In this episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Neil Slater, CEO of Redevco, a real estate management company, explores his personal leadership journey and the pivotal moments that led him to the CEO role. He reflects on the formative experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, the challenges he faced transitioning from a global head role to CEO, and what he’s had to unlearn to lead effectively in a rapidly evolving business landscape. He also discusses the importance of resilience, adaptability, and self-reflection, as well as aligning his personal values and corporate values to cultivate a leadership team that moves in harmony with his strategic vision.

Below is a full transcript of the episode, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

Welcome to The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast. Heidrick is the premier global provider of diversified solutions across senior-level executive search, leadership, assessment and development, team and organizational effectiveness, and culture shaping. Every day, we speak with leaders around the world about how they're meeting rising expectations and managing through volatile times, thinking about individual leaders, teams, organizations, and society. Thank you for joining the conversation.

Chantal Clavier: Hello, I'm Chantal Clavier, a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and leader of the Real Estate Practice, placing both C-suite and non-executives in the industry. Today, I'm delighted to welcome Neil Slater, CEO of Redevco. Neil stepped into the CEO role toward the end of 2023, and a lot has happened since then at Redevco, including it becoming an investment management business, diversifying out of retail to broader mixed-use, and starting a lending business. Today, we're going to explore the first 18 months of his leadership journey—the surprises, the shifts, and the learnings. 

Neil, thank you for joining us for the second real estate podcast on reflections as a newish CEO. We've slightly cheated with you because it is 18 months, so not your first year. But before we get into this, how are you doing?

Neil Slater: Well, Chantal, firstly, thanks for having me here. It's really great to have a chat with you today, and I'm doing really well. I've got a little cold today. So, if I sound a little bit like Darth Vader at some points during today's podcast, I apologize. But I'm great, thank you.

Chantal Clavier: Amazing. And I have to say we are once again in the studio, in a very dark room, and it's a beautiful 25 degrees centigrade outside. So we really do need to thank Neil for coming in here at this particular moment in time. 

OK, let's have a look at your leadership journey, shall we? So your personal leadership journey and that transition. As you reflect back on your career to date, you know, what two or three experiences enabled you to land in Redevco, as you have, as CEO? 

Neil Slater: Firstly, I've been really lucky, as you know, I think quite well with regards to the experiences I've had in my career, and I really feel fortunate having had some great bosses and some great opportunities to work abroad and broaden my horizons significantly. And I think that's had a real impact just generally when I reflect on my career and I think about the journey I've been on. And when I think specifically about leadership and I think specifically about the Redevco role, there's probably two, in fact three, areas that I really think were impactful. And they would have been obviously having a global role within the Aberdeen business—you know, running a franchise where you're thinking strategically, dynamically around different investment sectors, different countries, different possibilities, and you're learning a lot more about some of the complexities around cross-border businesses, around different functions. 

Then, going prior to that, if you remember, I spent time in Japan, and that was a real game-changer for me because that was actually CEO of a business of no one, but then building that business and then having under you eventually HR, finance, marketing, equities, real estate. And that in itself, I think, was a game-changer, both in terms of experience but also confidence around when you're making that move from a specialist to broadening out a little.

Firstly—I'm working kind of backwards here, maybe the wrong way around doing it—but that global experience was key, obviously a much broader functional role leading cross-teams, and actually with different types of investment capabilities under you, where you're really interacting with different functions. Prior to that, allowing me to do that, I'd had this opportunity to build and run a small business, which I think proved my capability, but also gave me the confidence outside of being that kind of technical person. 

But then, of course, you've got to start somewhere in life, and I was lucky to work hard and be promoted within a technical expertise that, of course, got me perhaps that opportunity to move to Japan in the first place. So also working in environments—and it hasn't always been real estate, hedge funds, and others—where I had opportunities to work with great people who really probably pushed me as well. So those three things, taken together, have probably set me up in some respects, or even meaning to be set up for it to come into a role like this.

Chantal Clavier: CEO of nothing.

Neil Slater: Yes. Yes, did you like that?

Chantal Clavier: I love that. Yes, absolutely. That sort of perseverance, the resiliency that you need, the adaptability to be a new market, prove yourself, and then think through strategically what you need there and then implement it.

