:11] Eric: What are the main barriers when it comes down to reducing carbon across your portfolios?

    • A couple of years ago the social aspect of ESG was focused around health, wellness and community engagement. Today, it is more focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
    • When we look at PropTech solutions for ESG one of the main barriers is being able to identify what the strengths and weaknesses are. There are some really good processes in place but humans are still necessary to ensure the quality data flows through.
    • We need to ensure that we have the right people that understand the technologies and can drive action from it.

    [20:45] John: Is there anything you would like to mention that you have seen in terms of barriers?

    • Technology is important but having a clear strategy is the starting place that people should have if they want to achieve their ESG targets.

    [23:00] Eric: What is the balance between automation and optimisation, and reducing carbon footprint?

    • We need the technologies that help us automate and optimise our buildings but this also requires the people that know what they're doing.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career within this space?

    Eric: You need to stay nimble in everything that you do, different things come at you everyday and you need to be able to take them in your stride.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    John: Jonathan Gray, President at Blackstone, he is committed to ESG and doing it the right way.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in ESG?

    Eric: Whether you're reducing carbon emissions, whether you're ensuring that folks from under-resourced communities are getting better opportunities working with our portfolio companies. That to me is what drove me into the space connecting the passion to drive change.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of the ESG space?

    John: The innovation that is coming down the pipe, some of the best and brightest minds are in this space that are really passionate about this topic so the landscape in a few years time is going to look vastly different.

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    30 min
  • What Makes A Smart Sustainable Technology? with Sonu Panda & Becca Rushin

    Summary: In the eighth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Sonu Panda, the CEO of Prescriptive Data and Becca Rushin, the Director of ESG at Jamestown. Becca and Sonu discuss challenges in the industry including the impact of the current geopolitical climate and whether this will slow down the journey to net zero.

    Becca and Sonu share their career journeys to ESG and technology. In this episode you'll hear Sonu explain more about script data and how it improves sustainability in buildings. Becca talks about Jamestown's sustainability and social responsibility initiatives and shares information on their green program and charitable foundation.

    The key takeaway from this episode is that people want to work in healthy buildings and environments, however, achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough. Instead, true science based approaches are what's needed to tackle the bigger issue of climate change.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
    • The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken
    • The RHINO Principle, Paul Johnson

    Companies Mentioned:

    • Rudin Management
    • Carbon Lighthouse
    • Measurabl
    • Deepki
    • Boston Properties
    • The James Beard Foundation

    Shout Outs:

    • John Gilbert, COO of Rudin Management
    • Ben Myers, Vice President of Boston Properties

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • So much of what we do is a function of the deep thoughts that our customers have and the feedback that we receive. - Sonu
    • I think the holy grail for a tech company is to find some sort of portfolio deployment that works for every single asset, everyone wants that package deal. - Becca
    • I see a more widespread recognition that climate change is real, that achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough, and that true science based approaches are what's called for - Sonu
    • One thing that is really important about our portfolio is that it is very diverse, we don't own glass office towers, we have a lot of special snowflakes. - Becca
    • People want to work in healthy buildings and environments, these are the things that people are paying attention to, it's the new employee value proposition. - Louisa

    About Our Guests:

    Sonu Panda:

    Sonu Panda is the CEO of Prescriptive Data, a privately-held SaaS company focused on the intersection of the Internet of Things, big data, and machine learning as applied to built environments of all types. Sonu develops and executes Prescriptive Data's business and technology strategy, and oversees all functions within the company, including sales, business development, marketing, customer onboarding and success, engineering, talent management, finance and administrative operations. Prior to Prescriptive Data, Panda most recently served as the co-founder and COO of H.Bloom, a B2B marketplace company, where he developed the company's operational model, established both product/technology development and process engineering efforts and managed day-to-day business operations.

    Becca Rushin:

    Becca Rushin the Director of ESG at Jamestown. She leads environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives through the Jamestown Green program and the Jamestown Charitable Foundation. Prior to joining Jamestown in 2012, Ms Rushin worked as a local government consultant for Clark Patterson Lee, where she served as Community Development Coordinator and Sustainability Commission Staff Liaison for the City of Dunwoody. She is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and holds a LEED AP O+M credential. Ms Rushin is an active volunteer with the Urban Land Institute, the US Green Building Council, and Community Farmers Markets. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Environmental Policy from Sewanee: the University of the South and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development: Environmental Policy and Management from Utrecht University.

    About Jamestown:

    Jamestown is a global, design-focused real estate investment and management firm with a 38-year track record and mission to create places that inspire. Since its founding in 1983, Jamestown has executed transactions in excess of $35 billion. As of June 30, 2022, Jamestown has assets under management of $13.1 billion and a portfolio spanning key markets throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Jamestown employs more than 400 people worldwide with headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne, and offices in Amsterdam, Bogotá, Boston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. Current and previous projects include One Times Square and Chelsea Market in New York, Industry City in Brooklyn, Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the Innovation and Design Building in Boston, and Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. For more information, visit www.jamestownLP.com.

    About Prescriptive Data:

    Prescriptive Data is the creator of Nantum OS, an award-winning platform optimising building's operational performance while saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and lowering costs without sacrificing occupant health or comfort. Combining historical data with predictive analysis and real-time occupancy, Nantum OS enables buildings to hit their ESG goals.https://twitter.com/prescriptivedat https://www.facebook.com/prescriptivedata

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:43] Becca: How did you get to become in the ESG space at Jamestown and how do you know Sonu?

    • I learnt about sustainability whilst I was studying environmental policy, from there I decided to go to the Netherlands to study sustainable development.
    • Over the last ten years I have focused on putting systems into place that have evolved from the benchmarking of monthly utility performance to more robust energy management platforms.
    • I first heard about Prescriptive Data through a friend of mine that worked there. I then sat on a panel with Sonu and listened to John Gilbert from Rudin talk about the evolution of the Nantum platform.

    [5:41] Sonu: How did you become CEO of Prescriptive Data and can you tell us more about the product?

    • I have always been in the enterprise software business, when I had my son I started thinking about how I can work in a field that is fundamentally important to the world and what will have an impact, this led me to meeting Rudin Management.
    • Prescriptive Data started as a project within the Rudin Management portfolio, we are now entirely independent. Our original premise was the idea that commercial offices exist to provide productive and comfortable workplaces, a big part of that is indoor air quality and thermal comfort.
    • We used occupancy sensors so we could learn the rhythms of the building and correlate with the technology controlling the air quality in the buildings. This was the beginning of the Nantum OS.

    [12:33] Becca: Can you talk us through Jamestown's initiatives, what your strategy is and what you're working on at the moment?

