Financial and professional services firm JLL, which specialises in commercial real estate services and investment management, is on a drive to get to know CFOs in 2017. To do this they have partnered with CFO South Africa, and will be sponsoring the CFO Summit and the annual CFO Awards. They will also host two intimate dinners for top CFOs to discuss the challenges and opportunities that the sector presents. Company MD Craig Hean (pictured) shares his thoughts on the partnership and what value they intend to bring to the CFO community.
How do you feel about getting involved with CFO events and dinners?
"JLL is a maturing and growing business in both South Africa and the rest of the African continent. The partnership with CFO South Africa is the perfect opportunity for us to mix with a diverse cross-section of businesses and people who are facing the same challenges in our operating environments and are looking for similar opportunities in their respective fields. We see the partnership as a complete two-way street and look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience, as well as learning from others. We hope to be valuable members of the CFO community."
What discussions would you like to have with South African CFOs?
"We are a professional real estate services business. Property is usually the second highest cost for a business and, as a result, for many years CFOs have simply thought about real estate in terms of numbers."
"While a core part of our business is about helping companies realise savings in their property portfolios, we also want to talk to CFOs about the less tangible side of real estate."
"How is the design of your office affecting the productivity of your staff? Are they fully engaged? Are you future proofing your work environment to accommodate generational differences? How will the growing trend of co-working and flexible working affect your business and how are you managing your real estate to accommodate this? All of these discussions ultimately have a real impact on the bottom line, which usually grabs the attention of CFOs."
What difference can JLL make for CFOs in South Africa?
"We think about real estate differently. Our business has evolved from transactional to long-term strategic partner. We use cutting-edge technology solutions to allow for proactive real estate portfolio management. Our commitment to being the leaders in market intelligence allows us to offer our clients insight into global trends in the workplace. We use all this information to design and implement bespoke real estate focused solutions that deliver real savings and happier, more productive staff."