Neil Slater: Yes, definitely. And actually that example, and of course, I joke, CEO of nothing, but I mean I went out there with six laptops and my wife and kids, and there was nothing there.

Chantal Clavier: Wow.

Neil Slater: And then by the time I left, we had a business of 50 people building it, merging a business, different functions. And that journey was really quite something in terms of, I think, character building, but also, I think, confidence building in terms of who you are and what you're capable of. And that was the— I think that was the kind of game-changer for me.

Chantal Clavier: So lots of learnings there that shifted, you know, shifted your perspective and propelled you. Thinking about where you are today, what have you had to unlearn as you've arrived at Redevco as CEO? As you reflect on the last 18 months, what have you had to sort of unpick or do differently?

Neil Slater: So I think that's a super question actually because, when you come in to a new organization that has a very different culture, has a different history, different dynamics, it's easy to come in to a role and assume that because of the previous experiences you've had, that you, you know everything. And so I think, first and foremost, there's been a period of learning about the context and the environment in which you're coming into, which takes time. And then secondly, and kind of interestingly, you're also coming in to a role where, for the first time, it's not just about managing the team and perhaps managing also upwards because you're in, you know, in previous roles, perhaps it's very large global organizations here, it's a case of working with and managing and leading the team, but also you're running the business. You're running P&L, you're responsible with the marketing team for actually for the branding, for our vision, for the mission. And those things are also really different because they come with an element of responsibility, which probably are much more—not probably, they are much more meaningful, much more impactful as to how you then take that business forward.

What does that got to do with unlearning or learning different things? It's actually, it's different because it's new, because you're taking some of your skill sets, but you're recognizing that you have more influence in some respects but also, at the same time, you've got to work even harder across the different teams and the functions and the dynamics to really listen and build the team and then develop the strategy to implement something that was really going to work for a business. That, I think, has been really fascinating over the first 18 months.

Chantal Clavier: Do you think that's the difference between being global head, which is a significant role, to being the chief executive?

Neil Slater: Yes. So I think a global role, subject to the context and all the rest of it, what a great role and, you know, intellectually fantastically interesting, loads of responsibility, leading a team, leading a function in a division. But ultimately, you're not responsible for the business; you're not responsible. You are, as a leader, but you don't have the ultimate responsibility, and actually you can't always take the ultimate decisions. The difference in running a business, and it doesn't matter if it's a bigger business or a smaller business, is that you have that capacity to not only influence but make change.

So, you know, to give you an example of that, maybe to bring it to life, we did an event in Paris for our 25th anniversary, and we did that to celebrate, of course, but we used that as a way to bring our teams together to talk about strategy. We changed our vision, our mission; we changed our brand. And you can do that, you can make a decision to make that happen and to make change and, you know, there's no one else that has to help you, apart from your team, make that decision. You don't have to go through three separate loopholes to decide do you have the budget? Can we make it happen? Would that be OK? If you think it's the right thing to do and it's going to change the business and help the P&L, and help your team, let's do it. And that's the difference. You can be so much more, I think, proactive.

Chantal Clavier: It sounds very enriching.

Neil Slater: Yes, I think really it is. I think it's empowering not just if you're a good leader probably for people, but it's empowering for yourself, which is really, and then it's really energizing, and yes, enriching.

Chantal Clavier: I want to come back to a word you used which you might have seen me scribble on the paper, which was permission—sort of give yourself permission to take time and to reflect on certain things. And I was just personally curious, when does that permission get granted by yourself? Is that before you start the role? Is that once you got into the role? When did you decide that because that’s quite a grounding message to yourself?

Neil Slater: So I think when you come into a new organization, to lead that organization, you have to think about your first period, how you're showing up, how you're arriving the organization, what kind of impact are you going to make. And if you're a character that is probably naturally energetic and likes to achieve and get things done, it's easy to come in and start trying to move quickly. And I think I used the word permission earlier. So I gave myself permission to, yes, come in and of course show my natural enthusiasm as an individual for the industry and Redevco as a business, but I gave myself permission to take some time, to come in and to get around the business and to see assets and to listen to people before doing anything. 