    • The Jamestown Green program and the Jamestown Charitable Foundation are ultimately about our efforts to reduce Jamestown's impact on the environment and support the communities where we own property and where we operate.
    • The Charitable Foundation was established to help host community events that benefit nonprofits. We invest in metropolitan centres and then support the nonprofits that make those cities more desirable places to work.
    • The Jamestown Green program is for sustainability efforts. We look to find management practices and initiatives that help increase our net operating income, drive financial performance at our assets and make our assets more valuable

    [16:45] Becca: Are there any other companies that you are piloting on the portfolio that are helping to reduce emissions more specific to ESG?

    • I've been focused on first just having a system in place, and over the last couple of years focusing more on the quality of the platform and matching specific tech solutions and providers with a specific type of asset.
    • We have partnered with a company called Carbon Lighthouse, they identify energy saving products that the team then implements. They help back up those projections with their energy models and monitor the projects so they stay in place over the long term.

    [19:22] Sonu: What is the main challenge you face in the industry?

    • Everybody is worried about the geopolitical situation, however I try not to think about it, largely because there is so much momentum around sustainability.
    • I see a more widespread recognition that climate change is real, that achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough and that true science based approaches are what's called for.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Sonu - The RHINO principle, keep your eye on the prize, there is an impact to be made, we are doing really important work and we must stay focused on it.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Becca - I think that part of the reason that I've been successful is because I've been relentless about networking and finding partnerships.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech?

    Sonu: The fact that we are working on something that is a shared concern and if we resolve it will be a shared benefit.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech?

    Sonu answered earlier in the show: I'm excited about the transition towards net zero I've witnessed in the last six months. I think it's a great opportunity because people have realised something needs to be done.

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    33 min
  • An Investment Managers Plan For Our Planet. with Peter Epping & Kathryn Scheckel

    Summary: In the seventh episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Peter Epping, Global Head of ESG and Kathryn Scheckel, Global Head of Innovation at Hines.

    Peter and Kathryn will share how their careers led them to ESG and innovation. The guests discuss Hines' target to reach net zero by 2040 and the strategy they are going to use to get there. They talk about their key focus to bring down the emissions of their current buildings.

    In this episode you will hear about how Hines are going to reduce energy demand in their vast portfolio using both a customer centric approach and a variety of tools and technologies that can help create more positive outcomes for their communities and buildings. You'll also hear how different countries around the world are leading the charge towards net zero by using innovation in building technology and renewable energy.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews

    Companies Mentioned:

    • McKinsey and Company
    • Halo
    • The Square

    Shout Outs:

    • Dr. Michael Crow, President at Arizona State University

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • In our view, innovation and ESG cannot operate one without the other - Kathryn
    • If you pick the best expertise from different places around the world you will arrive at a product that is better for everyone - Peter
    • The world is changing quickly so having curiosity and staying open to knowing what you don't know is crucial - Kathryn
    • We need to solve this collectively to change our systems, the spirit of having realised that and everyone being willing to collaborate is really, in the literal sense, energising - Peter
    • Millennials applying for jobs are going to be much more conscious about the health of the building they're going to be working in, and whether the business they're going to be working for is making an impact - Louisa

    About Our Guests:

    Peter Epping:

    Peter is Global Head of ESG, responsible for developing and implementing the firm's ESG strategy in close coordination with the firm's leadership, as well as its regional and key functional groups.

    He previously served as Fund Manager in Hines' European Investment Management Team.

    He joined the firm in 2001 and until 2006 worked in various development roles with Hines Germany and the Hines European Development Fund. In 2006, he became a portfolio manager in the investment management team and starting 2013, he took on the role of fund manager of the Hines European Core Fund. From 2014 until 2021 he was also responsible for building three separate account portfolios investing across the risk spectrum and asset classes in major European cities.

    Epping holds a degree of economics business administration from University of Mannheim as Diplom-Kaufmann and an MBA from Union College in Schenectady.

    Kathryn Scheckel:

    Kathryn leads the Strategic Project Office in delivering firm-wide strategies for complex, multi-stakeholder projects involving internal and external parties, reporting to the Office of the CEO. Additionally, she currently serves as the Interim Head, Office of Innovation, reporting to the Global CIO. In these capacities, Ms. Scheckel oversees the progress and implementation of cross-functional initiatives at Hines that help push the business forward.

    Prior to joining Hines, Ms. Scheckel's career includes strategic roles at McKinsey & Company in New York, focusing on organisational strategy & commercial real estate; and at Arizona State University serving in a variety of roles including as a senior director in the Office of the President, building & launching novel strategic partnerships, including the Starbucks College Achievement Plan.

    Ms. Scheckel is inspired to connect and foster female talent in commercial real estate. Since joining Hines in 2019, Kathryn has initiated the global relaunch of OneHines Women's Network, which strengthens and empowers diversity, equity, and inclusion amongst women at Hines.

    Ms. Scheckel received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biosciences & Biotechnology, Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance, and Masters in Public Policy from Arizona State University. Aside from dividing her time between Houston Headquarters and her home in New York City, Kathryn takes joy in spending time with her family and travelling extensively.

    About Hines:

    Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 285 cities in 28 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately $90 billion. In addition, Hines provides third-party property-level services to 373 properties totalling 114.2 million square feet. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired approximately 1,530 properties, totalling over 511 million square feet. The firm currently has more than 198 developments underway around the world. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a foundational commitment to ESG, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organisations in the world.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:35] Kathryn: How did you become the leader of Hines' innovation platform?

    • Working at Arizona State University was the foundational underpinning that drove my interest for innovation, unique ecosystems and enterprises that drive different types of solutions.
    • Following this, whilst working at McKinsey I was exposed to the global challenges the built environment faces.
    • I joined Hines' investment management platform in 2019, at the time they were working to tackle and solve these challenges. From there I started a team with the intention to help cross-functional initiatives within the firm and our overall governance. I am now named our innovation lead in driving forward a reimagined way of approaching innovation.

    [4:25] Peter: How did your role in ESG come about?

    • I joined Hines after university, working on development projects around Europe. When the first rules and regulations came up on energy performance in Europe we felt that there was a lot more we could do as a company.
    • We started collecting significant amounts of data and measuring our performance. We wanted to achieve the highest level of efficiency and make our office and residential buildings as healthy as possible for their occupiers. This created a positive feedback loop with our investors that saw that our outcomes were significantly better.
    • Subsequently, I saw a huge opportunity for Hines in ESG given that we were so technically integrated and we had such willingness to innovate.

    [8:30] Kathryn: How closely do yours and Peter's teams work together?

