- Global role for leading authority on the future of work, workplace transformation, employee productivity and wellbeing
- Katsikakis has advised some of the world’s biggest companies including Google, Unilever, BP, GSK and Microsoft
- Unrivalled insight will benefit both occupiers and the landlords seeking to attract them
London, 05 September, 2017 – Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Despina Katsikakis, the industry-leading expert on the impact of the workplace on business performance, to a full-time role advising the firm’s clients.
For more than 30 years Katsikakis has led innovation, research and implementation of transformative business environments and exemplary real estate developments worldwide.
As Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of Occupier Business Performance, she will provide input across the firm’s global business on the rapidly-changing context of work and its impact on employee engagement, productivity and wellbeing. With these factors increasingly determining the leasing decisions of leading corporations, Katsikakis’ unrivalled insight on the future of work will benefit occupier clients – as well as the building owners and landlords seeking to attract them – through repositioning real estate to drive top line performance.
During her career Katsikakis has advised some of the world’s biggest companies, including Google, Unilever, BP, GSK and Microsoft, on how best to achieve tangible business goals through their workplaces. She has been instrumental in developing the vision and research to futureproof commercial developments around the world, most recently London’s TwentyTwo, the progressive 1.3m sq ft office development currently under construction in the City of London and Europe’s first major WELL-certified new-build project.
John Forrester, Chief Executive EMEA, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The impact of the workplace on business performance is now a critical consideration for both occupiers and landlords. Despina’s appointment cements Cushman & Wakefield’s status as the world’s leading advisor in this increasingly-important field. She will work with our clients to understand their evolving need and to help formulate their future strategy.
“Both the challenge and the opportunity are global, and so it is right that we have a world-leading expert spearheading our investment in this space. Business performance underpins Cushman & Wakefield’s strategic real estate offer, and Despina’s unique insight and global expertise will be of huge benefit to clients across the firm.”
Despina Katsikakis, Head of Occupier Business Performance, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The relationship between real estate investors, developers and occupiers requires radical change to support the dramatic shifts in working practices and business priorities. The corporate focus has shifted from delivery of short-term real estate savings to attracting talent and supporting engagement, wellness and productivity.
“I will be bringing my global expertise and insights across the industry to influence new opportunities through a holistic approach that links real estate to corporate priorities in order to navigate today’s complex business landscape and deliver tangible performance and value.
“I am honoured to join such an innovative and entrepreneurial organisation as Cushman & Wakefield and look forward to working with my new colleagues to leverage the firm’s size, scale and expertise to deliver business value to our clients.”
James Maddock, Head of Global Occupier Services EMEA, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Despina is the standout authority in her field and has unrivalled depth of expertise on the impact of the workplace on human performance, engagement and wellbeing. As the nature of work changes and firms across all sectors compete for the brightest talent, companies are increasingly conscious of the fact that employee expectations of their workplace environment are changing too. She will be client-focused, providing strategic consultancy to senior leadership within client organisations.”
Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Katsikakis was Chair of international consultancy DEGW and Senior Vice President in Global Corporate Solutions at AECOM. More recently she has worked as interim Global Head of Workplace for Barclays and as an independent adviser to a range of international corporate clients and real estate investors. She serves on the advisory board of Delos, the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate and creators of the WELL Building Standard, and writes, lectures and teaches internationally.
Cushman & Wakefield’s recent Well Workplace insight report can be downloaded here: https://cushwk.co/wellbeing
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm that helps clients transform the way people work, shop, and live. Our 45,000 employees in more than 70 countries help occupiers and investors optimize the value of their real estate by combining our global perspective and deep local knowledge with an impressive platform of real estate solutions. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest commercial real estate services firms with revenue of $6 billion across core services of agency leasing, asset services, capital markets, facility services (C&W Services), global occupier services, investment & asset management (DTZ Investors), project & development services, tenant representation, and valuation & advisory. 2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Cushman & Wakefield brand. 100 years of taking our clients’ ideas and putting them into action. To learn more, visit www.cushwakecentennial.com, www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.