Because by doing that, you really get a measure of the beat of the organization, kind of the heartbeat, the culture, the history. It also gives you a sense of the potential, and it also gives you a real sense of the noise. What are people complaining about? How do they really feel about things? What do people say over a cup of coffee? And that, I think, allows you then this period of—some people would talk about it, kind of go slow to go fast, because you can get your head in the right place, you can really feel, you understand it and then you can move. And I think that, I'm not saying it was—part of that was definitely intentional and I think I now recognize actually, whatever 18, 20 months in, that that definitely has allowed me to move quickly, when you see what we've done in the last year for sure.

Chantal Clavier: Yes, it's interesting actually, it was making me think about that personal growth story for you, you know, how have you grown in this last year and a half as a professional but also as an individual. It feels like there must be some growth attached to what you've just described.

Neil Slater: Definitely. I think, I mean in so many ways, actually, because it's easy to—ah, it's probably easy for some people in these types of roles to already think that they have seen it all, done it all, etc. But I mean I've learnt so much in the last 20 months. For a start, I've never worked in a privately owned investment company before. I've always worked in listed companies, apart from very early in my career in professional services. So coming into that environment has been hugely interesting, a completely different part of the industry that I thought I understood that I've now realized I didn't. It's opened up a whole world for me, around connectivity, around different understanding about different capital flows, about different backgrounds, histories, dynamics, which I would never have experienced.

Then think about the talent, people dynamic of what you're doing. So we've gone through a lot of sensible, thoughtful—there are pretty dynamic changes within Redevco period of time. And that has, again, from a learning experience, I'm dealing with some fantastic people, you know, I've promoted some great people, hired some wonderful people. And the great thing about that is you're always learning from them, as well as from others in the industry. So there's always so many things, I think, and if you're not learning, then you're not going to have that, that spark, that desire, that energy that burns to wake up every morning. And then you'd be thinking I'm done here, I've done my stint, because I think I've done everything for this business, and I feel I'm only just getting started.

Chantal Clavier: A couple of directions I can take this conversation, but I'm just going to hang around for one more moment around the personal leadership journey. How do you—you know, it can be lonely at the top. I always say that. It's a well-known phrase, in fact. How do you sort of keep yourself intact? Keep yourself, I know you have a cold today, but keep yourself well generally? You are well, generally. And what's your own support system, you know, what are you doing when you're not, when you're not working? And even when you are, how do you stay balanced?

Neil Slater: So I actually think this is a really important area for great leaders because many—I was going to use the word high achievers, but it sounds like, it sounds like by using that word, you know, high achiever. But people who I think work hard can easily get into a position of just constantly working hard, being so focused, being so driven, and I think you do have to look after yourself. And also you've got to be able to sense-make about what's happening in the world, and you've also got to be able to ensure that your emotional side, the EQ side that's hopefully matching your IQ side, is in good tact. So for me, I mean, for example, I was running this morning around Hyde Park. I tried to look after myself. I love a bit of time doing that, and that's something I've always done, physically look after myself. 

But then I learnt pretty early on, I was very lucky actually, I—when I was at Aberdeen Standard Life Investments, we had a coaching thing for managers at the time, and that included a session around the power of reflection and taking time out and kind of forcing yourself to go in a café, for example, and buy a cup of coffee and sit down and think. And if I think about myself back then, I was 100 miles an hour, and I'd think that's a crazy idea because I should be doing X, Y, and Z, as opposed to buying myself a cup of coffee and reflecting. And I started to build that in, and I found it so powerful.

Chantal Clavier: Are you saying that we're only going to find you in a coffee shop?

Neil Slater: So personal, personal life, if you like, I try to look after myself. I try to find time to reflect, and of course, I love my family time and all the rest. I think it is so, that balance is so important. But then from a professional perspective as well, those are both super helpful in terms of I think resetting your brain, ensuring you've got that thinking time to then be considered thoughtful and strategic around the business. But I've also got a coach. And again, if you'd asked me 10 years ago, I would have thought that was the craziest idea I've ever heard and, you know, seriously, a coach? And I've had a coach, I had the same coach actually for a while now, and I find that that is a really safe space to download on many things and really gets you out of that lonely space that you kind of reference there. The other thing as well is just, I think, you develop your connections and you end up having a great network of people that you know you can trust, and who can also download on you. And I think that's super important at any level in an organization.