    • We work extremely closely together, I think ESG and innovation will become even closer in the future.
    • We also have a close collaboration with our operations and engineering personnel, who are the execution and implementation arm of so many of the different strategies and innovations.

    [10:28] Peter: What is Hines' plan for our planet?

    • The target for us is for operational energy, everything we do around our existing buildings we are looking at setting a target for the embodied carbon, which as a developer is a huge exposure.
    • The target we're setting for operational emissions in 2040 is without offsets and will be aligned with the science based targets initiative. We're investing in furthering energy efficiency in our buildings.
    • The key focus for us is that we're bringing down the actual emissions of our buildings.

    [13:54] Kathryn: Are there any technologies that you are looking at investing in or are currently piloting?

    • We're taking a truly customer centric approach within the innovation platform to solve some of the challenges within ESG.
    • All types of solutions, tools and technologies can help support carbon tracking, carbon mitigation and create more positive outcomes for our communities and buildings.
    • Hines already has a tremendous playbook and history of innovation, but we are managing processes to think about more obstacles in innovation that may be on the horizon.

    [17:53] Peter: What are the major trends you've observed across different geographies within innovation, digital transformation and ESG?

    • In the Nordics we have seen great expertise in the area of heat pumps and renewable energy, they have decided much earlier than the rest of the world that they want to stop using fossil fuels. They have a very open mindset to innovation which is extremely refreshing.
    • We have a new development in Manhattan where we are applying the same concepts that people use in Nordic countries and the result is an all electric building which not only will eventually be net-zero but is comfortable for the tenants.
    • If you pick the best expertise from different places around the world you will arrive at a product that is better for everyone.

    [21:23] Kathryn: What trends have refocused you to work on the innovation side at Hines?

    • What we're seeing across geographies is the concept of flexibility and what our tenants are really demanding, especially in the post COVID world. One particular venture that I can share with you is a software play called Halo. It supports broader flexibility options in the office domain as well as what the tenants are wanting.
    • We also have a flexible workspace product called the Square which is a hardware that offers more flexible types of office spaces.
    • Another trend we are seeing is the concept of data, the data coming out of our building systems can help solve other pain points for our clients.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Kathryn: There is no single person in a team. The power and the force of networks and partnerships is crucial.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Peter - My colleagues who are running the European Core Fund at Hines are managing to implement what we want to do across the whole firm in such a consistent and coherent way. I also want to shout out to the leaders in this industry who are being very open and collaborative, this mindset is extremely refreshing.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in the innovation side of real estate?

    Kathryn: The evermore converging of our product types, our industry and the built environment.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of Proptech?

    Peter: I'm excited about seeing how much opportunity there is and how this will work financially, as this will be the biggest catalyst for making this happen.

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    34 min
  • Is There Really An Appetite For Energy Efficiency Within Commercial Real Estate? with Zachary Denning & Jerremy Spillman

    Summary: In the sixth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Zachary Denning and Jerremy Spillman, co-founders of Hank. JLL's recently acquired AI-powered virtual engineering platform for buildings.

    Zach and Jerremy share how Hank is helping the commercial real estate world reduce emissions and assist clients in their transition to net zero. The guests discuss the geographical differences surrounding the adoption and consensus of technology that they have noticed since Hank successfully expanded to Europe.

    In this episode you'll hear about the ever changing appetite for efficiency within commercial real estate, how technology can help real estate meet its sustainability goals and what the future holds for Hank.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews

    Shout Outs:

    • Rob Baker, Head of Product, Hank

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • You could put a Ferrari engine into a building, but if you don't know how to drive it you're not going to get anything out of it - Jerremy
    • If you're not able to satisfy both the ownership and the investor level as well as the property level, you're never going to have a successful product - Jerremy
    • We're driving a culture of execution, everybody on the team is on the same mission to drive revenue, if we're not driving revenue then we're stagnant - Zachary
    • I figured out that smart buildings aren't so smart, machine learning is the future of this industry - Zachary
    • Why not be inside the largest, most progressive property management ownership firm in the world? There's no more strategic partnership than that - Zachary

    About Our Guests:

    Zachary Denning:

    Zachary Denning earned his degree in mechanical engineering and has always had a strong aptitude for software development. In his +10 years in the smart buildings industry, he was able to identify and solve core building engineering challenges using applied machine-learning and AI – Eventually leading to the development of a new market, virtual engineering. Zach has grown the Hank virtual engineering team to over 50 members under JLL and together they're pushing the boundaries of machine-learning in building operations to maximise client value.

    Jerremy Spillman:

    Over the last 12 years Jerremy has worked in the clean tech space ranging from utility DSM program management to battery powered electric vehicle charging stations. Most recently Jerremy co-founded Hank, an A.I. powered HVAC management tool for commercial office buildings. Hank was recently acquired by JLL Technologies as a key tool to meet their aggressive sustainability goals.

    About Hank:

    Recently acquired by JLL, Hank is a virtual engineering platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that autonomously optimises the management systems of commercial buildings to deliver increased comfort, air quality and energy savings.

    Hank's system applies machine learning and AI to solve many of the commercial real estate (CRE) industry's largest operational challenges, including HVAC programming inconsistencies and energy and equipment performance inefficiencies. Its cloud-based platform optimises energy efficiency, air quality, maintenance costs and tenant comfort - ultimately delivering increased net operating income (NOI) to real estate investors.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:04] Zach: Can you tell us about your career journey to founding Hank and also how you know Jerremy?

    • I started out as a mechanical engineer in the smart building industry. I learnt that the owners of buildings rarely know which control systems are in their buildings despite these softwares generating savings. I taught myself machine learning and realised that it has the ability to solve these problems in a long term capacity.
    • I won a grant and spent time developing a software that proved that machine learning could drive substantial savings in buildings and we can generate huge economics for clients.
    • I went out fundraising through several channels and that's when I met Jerremy and pulled him in as co-founder and CRO, and this carried us to JLL.

    [4:15] Zach: How long did it take you to develop the software?

    • The first year I spent developing a solid foundation for the software so I had a product that I could test the market with. I received a grant in year 2 and by testing the market, proved that it had improved the comfort within buildings dramatically.
    • By the end of year 3, we had viable proof of the product and concept and therefore the ability to go out and fundraise.

    [6:02] Jerremy: What has it been like since your introduction to Zach?

    • I started my career in sales so since meeting Zach it has been really exciting understanding the new market that there is for technology and quickly picking up the nuances in the industry.
    • This completely new way of managing the largest energy consumer and cost driver in a building has made me really passionate about what we're doing with Hank.

    [7:47] Zach: Can you explain a little bit about what Hank is?

