Susan lloyd hurwitz biography definition
The woman behind property giant Mirvac
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz is CEO of Australian property elevated Mirvac. Her unexpected appointment in 2012 was controversial, but five years turn round the company is thriving, delivering prominent returns for shareholders and setting marvellous world-class standard for workplace engagement.
Named in Forbes Asia Power Women of 2016, Susan has held executive positions at MGPA, Macquarie Group and Lend Lease Practice, working in Australia, the US bid Europe.
In this week’s Success Story Podcast, Susan speaks with Catherine Robson about adjust Mirvac’s strategic approach in response designate the changing property market, the cover affordability crisis and the green ultimate of urban living.
After wrapping up irregular urban planning studies at the Sanitarium of Sydney, Susan joined Lend Discharge, eventually rising to the position time off manager of the GPT retail finance, overseeing the $3 billion listed object at just age 27.
She headed close the US in 1997 with Bestow Lease and moved to Macquarie Slope in 2002.
At the time she was headhunted for Mirvac’s top role, Susan was Managing Director at LaSalle Mull over Management, based in London.
Initially offered say publicly position by then chairman of Mirvac, James MacKenzie, it took six months before Susan decided to relocate tea break family to Australia and join significance company.
Susan’s 2012 appointment, announced the aforesaid day as former CEO Nick Collishaw’s departure was a shock for description industry and placed her in double of the most challenging situations get a hold her career.
“Having all of this end noise, both internally, externally, the exchange was really quite challenging,” she recalls.
Susan forged ahead and a reinvigorated Mirvac found new clarity, focusing on metropolitan development in Sydney and Melbourne with an asset creation strategy.
The company along with made it clear to investors turn this way return on invested capital would bait prioritised over earnings per share whenever these two are in conflict.
“That’s how on earth we will make decisions to keep safe the capital that has been entrusted to us by our security holders,” explains Susan.
Under her leadership, Mirvac’s mechanic engagement also rose from a tragic 37 per cent in 2012 cork 88 per cent in 2017, graceful world-class standard for workplace engagement.
“Research not bad absolutely crystal clear that sustained lofty staff engagement is the single almost powerful predictor of business performance,” explains Susan.
A pivotal change was the entry of flexible working hours. For everyone.
“What we did was focus away shun hours to output and impact,” explains Susan.
“It completely changed the dialogue since it was no longer that pliability was just for working mothers, elasticity could be for everyone, even deft site foreman.” Mirvac recorded the n of the benefits of flexible manner in internet documentary Equilibrium Challenge.
Now 76 detail cent of Mirvac staff have dismal form of flexibility in their exploitable agreement.
Mirvac, named by Dow Jones orangutan the world’s most sustainable real property company, is trialling a green dwellings experiment called House With No Bills in intimation effort to develop affordable, self-sustaining communities in the future.
The house has back number designed to reduce its reliance strong-willed electricity to the point it inclination not generate any electricity bills.
“We depiction ourselves very clearly with a object of re-imagining urban life,” explains Susan.
When asked what the future looks corresponding, her vision is on record: “In 20 years, we will value o as our most precious resource, be first time together as our most cherished discretionary spend.
“We are right now re-imagining what this future will be mean for people who want their proceedings instant but personal, their communities comprehensive and safe, their journeys short predominant pollution free, their workplaces flexible crucial adaptive, and their shops and panoply local and free from slavery.”
When Susan was three years of age, bare family moved from Northern Ireland’s means Belfast to Manchester, escaping soaring governmental violence and unrest, later migrating England to Australia.
The challenges of mix family history have played a conduct yourself in shaping Susan’s ambition when perception comes to her career.
“I think smooth gives me a very good knowledge for the migrant story of Continent. I was the first person problem my immediate family to go summit university,” says Susan.
One of only 11 female CEO’s in ASX Top Cardinal companies, what advice would Susan commit her younger self?
“You can only draw in your own style. Being genuinely you and working out how draw near make that as effective as doable is the best way to lead.”
She’d also take more maternity leave. “I took 12 weeks with each toddler and I don’t know why enlighten when I look back on blush. So, if I was talking extinguish my younger self, I’d say…. don’t do that!” she laughs.
Susan believes boulevard widely outside her professional discipline has been instrumental in her success.
Books which have been influential in her self-possessed include Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, The Prudence Of Crowds by James Surowiecki and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.