Chantal Clavier: Absolutely, absolutely. So that's quite a well-rounded approach to actually guarding and protecting yourself. That sounds very negative, those words, I don't mean it to. Holistic, it's a holistic approach, just sort of mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

Neil Slater: Yes. Yes, I agree. And don't get me wrong, I'm like every, many other humans out there, I go up and down in terms of how well I'm doing. I, you know, I started yoga for a while, which is wonderful, but then I dropped it at some point, and then I couldn't get it back in my schedule. And you—but running is something I've always done, just in terms of that mental calmness and then that reflection point, or just making sure you build time to just sense-make in terms of what's happening in the world. I found that so powerful for me as an individual.

Chantal Clavier: So with everything changing at the moment, it's such a changing landscape out there for every business. I'm wondering, as I think about the fact that Redevco is transforming, how you're navigating that as chief executive. So the changes that are happening at Redevco, what is the strategy, and how do you make those decisions within a landscape that is constantly changing around you anyhow?

Neil Slater: So, firstly, I always say that Redevco is real estate's best-kept secret, and I know a lot of my staff agree with me on that. We think we've got a great business. And, you know, we're on this journey, and we'll come back to the industry in a minute, but Redevco is on a journey to take what is a really good, really good real estate business and to make it a fantastic real estate investment business. 

And what we've done over this last period is recenter who we are and what we're about and where we're going. So we're very clear as a business that Redevco is transformative real estate. We build value for investors and we enrich communities. That's what that business does. So we invest money in real estate to make money, but we believe strongly that you can do that in a way that still does the right thing in terms of the communities in which you then operate.

And we have set the business up to try to focus on areas where we think we really operate well. As you know, half our business is effectively, for want to have a better word, a proprietary book and half is third-party capital. That proprietary book, we're really evolving away—not away from retail, as such, but we're absolutely diversifying it, as you mentioned at the very beginning, because that needs to be a portfolio and a business that is there for my successor’s successor, as I think about it. 

And then the third party, we know that we're really good at certain areas. Retail warehouse parks, we think we're best in class, mixed-use redevelopments, and then we've been adding these different strategies to bring in some, both some diversification and some entrepreneurship into the business. And so, you know, in that regard, we're really just focused on best-in-class real estate, pan-European platform, great at what we do, and let's sustain, retain this amazing 185-year culture that permeates through the business. And if we can get that right, performance, you know, real focus on performance, real focus on clients, but have this culture and still attract and sustain and retain awesome talent. That's why I think Redevco is going to be a great real estate investor over this next period.

Now words are easy, and we're in an environment where the business is evolving so quickly, but I remain very high conviction that, you know, you're either going to be huge, a very big real assets player, and we know all the names of the great businesses out there that are doing that, or you're going to be a business that is more niche and more specialist, more unique in terms of what you bring. And again, for us, we have our own business, so to speak, that's always going to be there for the long, long, long term. And then our third-party client business, our unique proposition, where it's quite specialist, fairly bespoke, and we're not trying to take on the world there. We're just trying to say this is what we're really good at. And that's how we're looking at making sense of it. 

I just had one other thing. The changing world that you talk about, the changing nature of the environment, I mean I see that playing to our strengths because, again, you know we're part of an ecosystem with a private equity business that's in the US, in Europe, and a multi-manager business for private wealth, and one of the things we've been doing is reflecting on where we're at. I was out in Asia two weeks ago because we're finding that our approach resonates with clients, which is great. But also, of course, we also think about what's happening in the world and for our business, bearing in mind this is a business that has been invested globally over different parts of cycles, over 185 years. It doesn't mean that we will always just be a pan-European real estate investor, we also think a bit about: should we do more in different places and spaces? 

Chantal Clavier: It makes me also reflect on yourself as a CEO leading across, I mean, I know you had the global rule before, but as you said, you're the CEO now and sort of in charge of the business directly, leading across those seven different countries. Do you need to adjust your style? How does the CEO do that well?

Neil Slater: So you do, and actually the first thing is being very cognizant of cultural differences. That sounds really obvious, but it's not always that obvious until you really have that experience. And I'm sure like you and many others out there, I was lucky very early in my career, coming to London and working in companies that had multicultural teams, you know, colleagues from different parts of the world, and that certainly had an impact on me. Then I was lucky early on when I lived in Switzerland, actually, because I was in a team that had people again from different countries, different walks of life, and I think that really quickly opened my eyes to cultural differences.

