As part of this year’s Crew UK Real Estate Conference, hosted by Cushman and Wakefield, Agilité’s development director, Kirsty Shearer, was invited to join a panel discussion which explored ‘women in leadership’.
Chaired by Shelley Frost, head of corporate solutions at Cumming Group, and sitting alongside Jennie Dorsaint, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, and Rebekah Tobias, managing director of Marcol, Kirsty reflected on some of the key learnings from her career to-date. In case you missed the discussion, you can catch up, below:
What is the best leadership skill you’ve learned and who did you learn it from?
When I was 23 and working in my first ‘proper’ job, I was at an event with some very influential people in the industry. It was a classic case of imposter syndrome, and not knowing how I should act, or speak in front of my peers.
My manager at the time stood back and watched how I handled a particular situation, before telling me: “You never have to put up with bad behaviour, no matter who they are.” By empowering me to deal with a situation myself, and the positive reinforcement I gained from how I had handled it, gave me a confidence that has remained with me ever since.
What’s more, I believe it’s important to be authentic because, whether things go right or wrong, at least you know you remained true to yourself, instead of trying to be something you’re not.
Something I’ve learned from being a part of the CREW Network, and which I really believe in, is that as women in the real estate sector, we shouldn’t be coy about discussing our achievements and things that we’re truly proud of.
Finally, conflict resolution is a great leadership skill too. Don’t be afraid to tackle things head on, because when things have time to fester they develop into something much bigger. At the same time, always remember to be prepared to accept feedback – some of which may be hard to hear – and take time to pause and reflect, before responding.
The pandemic has hit women particularly hard...any perspective or insights that you can share from your personal experience?
Firstly, I would say that it’s hit everyone hard, but in different ways. In the case of women, it could be perceived that it’s set females back a little, because of the family divide – but you could also argue that depends on the family dynamic. We need to be prepared to adapt, because the conversation around this topic is still evolving, and businesses are working hard to find the right solution.
What we can’t avoid, is that the past two years have put the work-life balance firmly into perspective – particularly in the sense that it’s vitally important to be upfront about what you do want from your career.
As I’ve learned from experience, it’s much easier to set out your stall and ask for what you want when negotiating your contract, rather than trying to make changes further down the line. If things do alter, though, compile a coherent case which explains how and why you want to work going forwards – it’s in your own hands.
What advice do you have for women regarding leadership skills required to advance?
I believe it’s important to play to your strengths and not try to be all things to all people. It’s easier said than done if you’re building your own company, but I’ve learnt that having the right people in place as you grow – and knowing how each experts’ strengths complement the wider team is key.
You don’t have to be an expert in everything, rather, aim to recruit the very best people you can – and look inwardly at how your skills can support the wider team.
What will it take for more women to progress into executive leadership roles in commercial real estate?
Our industry needs to understand and implement the right support and encouragement for women at the beginning of their careers, as well as nurturing them to remain within real estate as they grow.
We must maintain that ours is an interesting sector for females and allow them to take career breaks as needed – without feeling as though it will have a detrimental effect on their progression.
Employers have the means to go above and beyond basic legislation, particularly around requirements such as maternity/paternity/shared parental leave. Done right, such behavior could encourage staff to be more loyal. After all, the more you give, the more you get.
Kirsty is chair of CREW UK’s communication committee. To find out more about how the organisation is transforming the real estate industry, visit: https://crewnetwork.org/about.
"With our sustainability consultancy partner, A Beautiful Green, we conducted a supplier analysis to understand where we stood regarding sustainability into our partnerships.
“It helped us see more clearly where we needed to improve, and where we wanted to strengthen valuable partnerships. As for now, we have a responsible purchasing policy and ask each one of our suppliers to sign and comply to our supplier code of conduct.”
Kirsty Shearer, development director, Agilité
The challenge
Agilité was purposefully established to redefine the spaces it works in – but recognises that the construction industry needs to evolve as well.
There is no escaping the fact that the design and build sector is having a significant impact on social and environmental factors – be it though the raw materials used, traditional construction techniques, or the choice of energy installations.
Agilité has never wanted to simply subcontract its work – and therefore risk jeopardising the integrity it focuses so hard to deliver. That’s why it’s important for the firm to work alongside construction specialists who care about people and the planet just as much as they do.
Since its inception, Agilité has focused much energy on establishing trusted relationships throughout the European supply chain – and when it enters a new geographical market, the same search for potential strategic partners, unfolds
An essential component of the construction industry, the supply chain comprises organisations of all sizes and specialism – therefore, establishing a partner code of conduct was essential to support the wider work Agilité was undertaking, in its bid to become a more sustainable business.
The aim of this project was to reaffirm lasting commitments to its trading partners, but also to reform the partnership process for the future. We are talking about the integration of official policies and selection criteria in the selection of new suppliers.
The strategy
Regulations, procedures, sustainability ambitions, and cultures vary, sometimes even on a state-to-state level, and Agilité relies on the input of its local specialists.
On every project, it sought to appoint the optimum combination of suppliers – whose own vision aligns with Agilité’s overarching commitment to socio-economic and net zero factors – particularly across design, materials, manufacture, logistics, construction, and disposal. As such, A Beautiful Green worked with Agilité to:
The results
Now in place, Agilité’s responsible purchasing program seeks to build a supply chain which understands – and shares – its guiding principles. For the client, sustainable procurement is about working with partners to ensure long-term benefits to the economy, communities, and environment – to deliver best value for Agilité’s customers.
