IN CONVERSATION WITH: Geoff Jennett, Chief Executive Officer, Emira Property Fund
Business is more than just having a great strategy and good intentions, especially if your goal is to operate a successful and sustainable real estate business that makes a positive impact on the world, as Emira’s is.
For Emira, running a good business requires a purpose-driven approach, respect for all stakeholders and the proven ability to create value. It also takes great people and partners who are empowered to play to their strengths and an unwavering commitment to making solid progress towards strategic goals.
Purpose
Having a clear purpose is critical. It is the foundation on which all other aspects of our business are built. Our purpose guides decisions, actions and interactions with all stakeholders. It is what makes our business unique and gives it meaning beyond making a profit. To define our purpose, we started by asking ourselves: what values do we believe in, what value do we create, and what impact do we have?
Our purpose is clearly defined: to be great for all our stakeholders. We aim to ensure this purpose is reflected in all aspects of our business and for all our stakeholders, from tenants to employees and service providers, debt and equity capital funders, the environment and the communities whose lives we touch.
Respect
Respect is essential for building strong relationships. It means treating everyone with dignity, fairness and honesty.
At Emira, we strive to nurture balanced long-term relationships built on mutual respect and trust. We seek to work with partners in relationships where we hold each other to higher standards, which collectively produces better outcomes. For us, this means being transparent in business practices. Emira also works with specialist partners where the performances of our businesses are enhanced by sharing our respective experience and ideas.
Respect creates a positive work environment, fosters trust and promotes loyalty. By consistently acting fairly, we also create a culture that values diversity, inclusivity and open communication.
Adding value
As a for-profit company, first and foremost, we aim to do good business. Fundamental to this is sustaining and growing value for all our stakeholders.
Creating value is at the heart of any successful business. As is the Emira way, this means understanding the different needs of our various stakeholders and striving to meet or exceed their expectations. To do this, we focus on knowing our stakeholders and understanding their needs.
Enabling excellence
Our desire is for customers at our malls to want to keep coming back for more, our employees to enjoy coming to work, our tenants to want to be in our buildings, our service providers to want to be of service to us, and our capital providers to want to be preferred partners with Emira.
We want to provide a great and enabling environment where people can do what they are good at – one that plays to everyone’s strengths. Creating an enabling environment is critical for attracting and retaining talent, fostering innovation and promoting growth. This supports a great culture.
Incremental progress
Strategies are not achieved overnight. They take ongoing gradual progress, commitment, and persistence. It means continuously improving, adapting and moving towards our goals.
If we all strive to progress and be better every day, we’ll find ourselves at a better starting point every tomorrow. For Emira, this is the key to real progress. We embrace change and are open to new ideas and opportunities but understand that it takes time and a clear vision to stay on course as a great and sustainable business.