Then I think it's very easy to take an Anglo-Saxon view of the world and make assumptions about things, and assume that everyone thinks like you, drives like you. And if you have experiences, whether you're living in different countries or you're working with different colleagues, you soon learn that that isn't the case. So even some people could say, Wow, it's only seven countries in Europe, but it's seven countries in Europe, they're a completely different country, the UK to the Netherlands to Germany to Spain, as an example, completely different. Never mind the tax and legal systems from a real estate perspective. So I, and that's the bit I really enjoy. But yes, I think that's one of the great privileges, actually, of leading multijurisdictional, multicultural businesses, is you get to learn and experience those cultures and at least begin to understand a little bit around why certain people or certain things might turn out in a particular way.

Chantal Clavier: Yes, it sort of flows nicely into values and in your own values and the company's values, and then the culture as a plural that exists within those countries and that exist within Redevco. And I suppose the question that stems out of that then, Neil, is, you know, as you think about Redevco’s mission and values, how aligned are they with your own personal values? Is that something that, as you have been navigating the last 18 months, you've bumped into or you've considered further?

Neil Slater: So absolutely, and I’ll mention just a couple of things on this because it’s a fascinating topic. But when I first came to Redevco, we had a vision for the business that as CEO, I couldn't say properly. So what I mean is it didn't quite roll off the tongue for me. So we had this vision, which I really bought into in terms of the intent obviously, because I joined the organization and it was really important to me, but we had this vision and mission around leading the transformation of cities to ensure they're livable and sustainable. And I used to go to meetings and say it, and I kind of thought, Gosh, this kind of feels like it takes five minutes to say, and is that really what we're about? 

And as part of this change that we've made over the last year, where we brought all of our staff together, we reset the vision for the business around transformative real estate, building value for investors and enriching communities. And that wasn't just led by me, that was led by my staff and our values. Our values are basically passion, performance and trust. And our Next Gen Board developed those and had them work through this, all of our staff. And I love those, because if I, when I wake up in the morning, I just think about, even just think about me. Am I passionate about what I do? Am I passionate about the industry? Yes, I am actually. Am I performance-driven? Absolutely. And do I think trust is important, trust my colleagues as to letting them go on with things? And is that the kind of environment I want to create in the business I work? Absolutely. 

So we've been on a real journey and really it probably took us a year to land that, to go through various kind of workshops and then to pull that together, but I feel really good about that now. We also did a rebrand. So, and this is really I think quite fascinating, we did a rebrand in January at the same time. So we did our new vision mission for the business, our values, and then we did a rebrand. And we couldn't quite decide on the symbol we wanted to use. We didn't change the name or anything, of course—we really love Redevco. So I just said, Well, do you know what? We've got everyone coming together for our 25th anniversary in January, let's just have a vote. And it's the most nervous thing I think I've ever done as kind of CEO, you know, you wait while your staff vote for the brand, and then we announced it at the party in the evening. And it was fantastic. I have to say it was really energizing. It was, you know, thrilling. But for that moment when the vote was happening, it's pretty nerve-wracking.

Chantal Clavier: Yes, absolutely. And so the brand is launched. Everybody is happy with it. 

Neil Slater: Oh, fantastic. And our team, the marketing and PR team, have been awesome, absolutely awesome in terms of driving that forward.

Chantal Clavier: Just before we start to come to a close, I do just want to land on the talent question. You know, how do you go about assessing and shaping that team to align with your vision? How do you get that leadership team moving to the same beat?

Neil Slater: So, for that, I think there is no substitute for time, time commitment to doing that. And I have spent, and did spend early on, a lot of time with my immediate leadership and management team, listening, talking, getting a sense of everyone, getting a sense of where people were at, how much were they up for change, where are they in their career journeys. And then, if you think through what I mentioned early on, that first period, I took a lot of time to really listen to the organization. Gave me time to think as well of course, and then strategize and execute.

And through that process, I spent a lot of time with the talent in the organization. And all great, all great talent. And some of that talent was really keen to be part of a journey and make change, and some of the talent felt it was a time to do other things and—but I would not underestimate the time commitment. That sounds really obvious, right? I mean, why do we come in to these roles? Because it's all about talent, it’s all about people. But I think it's easy to perhaps miss, underestimate how much time you've got to put in to that, to get to know people, to really get your team onboard, to have the off-sites, to have the time together. And then actually, I feel, now we've got a fantastic team. I got an awesome leadership management group, they have really come together around this brand, this concept of transformative real estate, and the performance element. And if you look at what we do as a business, it's brilliant.