    • The Hank product itself is a true machine learning virtual engineer, we don't do any physical work in buildings or have an onsite team.
    • Hank enables engineers in buildings to do their job more effectively and not have to worry about changing setpoints, tuning systems in or working with a variety of different stakeholders to solve their problems.
    • We work alongside existing smart building systems that are already in place, we drive a saving on energy of at least 15% and sometimes as much as 50%.

    [11:50] Jerremy: How does Hank help investors meet their sustainability goals?

    • Hank is a Software-as-a-Service, so there is no replacing of controllers, we just drive what is already in place to its highest efficiency and that allows them to build their sustainability plan for the future.
    • If you're not able to satisfy both the ownership and the investor level as well as the property level, you're never going to have a successful product.
    • We have utilised the data and found that we can fix comfort without sacrificing energy and we can save energy without sacrificing comfort.

    [16:06] Jerremy: How did your acquisition by JLL Technologies come about and what does it mean for your business?

    • We align well with JLL because our number one priority for meeting sustainability is carbon reduction which JLL succeeds in with all of their vendors.
    • Adding JLL's property management team to our virtual team adds an additional level of expertise and differentiates us from other management services.
    • Zachary: For us to be primed to grow, the most strategic partnership we can use is to be inside the largest and most progressive property management firm in the world.

    [22:05] Zachary: What core values do you have in your business?

    • We're driving a culture of execution, everybody on the team is on the same mission to drive revenue, if we're not driving revenue then we're stagnant.
    • We have a very transparent approach, we have a mentality that we're building this together and all have an equal voice.
    • When we bring people on board they can individually see the impact they're making and that drives them towards our common goal of producing revenue and growing as a business.

    [24:49] Jerremy: Now you have expanded to EMEA, what are the differences you have seen between the US and Europe?

    • Europe is far more advanced and focused on emission reduction which has helped us fit in straight away. They have helped us learn what property teams and investors are doing to push sustainability efforts and what the US needs to do to progress.
    • Buildings in Europe already have the infrastructure in place with other smart technologies that we can integrate into, to feed our machine learning models and produce more data.
    • The market in EMEA is ready for a solution like Hank, whereas in North America we're having to get the market ready.

    [28:02] Zachary: What is next for Hank?

    • We're in the midst of a complete redesign of a new user interface, we want to give our customers a new evolution of what building automation can be without an additional cost.
    • We want to push forward on evolving this product whilst proving everything to our customers comes under one subscription with no additional fees, we want them to know that this is just an inherent part of our service that we will continue to improve.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Jerremy: As long as you have got hard work and dedication you are always going to push things forward.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Zachary: Rob Baker, he was an internal JLL employee that gravitated towards our team, he was a project manager and now he is involved in everything, he has been phenomenal to work with.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech?

    Zachary: Watching this product come to fruition and having Jerremy's team and our operations team execute it successfully.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of Proptech?

    Jerremy: I'm excited for Proptech and sustainability to become the norm in the real estate industry.

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    36 min
  • What Are The Costs and Benefits of Innovation Within ESG? with Jonathan Flaherty & Philippe Le Fort

    Summary: In the fifth episode of season 10 of The Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Jonathan Flaherty, Global Head of Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation at Tishman Speyer and Philippe Le Fort, leader of Ambio, a smart buildings SaaS platform by PATRIZIA.

    Jonathan and Philippe talk to Louisa about their journeys into ESG and elaborate on the technologies they believe will help real estate reach net zero. They discuss the differences in innovation adoption across geographies and the long term benefits and cost of innovation on the asset, the tenant and on our built environment.

    Philippe talks about how he's been leading PATRIZIA's very own smart building SaaS platform, Ambio, and both guests share their thoughts on whether full digitalisation is actually possible.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • Ambio, PATRIZIA's Smart Building Platform

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • I don't think one particular technology is going to drive us to low carbon buildings, it's going to be a combination of everything working together to get that outcome. - Jonathan
    • People will go back to offices in the future but people need to have a reason to do so, and the traditional office product is going to have to change.The buildings that don't make that change are going to become obsolete. - Jonathan
    • Customer experience is really significant to the focus of companies such as Amazon and Apple. Real estate has not paid much attention to that up until now, however technology is now coming to change the way people operate and the way people use buildings every day. - Philippe
    • I think we're living in one of those moments where all these mega trends are converging together and really accelerating how we have to adapt as an industry. - Philippe
    • Is any of this digitalisation really possible within a brick and mortar business, which is so large, slow moving and slightly archaic? - Louis

    About Our Guests:

    Jonathan Flaherty:

    Jonathan Flaherty is the Global Head- Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation at Tishman Speyer. Mr. Flaherty joined Tishman Speyer in 2007 as part of the Leadership Development Program and has held various roles with the company, including in asset management and portfolio management for New York. He transitioned to the Sustainability department in 2010, becoming the Director of Sustainability, and most recently the Global Head – Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation. In this role, he manages the firm's evolving sustainability strategy: property and fund sustainability certifications, communication with current and future investors, worldwide performance tracking, energy procurement strategy, building technology innovation, diligence in alternative green investments, and execution of the firm's commitment to Net Zero by 2050. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a legislative aide for Senator Schumer in Washington, DC. Mr. Flaherty is the chair of the board of directors for the Building Energy Exchange, the co-chair of the REBNY Sustainability Committee and is on the board of the New York Energy Consumers Council. He holds a BA in political science from Kenyon College, and an MBA and MSUP from Columbia University.

    Philippe Le Fort:

    Philippe Le Fort leads Ambio, a smart buildings Saas platform by PATRIZIA. Philippe joined the company in 2020 and has been in charge of setting up a new business line from the ground up. Today he is leading its execution and responsible for deploying the technology at scale across the portfolio, advancing how buildings perform for businesses, people and the planet.

    Previously, Philippe was an Investment Director at Tishman Speyer London and started a proptech venture to democratise access to institutional grade real estate using blockchain technology. He has also advised early-stage companies in the U.S.

    Philippe has a MSc in architecture from EPFL and an MBA from London Business School. He lives in London.

    About Tishman Speyer:

    Tishman Speyer is a leading owner, developer, operator and investment manager of first-class real estate in 32 key markets across the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. We develop, build and manage premier office, residential and retail spaces for industry-leading tenants, as well as state-of-the-art life science centres through our Breakthrough Properties venture. With global vision, on-the-ground expertise and a personalised approach, we are unparalleled in our ability to foster innovation, quickly adapt to global and local trends and proactively anticipate our customers' evolving needs. By focusing on health and wellness, enlightened placemaking and customer-focused initiatives such as our tenant amenities platform, ZO., and our flexible space and co-working brand, Studio, we tend not just to our physical buildings, but to the people who inhabit them on a daily basis. Since our inception in 1978, Tishman Speyer has acquired, developed, and operated 512 properties, totalling 217 million square feet, with a combined value of over $126 billion (U.S.). Our current portfolio includes such iconic assets as Rockefeller Center in New York City, The Springs in Shanghai, TaunusTurm in Frankfurt and the Mission Rock neighbourhood currently being realised in San Francisco.