As a result of this project, Agilité has been able to gain better visibility of how its supply chain operates – meaning the trade relations of the future will be based on collaboration and mutual trust. What’s more, as legislation affecting supply chains evolves, each trading partner will have to be held accountable.
Through this project, Agilité was able to ‘screen’ partners who were/weren’t willing to collaborate towards more sustainable business practices – gaining oversight on who was aligned with its wider business ambitions, and those open to evolution.
Allowing Agilité to review all commercial links, the project also helped to establish a sustainable foundation for its purchasing department. Agilité now has policies and procedures in place that regulate and structure procurement – including a ‘responsible procurement policy’, ‘modern slavery policy’ and ‘supplier code of conduct’.
“With our sustainability consultancy partner, A Beautiful Green, we conducted a supplier analysis to understand where we stood regarding sustainability into our partnerships.
“It helped us see more clearly where we needed to improve, and where we wanted to strengthen valuable partnerships. As for now, we have a responsible purchasing policy and ask each one of our suppliers to sign and comply to our supplier code of conduct.”
Kirsty Shearer, development director, Agilité Solutions
The challenge
Agilité was purposefully established to redefine the spaces it works in – but recognises that the construction industry needs to evolve as well.
There is no escaping the fact that the design and build sector is having a significant impact on social and environmental factors – be it though the raw materials used, traditional construction techniques, or the choice of energy installations.
Agilité has never wanted to simply subcontract its work – and therefore risk jeopardising the integrity it focuses so hard to deliver. That’s why it’s important for the firm to work alongside construction specialists who care about people and the planet just as much as they do.
Since its inception, Agilité has focused much energy on establishing trusted relationships throughout the European supply chain – and when it enters a new geographical market, the same search for potential strategic partners unfolds.
An essential component of the construction industry, the supply chain comprises organisations of all sizes and specialism – therefore, establishing a partner code of conduct was essential to support the wider work Agilité was undertaking, in its bid to become a more sustainable business.
The aim of this project was to reaffirm lasting commitments to its trading partners, but also to reform the partnership process for the future. We are talking about the integration of official policies and selection criteria in the selection of new suppliers.
The strategy
Regulations, procedures, sustainability ambitions, and cultures vary, sometimes even on a state-to-state level, and Agilité relies on the input of its local specialists.
On every project, it sought to appoint the optimum combination of suppliers – whose own vision aligns with Agilité’s overarching commitment to socio-economic and net zero factors – particularly across design, materials, manufacture, logistics, construction, and disposal. As such, A Beautiful Green worked with Agilité to:
The results
Now in place, Agilité’s responsible purchasing program seeks to build a supply chain which understands – and shares – its guiding principles. For the client, sustainable procurement is about working with partners to ensure long-term benefits to the economy, communities, and environment – to deliver best value for Agilité’s customers.
As a result of this project, Agilité has been able to gain better visibility of how its supply chain operates – meaning the trade relations of the future will be based on collaboration and mutual trust. What’s more, as legislation affecting supply chains evolves, each trading partner will have to be held accountable.
Through this project, Agilité was able to ‘screen’ partners who were/weren’t willing to collaborate towards more sustainable business practices – gaining oversight on who was aligned with its wider business ambitions, and those open to evolution.
Allowing Agilité to review all commercial links, the project also helped to establish a sustainable foundation for its purchasing department. Agilité now has policies and procedures in place that regulate and structure procurement – including a ‘responsible procurement policy’, ‘modern slavery policy’ and ‘supplier code of conduct’.
Agilité Solutions was entrusted with the implementation of a fit-out project to customise the office space.
EP Produzione, the Italian power generation company of Czech energy group EPH, lands in Milan with a new office at 11 Via Verziere, just a short walk from the Duomo. Agilité has been entrusted with services related to the preliminary phases up to and including the post-delivery phases of the project.
This is a newly-renovated property on the seventh floor of an elegant building located in the heart of the city's historic centre, in the Corso Europa district and within walking distance from Via Francesco Sforza, a crucial junction of Milan's road system.
The design paid great attention to the quality of space, favouring open-space work areas that facilitate sharing and interaction, as well as spaces dedicated to quiet and concentration, such as phone boots, and two large meeting rooms. In an effort to improve the human experience in the office, sound-absorbing acoustic panels with high-performance materials were applied to the walls and ceiling to minimize the noise in the work environment.
The finishes and furnishings, both custom and mass-produced, are the distinguishing features of this intervention: the glass walls, which were made with frames from the colour chosen to be consistent with the brand's hue; the vinyl flooring, which proposes a geometric design in the entrance; the joinery furniture and the lacquered slatted panelling.
The project's colour choices offer plays of colour between paint, carefully selected custom furniture lacquers, and acoustic coatings.
Graphics enriched the spaces with window decals, magnetic boards, and writable walls, in line with the coordinated image.
As for the plant engineering part, the electrical and mechanical system was upgraded with particular attention to air quality (by inserting micropure system) and light through the innovative konnex-managed lighting system that guarantees, thanks to intelligent monitoring, more comfort, more safety and more energy savings.
Despite the difficulties encountered in finding the materials, the offices were delivered on time.
Project: IT116 EP_PRODUCTION
Location: Via Verziere 11, Milan
Customer Name: EP PRODUCTION SpA
Project size: 270 square meters approx.
Construction Manager: Anna Filippi
Project Manager: Gianluca Bonadeo
Duration (start and end of work): 06/06/2022 - 15/09/2022
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