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The business aspired to champion client centred solutions and drive growth in key international markets as people worldwide continue with the impacts of COVID-19 on office fit-outs, commercial tenancies and real estate portfolios.
Steven Quick, the former chief executive of global occupier services for Cushman & Wakefield and previously executive managing director at CBRE, is the new global CEO of Unispace. He will be based out in the company’s Chicago studio, where he will lead the company’s growth efforts around longer term client relationships and workplace concepts that keep human behaviour top of mind.
Quick will be joined by Unispace’s new chief revenue officer, Michael Casolo, previously global president, client solutions at Cushman & Wakefield, an international director with JLL for 10 years, and most recently vice president and head of workplace, design and construction for hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates, and its partner Genpact. Casolo will be responsible for increasing penetration in global markets with untapped opportunity, while focusing on relationship based, enterprise solutions for clients. He will be based in Unispace’s New York studio.
At this current time of global uncertainty during the pandemic, the company is again adapting its approach and global leadership to help steer and support its business customers as they adjust to new working models. Founders and former joint CEOs, Gareth and Charles Hales, have moved into Advisory Board roles and will retain an intimate connection to the business.
The new leadership roles will support growth and expansion strategies in Europe, which as the base for a number of key multinational and large national enterprise clients, is an important region for Unispace and forms 30% of its global business. The company has made a number of important hires in Europe this year including Jonathan Ross, Regional Principal, Business Development EMEA, Mike Gull, as Principal, Service Excellence in Zurich, and Nicholas Kasparek as General Manager for Italy. It has also opened up a new office in Zurich and launched a new studio in Amsterdam following a landmark project for global beauty company, Coty.
It’s the right time for us to hand over the reins so we can focus on five to 10 year strategic initiatives, such as mergers and acquisitions, and exploring new service offerings and geographies that will help us grow. With Steven at the helm, and Michael driving business development, we’re confident we’ll be able to accelerate our ambitious plans and set the business up for another 10 years of success.
The commercial real estate industry is largely transactional by nature, but we want to change that paradigm and work with clients on a closer ongoing and consultative basis. I see my role as helping to build a stronger, more resilient future for Unispace on the back of an already established track record of being smarter, more agile, more determined and more disruptive than the competition.
Quick added that it was now time to harness Unispace’s expertise as strategists, creators and makers to not only guide companies through the current COVID-19 fog, but importantly, help them understand and adapt to longer term workforce needs and resulting workplace requirements.
Unispace anticipates that approximately 20% to 30% less office space would be needed by many occupiers when the worst of the pandemic is over, leaving companies to face tough decisions.
Casolo, who originally trained as an architect, said Unispace’s “unconventional” integrated model put it in a unique position to advise companies weighing up the pros and cons of extending or contracting leases, embarking on major refurbishments, or investing in real estate portfolios.
These types of commercial decisions will become even more pertinent as we enter a post coronavirus era. I will be looking to work with clients here and in other markets as their corporate partner, not just service provider, to deliver bespoke solutions at different stages in their business. I also see enormous opportunity to expand our presence in the tech, media, financial, professional services and higher education sectors in particular.