    About PATRIZIA:

    With operations around the world, PATRIZIA has been offering investment opportunities in real estate and infrastructure assets for institutional, semi-professional and private investors for 38 years. PATRIZIA manages more than EUR 55 billion in assets and employs over 1,000 professionals at 28 locations worldwide. Through its PATRIZIA Foundation, PATRIZIA is committed to social responsibility. The Foundation has helped around 250,000 children in need worldwide gain access to education and thus, has given them the chance of a better life over the last 21 years. You can find further information at www.patrizia.ag

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:10] Jonathan: Talk us through your role and journey into ESG and how you and Philippe first met each other?

    • I have been at Tishman Speyer for 15 years this week. I started as an intern in the designing construction compartment before ending up in the sustainability department.
    • Philippe was based in our London office and we ended up on a whole bunch of projects together.
    • At the time when I joined the department in 2011 it was a much different world and sustainability was a much smaller corner of the universe. However, I thought it would be an increasingly important force in the future.

    [4:26] Philippe: Talk us through your role at PATRIZIA and how it has changed? Could you also give us an introduction to your SaaS solution product, Ambio?

    • I joined PATRIZIA about 2 years ago in the tech innovation team with the mission to improve operations, reduce carbon footprint and improve experiences within buildings through technology. The topic has been accelerated over the last couple of years by the demand for ESG products and for better data throughout the industry
    • We started from the fact that we needed to understand our buildings better, understand how good the tech infrastructure was and how good it needed to be. We soon realised that there was no such tool in the market that did that and we had to build one, that's how we started Ambio which we have just launched.
    • Ambio involves doing health checks of buildings, identifying opportunities to add value by using technology to smarten things up and working with suppliers in the market to connect them to our investment managers so that we cover the entire spectrum of digital transformation and decarbonisation.

    [6:30] Jonathan: What is the major factor for pursuing ESG at Tishman Speyer?

    • The biggest driver for Tishman Speyer has been the long term equity of the business, investors would like to know that 10 years from now the building they're buying today will retain its resale value and will still be leasable after future regulations have come into place.
    • When buying buildings now you need to be thinking about the owner after you and that owner is going to have it when all of the regulations related to decarbonisation and low energy are going to hit across the world.

    [11:20] Philippe: What's the big focus of PATRIZIA in terms of pushing forward on smart buildings?

    • On one hand you have more demanding capital, and on the other hand the increasing expectations from tenants which is moving the needle of what people want in terms of space.
    • Customer experience is really significant to the focus of companies such as Amazon and Apple. Real estate has not paid much attention to that up until now, however technology is now coming to change the way people operate and the way people use buildings every day.
    • All these mega trends are converging together and really accelerating how we have to adapt as an industry. Covid has been a very big booster and we're still trying to figure out the implications of that, because there is a lot of elasticity in the market.

    [14:02] Jonathan: Can you explain what you mean by a haircut on exit and how this can be avoided?

    • A building should be worth a particular number upon exit based on the rents that you're getting in that building, if the market is valuing your product below that then it is below the logical value that the market is assigning to other buildings.
    • You need to predict what the market is going to look like in the future, most leases last for 10 years, so buying a building now you need to be thinking about the market and the regulations in 2032.

    [18:30] Philippe: Can you tell us more about the technologies PATRIZIA are utilising to help maximise an asset value?

    • Heating and cooling a building is one of the biggest energy buckets in commercial buildings, so a technology that tracks the weather is really important.
    • Another technology we are looking at is predictive maintenance in lifts, predicting when a lift is going to break saves money on lift management contracts.
    • Since the pandemic, people are much more conscious of the air quality in buildings. Also, to help people that are coming back into offices be healthy and productive, we need to ensure the air quality is good with regards to the CO2 concentration affecting brain productivity.

    [22:11] Jonathan: Is there anything you would like to add in terms of which technologies Tishman Speyers are using?

    • Indoor air quality has been a big focus and will continue to be, but if anything that's more monitoring than a technology and has been around for a while.
    • I don't think one particular technology is going to drive us to low carbon buildings, it's going to be a combination of everything working together to get that outcome.

    [23:59] Jonathan: what can we do to get these brick and mortar businesses on board with technology adoption and ESG?

    • Our primary focus is office buildings, we don't see the end of an office but that the office product needs to transform into something that is much more focused on digital, hospitality and low carbon. The changes in offices are very large and are coming at a rapid rate.
    • People will go to offices in the future but people need to have a reason to do so and the traditional office product is going to have to change, the buildings that don't make that change are going to become obsolete.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Jonathan - You never know where your career is going to go, you have to be ready for twists and turns. There are so many opportunities out there so allow yourself to be flexible.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Philippe - I'd like to mention Ambio and the team who have worked really hard to launch the product.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech?

    Jonathan - It is enormously rewarding working in PropTech and sustainability, it is full of fascinating people doing really interesting work around the world.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of sustainability and smart building?

    Philippe - I like it when things are not so straightforward, PropTech and ESG are creating dislocation and value add opportunities in our industry which is really exciting.

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    34 min
  • Are Net Zero Developments the Future of Real Estate? with Sally Jones and Matt Webster

    In the fourth episode of season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Sally Jones, Head of Strategy, Digital and Technology at British Land and Matt Webster, Head of Environmental Sustainability at British Land. They share British Land's strategy for sustainable developments and how they are going to achieve net zero by 2030.

    Sally shares how her role at British Land has changed since 2010 and shifted her focus towards strategy and technology. Matt talks about how their most recent sustainable projects, 100 Liverpool Street and Canada Water, have been designed to reduce both operational and embodied carbon in both the development and the running of the buildings.

    Sally and Matt discuss the advancement of technologies and successful utilisation of data and what this means for the future of sustainable real estate.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • 100 Liverpool Street
    • Canada Water

    Companies Mentioned:

    • Equiem
    • Facilio
    • Cadbury
    • Arup

    Shout Outs:

    • Gabrielle McMillan

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • I think the next few years will be challenging, but the more business that successfully deliver their strategies, the closer we will be to net zero - Louisa
    • Technology is changing the shape of the property industry - Sally
    • I'm confident as a sector that we've got the technologies, skill sets and the ambition to play our part in this, to come together and deliver - Matt
    • The digitalisation of real estate will have a significant part to play in the decarbonisation of the built environment - Matt
    • We have to figure out a cheaper way of delivering digital transformation, especially with the rising energy costs - Sally

    About Our Guests:

    Sally Jones, Head of Strategy, Digital and Technology:

    Sally joined British Land in February 2010 as Head of Investor Relations and took responsibility for Strategy alongside Investor Relations in January 2015. In May 2016, she was appointed Head of Strategy and Investments. Subsequently, she has expanded her role to include data and insights and the Group's Smart technology initiatives. She joined the Executive Committee in 2015.