Chantal Clavier: So we're talking about your leadership team, which sounds fantastic. What makes someone stand out to you as a leader, Neil? 

Neil Slater: I think, firstly, it's always important to think about what you're trying to do with the business. I know it's again a very obvious thing to say, but, So what do I see as the potential for this business? And then you think about the people that are around you, and are they up for that journey? And then what I look for really varies because, again, I think this is the important—kind of back to your point on that kind of cultural part, different countries and learnings, etc. One of the things I've learnt is that it'd be so easy to choose six other white male, energetic, driven individuals that look the same, feel the same, because it feels like that's just going to drive our business forward. And that is not what my leadership team looks like, if you look at it on our website today. And what I look for, I actually look for, for actually those three things we talked about, that kind of passion, performance, trust. I always look, of course, for people who are hardworking and who really care about what they do, and I look for people who really are passionate and love what they do, and I look for people who I feel I can build a trusting relationship with. That is a foundation I just think and I can—it’s not that I've written that down, but that is just so important.

But then beyond that, it's then about who's the right fit, who can bring the right approach. And if you look at my team, I've got people who are so different in terms of their natures, the way they talk, the way they show up, if it's maybe 9 in the morning versus 4 p.m., you know, everyone's different and that's what makes a great leadership team. But I also trust them entirely to run their parts and get on with it and form part of a great, you know, unit to make the business work perfectly. So those three things, funny enough, and just as we're talking, I hadn't really thought a lot about it, but I really like those, that kind of passion, performance, trust element. And for me, find those things first, and then it doesn't bother me if someone's, you know, whatever background, have they got the right capabilities, the right credentials, the right experience, that's what matters.

Chantal Clavier: OK, we're drawing to a close. It would be remiss of me not to ask you, as someone now well into their CEO tenure, what would you say to someone just stepping into the role for their first time, Neil? 

Neil Slater: So I would say a couple of things. Firstly, I would say take the time at the beginning to really understand the business that you're coming into. So never underestimate or forget the power of listening. That's the first thing. The second thing is, having done that, don't be afraid to take risks and make impact in the organization if you feel it's the right thing to do and you have the conviction behind it. Then, the third thing is don't forget about your connections. And I say that in terms of using your connections outside of the organization, and also if I think about the Redevco and the COFRA organization and the experience within that organization as well, a kind of external lens that can just help you sense-check and debate the various things that you're thinking about. And I know there's a lot, any great individual, good individual will be doing that anyways, so I know this is really obvious, but I think those three things are key.

And then lastly, summing all that up, I would also say don't forget to enjoy it. So someone said that to me, someone emailed me, I remember, on my first day, and said, you know, XYZ, by the way, don't forget to enjoy this. And actually, it may sound a bit crazy, but it's really part of it. It's like that reflection thing. If you're having a cup of coffee, don't forget just to take a moment and say, OK, you know, yes, I'm just here, is this OK? Am I enjoying it? It should be fun, it should be interesting, it should be dynamic. It's your opportunity to really have a go at something and that's, I think that's really energizing.

Chantal Clavier: Absolutely, absolutely, I think that's wonderful. I think enjoy, enjoy the journey, whether it's the journey of the CEO and transforming the company or the journey of life, without us getting even more philosophical on things. But it is about enjoyment, and that's important. And it comes back to, again, that groundedness that you can then feel as a human being.

Neil Slater: Definitely.

Chantal Clavier: Neil, it is always a pleasure to see you, and today has been no different. I'd like to thank you so much for your time, particularly when you're not feeling your best, still coming in here and to share those thoughts with us.

Neil Slater: Thank you very much. It's been a real pleasure, Chantal, thank you.

Thanks for listening to The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast. To make sure you don't miss the next conversation, please subscribe to our channel on your preferred podcast app. And if you're listening via LinkedIn or YouTube, why not share this with your connections? Until next time.

About the interviewer

Chantal Clavier (cclavier@heidrick.com) is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and leads the Real Estate Practice in Europe and Africa. She is also a member of the CEO & Board of Directors Practice.