    Sally is also a Non-executive Director of Equiem, the leading tenant experience digital platform provider.

    Previous Experience:

    Before joining British Land Sally worked at Cadbury Schweppes where she held a variety of roles over ten years including Director of Investor Relations, Director of Communications and Finance Director Group Sales and Marketing. Prior to that she worked in the City.

    Matt Webster, Head of Environmental Sustainability

    As Head of Environmental Sustainability, Matt leads the environmental performance of British Land's standing portfolio and development pipeline, responsible for implementing our pathway to net zero carbon by 2030 and wider environmental sustainability agenda. Matt works across the business to ensure our assets are designed, built and operated to the highest environmental standards. Matt led British Land to a 55% reduction in its operational energy intensity achieved in 2019. He has held various roles across the business, including establishing our approach to wellbeing and most recently developing and implementing our approach to smart buildings and digital placemaking. Recent development projects include the delivery of British Land's first net zero development at 100 Liverpool Street and leading sustainability at Canada Water - a 53 acre mixed use regeneration project.

    Prior to joining British Land, Matt held various sustainability consulting and banking roles. Matt has a Master's degree from Forum for the Future.

    About British Land:Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Campuses and Retail & Fulfilment assets throughout the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at £14.3bn (British Land share: £10.5bn) as at 31 March 2022 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies.

    We create Places People Prefer, delivering the best, most sustainable places for our customers and communities. Our strategy is to leverage our best in class platform and proven expertise in development, repositioning and active management, investing behind two key themes: Campuses and Retail & Fulfilment.

    Our three Campuses at Broadgate, Paddington Central and Regent's Place are dynamic neighbourhoods, attracting growth customers and sectors, and offering some of the best connected, highest quality and most sustainable space in London. We are delivering our fourth Campus at Canada Water, where we have planning consent to deliver 5m sq ft of residential, commercial, retail and community space over 53 acres. Our Campuses account for 67% of our portfolio.

    Retail & Fulfilment accounts for 33% of the portfolio and is focused on retail parks which are aligned to the growth of convenience, online and last mile fulfilment. We are complementing this with urban logistics primarily in London, focused on development-led opportunities.

    Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. In 2020, we set out our sustainability strategy which focuses on two time-critical areas where British Land can create the most benefit: making our whole portfolio net zero carbon by 2030, and partnering to grow social value and wellbeing in the communities where we operate.

    Further details can be found on the British Land website at www.britishland.com

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [2:10] Sally: How did you get into your strategy, technology and digital role?

    • It has been so fascinating to be able to combine strategy with all things digital and technology and I am now in charge of building tech, insights and the whole technology stack.
    • My interest in technology started when I realised how technology was changing the shape of the property industry.

    [3:50] Matt: Could you tell us what your role at British Land entails?

    • I have been at British Land for a number of years now and worked in different sections around the business, but always with an angle on sustainability.
    • I was retained to deliver the 55% energy target and we were very proud to be able to deliver that over a 10 year period from 2009 to 2019.
    • We were early adopters of the idea that it was our responsibility to collaborate with customers to work towards understanding our carbon footprint and start utilising data and technologies.

    [5:35] Sally: Could you elaborate on your digital strategy?

    • We started working on it in 2015 and created a smart team after realising that digitalising buildings was going to become a big thing.
    • We wanted to create a strategy with a very focused approach on improving people's experience of our real estate, building greater understanding through data and driving greater efficiency.

    [6:58] Matt: How does the sustainability strategy fit into the digital strategy?

    • Our latest strategy runs from 2019 to 2030 and is balanced between environmental and social issues.
    • Our target is to reach net zero carbon by 2030, as an operator and developer of space our two big sources of carbon are embodied from the development of our assets and operational which is related to the energy from running our assets.
    • We are aiming for a 50% reduction in our embodied carbon and a 75% reduction in our operational carbon. The digital plan will help us deliver these ambitious targets.

    [8:45] Matt: Tell us about your current development projects and how they're helping socially and environmentally?

    • 100 Liverpool Street is our first net zero development, it has benefited from significant reuse of the previous structure of the building and we worked really hard to design without carbon throughout the process. A lot of thought has gone into how it is going to operate once it's a live building. It's our first building to deliver some of the things in our digital strategy as well.
    • Canada Water is a really exciting project that we are embedding sustainability principles into. The building is implementing our smart building design guide which will help the building run more efficiently by retrieving useful data out of it during the design stage.

    [12:35] Sally: What technologies are working for British Land and how are you utilising them?

    • Smart enabling a building makes it digitally capable, the key for that is to allow us to get data out of the building in such a way that we can surface it through a single platform.
    • The data allows us to see what is working and manage the building more efficiently over time. Machine learning and AI helps us control the building to drive more efficiencies.
    • We're working with a company called Facilio, they have built this entire data platform for us which things like AI can sit on. The Equiem platform works alongside Facilio to see how and when rooms in buildings are being used.

    [16:08] Matt: Is there anything you would like to add to the data side of smart buildings?

    • We have learnt a lot in the development and delivery of 100 Liverpool Street. Installing smart metre systems lets us know exactly where and when energy is consumed in a building. The system will also communicate the data to a wider platform, allowing us to take a software approach to the building.
    • With this data we can apply it at a portfolio level rather than replicating it within each building.

    [19:29] Sally: What do we need to tackle in the future?

    • We are now turning our attention to our old developments, ultimately we're all going to have to think about retrofitting our old buildings.
    • We have to figure out a way of delivering this digital transformation much more cheaply, especially with the rising energy costs.

    [22:15] Matt: What lies ahead in terms of environmental sustainability?

    • People are finally listening to this issue and it is really important to make sure we've got the resources and skill sets to respond to it.
    • We have been tackling operational carbon for a long time, we need more understanding and data surrounding embodied carbon so we have a more rapid process to help reduce it in the next few years.

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Sally: What stands out for me at companies that I have worked for is the culture value and leadership. British Land and Cadbury are the two places where I have enjoyed and achieved the most.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Matt: Our own internal digital placemaking team, they have been working really hard working on the vision and delivering 100 Liverpool Street.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working within the digitalisation space?

    Sally: Working with this small team at British Land, they've been brilliant at navigating their way through a very complex landscape in a cost effective way with an incredible set of products.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of environmental sustainability?

    Matt: I'm excited about the recognition that ESG is now gaining and the seriousness that people are starting to approach the subject with. Also, the digitalisation of real estate because that will have a significant part to play in the decarbonisation of the built environment.

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    30 min
  • What Are The Key Data Points in ESG in Real Estate & How Are They Measured? with Aleksandra Njagulj & Simon Wallace

    In the third episode of season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Aleksandra (Sasha) Njagulj, Managing Director and Global Head of Real Estate ESG at DWS Group and Simon Wallace, Global Head of Research and Strategy at DWS Group.

    They discuss the key data points in ESG in real estate and how and why Aleksandra and Simon have risen to the top of the DWS Group and are focusing their careers within ESG. They share the products that DWS Group has found useful in their workplace and the regulation changes they have seen in the market. Lastly, they discuss how the current market may disadvantage or benefit investment in ESG.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • CRREM

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • ESG influences a lot of my work nowadays, it's always been a factor but now ESG touches pretty much every part of the research and strategy that we do. - Simon
    • Whether you believe in climate change or not, if the energy prices continue to rise, tenants are going to want more energy efficient buildings. - Aleksandra
    • I think we are in a market environment in general where we will see less investment in real estate, we got the real capital analytics data for the second quarter for Europe today and year on year investments are down by about 20%. - Simon
    • The current market is accelerating the focus on ESG in real estate, energy prices will favour buildings that are energy efficient. - Aleksandra
    • You can do it because you want to look after the environment, but now you can do it because there is a financial incentive as well. - Louisa

    About Our Guests:

    Aleksandra Njagulj, Managing Director and Global Head of ESG, Real Estate at DWS Group:

    Aleksandra (Sasha) Njagulj is the Managing Director, Global Head of ESG (environmental, social, and governance), Real Estate at DWS group. She is responsible for ESG integration across global real estate portfolios. Sasha is an accomplished ESG expert with over 20 years of practical experience in architectural design, design management and the sustainable built environment. In her previous role with CBRE Global Investors, she was Global Head of ESG with overall responsibility for developing and communicating global sustainability priorities and strategies across all business lines. Prior to this, Sasha was head of the Sustainability, R&D and Innovation department at Bouygues U.K.

    Throughout her career, Sasha has built a reputation both professionally and personally for championing the cause of responsible real estate investment. She received the UK-based edie 2020 Sustainability Leaders Award for Investor of the Year for an ESG programme she designed and delivered for CBRE. In addition, Sasha was awarded the global 2020 GRESB/BREEAM Individual Leadership Award, recognising strong leadership and commitment in the field of sustainable development. In 2021, she won the global Future Proof Real Estate Woman award as a leader in applying digitalisation, technology, open innovation and sustainability to create a better built environment.

    A qualified architect, Sasha holds a Master's degree in Architectural Design from the University of Belgrade; a Master's degree in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge. She is a BRE Academy fellow, sits on the INREV ESG Committee and ULI ESG Council, leads the IIGCC Real Estate Workstream and chairs the GRESB Foundation Real Estate Standards Committee.

    Simon Wallace, Head of Research, Real Estate at DWS Group.

    Simon joined the Company in 2011. Prior to his current role, Simon served as Head of Europe Research and Strategy for Alternatives. Prior to joining, he served as an economist for real estate research at Hammerson. Previously, Simon worked as an economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research

    BSc in Politics and Economics and MSc in Economics from University of Bristol; Investment Management Certificate (IMC)

    About DWS Group:

    DWS Group (DWS) is one of the world's leading asset managers with EUR 902bn of assets under management (as of 31 March 2022). Building on more than 60 years of experience, it has a reputation for excellence in Germany, Europe, the Americas and Asia. DWS is recognized by clients globally as a trusted source for integrated investment solutions, stability and innovation across a full spectrum of investment disciplines.

    We offer individuals and institutions access to our strong investment capabilities across all major liquid and illiquid asset classes as well as solutions aligned to growth trends. Our diverse expertise in Active, Passive and Alternatives asset management – as well as our deep environmental, social and governance focus – complement each other when creating targeted solutions for our clients. Our expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of our economists, research analysts and investment professionals are brought together in one consistent global CIO View, giving strategic guidance to our investment approach.

    DWS wants to innovate and shape the future of investing. We understand that, both as a corporate as well as a trusted advisor to our clients, we have a crucial role in helping navigate the transition to a more sustainable future. With approximately 3,600 employees in offices all over the world, we are local while being one global team. We are committed to acting on behalf of our clients and investing with their best interests at heart so that they can reach their financial goals, no matter what the future holds. With our entrepreneurial, collaborative spirit, we work every day to deliver outstanding investment results, in both good and challenging times to build the best foundation for our clients' financial future.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Timestamps:

    [1:44] Aleksandra: What initially sparked your interest in sustainability within real estate?

    • Originally I was an architect so my primary expertise is in real estate, I know how it is designed, constructed and managed.
    • I discovered the issue of sustainability when I was working as a design manager for the Building Schools for the Future Program. One of the requirements of the funding was that it had to achieve a sustainability certification to a certain level. I feel sustainability is a primary issue so if I can contribute to it using my primary expertise then I will.

    [3:54] Simon: How did you get into this role in ESG?

    • I started off my career as an economist working for a very small economics consultancy in London and then moved to DWS Group 11 years ago.
    • ESG influences a lot of my work nowadays, it's always been a factor but now ESG touches pretty much every part of the research and strategy that we do.

    [7:47] Simon: Are there any key data points and trends you can show us from your research?

    • We still struggle for data in this area and there is a lot of noise around it so it is important that the more data points we get, the better the analysis.
    • I think we will be moving from a world of green premium to a world of brown discount. I think the industry will in time all have high levels of environmental credential sustainability and the buildings that don't will be at a discount rather than the market average.

    [9:26] Aleksandra: How do you tie the live data into your strategy?

    • The critical point is your due diligence when you're making the acquisition decision and getting the actual performance data from the building. It is still not practised in the market to provide full information of how the asset performs to the potential buyer.
    • Historically we used energy performance certificates which are not reflective of reality, they are a theoretical model which only looks at regulated energy.
    • The live data for both the asset management and acquisition management process is incredibly important. The issue is that a huge number of assets have old meters, therefore smart solutions are really important to help digitise the data on those buildings.

    [13:10] Simon: Do you think the rising interest rates, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty will affect the investment and adoption of ESG?

    • I think we are in a market environment in general where we will see less investment in real estate, we got the real capital analytics data for the second quarter for Europe today and year on year investments are down by about 20%.
    • ESG strategies will not be fully immune to what is going on but the trend towards ESG based strategies will continue to grow and accelerate.
    • I think there are some positives to be taken from the price correction going on. The buildings today that are of poor quality and low environmental standards are likely to reprice at more than the market average, allowing opportunities for repositioning and impact.

    [15:45] Aleksandra: In terms of rising interest rates, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty, what is affecting your strategy and investment decisions?

    • Some of these aspects are actually accelerating the focus on energy usage. Energy prices rising will definitely favour buildings that are energy efficient and give tenants a financial incentive.
    • These measures are payback to sustainable buildings either in low utility costs or higher tenant demand. Whether you believe in climate change or not, if the energy prices continue to rise, tenants are going to want more energy efficient buildings.

    [18:58] Simon: Have you got any data points about how much money people could save if they used a certain technology?

    • Given the rise in gas, carbon and energy prices, those buildings with low energy ratings are susceptible to rental declines and rental underperformance.
    • Looking at it from a risk perspective, if you come into conflict with regulation and you're no longer able to lease that building because it is not meeting the standards then you have an obsolete building.

    [20:28] Aleksandra: What changes in regulations have you seen in your career and how do you collect data on it?

    • We are assessing the risks accordingly, we use a tool called CRREM which is based on real life data to help assess stranding risks of these assets. That then directly has an impact on our investment and asset management decisions.
    • Regulations will have to deal with existing building stock if we are to achieve net zero carbon goals. Therefore, some of the regulations that come in will need to regulate private house owners, not just commercial landlords.

    [25:25] Simon: What do you have to say about regulations?

    • I think we should see regulations as a part of life not as a negative or a risk from an investor perspective.When regulations are well specified and known in advance then we can respond accordingly.
    • In terms of collecting data on regulations, it is important to have people on the ground engaging with local bodies and the government, in order to understand how that regulation will impact upon your investment.

    [27:20] The 'LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;

    L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career.

    Aleksandra: Flexibility and being open for opportunities, if you want to be successful in your career then being flexible and open-minded is the best advice.

    M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service.

    Aleksandra: IOT solutions and the geniuses that are coming up with them around the world are resolving real problems and issues within real estate.

    R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working within the ESG space?

    Simon: Being a part of the solution on the quality of affordable housing, through ESG we can certainly make a positive difference.

    E - What are you excited about in the future of ESG?

    Aleksandra: ESG and sustainability as a whole is seen as added value, as something that should be embedded throughout the business to make it better.

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    35 min
  • Why Are Global Real Estate Leaders Turning To Sustainable Investments To Reach Net-Zero? With Taylor Wescoatt & Guy Grainger

    Summary: On the 2nd episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Taylor Wescoatt, General Partner at Concrete VC and Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG at JLL.

    They discuss why global real estate leaders are refocusing their investment strategy and turning to venture capital to help reach net zero. Taylor Wescoatt shares Concrete VC's big plans with the sustainable fund and how they managed to get some huge real estate names to invest. Guy talks about JLL's strategy around net zero and their involvement in the fund. Taylor and Guy share with Louisa how technology, both internally and externally, will help businesses reach their sustainability goals.

    Resources:

    • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy
    • LMRE YouTube Interviews
    • Measurabl
    • Hank
    • Hillbreak

    Companies Mentioned:

    • JLL Spark
    • JLL Technologies
    • SEGRO
    • Ardent
    • Starwood Capital
    • Catella
    • Timeout
    • AOL

    Shout Outs:

    • Arnaud Van Der Wyck, Managing Partner at Concrete VC

    Key Insights From This Episode:

    • We're out recruiting and looking at how we can grow our capabilities in multiple countries to give clients the silver bullet of seamless integration of strategies across multiple geographies, which is really hard to do. - Guy
    • There is a direct link between transitioning a building to net-zero, and creating economic value and we need to prove that much more clearly. - Guy
    • We've created an investment platform that helps large real estate organisations see more clearly into the early stage tech space so they understand what will be creating and driving change in their industry. - Taylor
    • As we see more consistent data coming out of the sector, new artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities will evolve. - Taylor
    • According to a JLL report, the value of green certifications on buildings results in a rent premium of 6% and a sales premium of 8% - Louisa
    • If we wait for the government to set the regulation it will be too late. - Guy

    About Our Guests:

    Taylor Wescoatt:

    Taylor's career in technology product management spans 20 years of startups and larger pioneers like eBay and AOL. He started Concrete in 2016 with Starwood and JLL as founding partners out of a recognition that the coming wave of change in Real Estate would be primarily driven by technology. Concrete's mission remains to help leading players in the Real Estate sector see better into the future by engaging with the most compelling and visionary founders in the technology sector to drive revenue, operational efficiency, and net-zero environmental goals.

    Guy Grainger:

    Guy Grainger is Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG at NYSE-listed real estate services company JLL. He has overall responsibility for sustainability services, products and strategy, and for JLL's corporate sustainability program.

    Previously, Guy led the EMEA region since June 2016, also serving as a member of JLL's Global Executive Board. Prior to that, he was CEO of the UK business between 2013 and 2016, having originally joined as a senior leader of the Churston Heard business acquired by JLL in 2008.

    Outside of JLL, Guy is Chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce at responsible business organisation Business in the Community and Vice President at the British Property Federation.

    An alumnus of the London Business School Senior Executive Programme, he is also an established media commentator on sustainability, the built and natural environment, and amateur triathlete in his spare time.

    About Concrete Ventures:

    Concrete Ventures is a venture capital investor working closely with leading global real estate partners to understand their key challenges and identify and invest in the technology startup founders delivering real impact.

    About JLL:

    We're here to create rewarding opportunities and amazing spaces around the globe where people can achieve their ambitions. In doing so, we are building a better tomorrow for our clients, our people and our communities.

    We're a world leader in real estate services, powered by an entrepreneurial spirit. We want the most ambitious clients to work with us, and the most ambitious people to work for us. It's as simple as that.

    We buy, build, occupy and invest in a variety of assets including industrial, commercial, retail, residential and hotel real estate. From tech startups to global firms, our clients span industries including banking, energy, healthcare, law, life sciences, manufacturing and technology.

    About Our Host

    Louisa Dickins

    Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast 'The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.

    About LMRE

    LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management.

    From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting.

    At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

    Sponsors

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    31 min

About The Propcast

From the publisher's feed

The Propcast, by Louisa Dickins, Co-founder of LMRE the leading Global Built Environment Recruitment Consultancy. The aim of the show is to introduce you to a PropTech innovator and discuss how their…