In the dynamic realm of retail property, women are increasingly making their mark, reshaping landscapes and redefining industry standards. In this special SCN feature, we invited nine trailblazing women who are at the forefront of the property industry. From leasing to funds management, customer and asset management, these leaders exemplify resilience, creativity and expertise in their respective domains. Their journeys and experiences not only inspire but also challenge traditional narratives, paving the way for future generations…

Kirrily Lord joined Vicinity Centres in July 2021. In her current role, Kirrily leads teams across Property Management, Data, Insights and Innovation, Digital Transformation as well as Brand and Marketing and Stakeholder Communications. Kirrily has more than 25 years’ experience in the property industry and has held senior roles across all functions of the sector, including at Stockland, Westfield, AMP and Myer.

Tell us about your career path and how you got started in retail property?

During school, I was always more interested in science and maths-based subjects, so found myself launching quickly into a Bachelor of Science at University straight after Year 12. I took on a double major in materials chemistry which led on to working in the field of chemical science, albeit briefly.

I started my retail career at Myer not long after realising the laboratory environment wasn’t for me (not many customers there!), working, at first, in Myer financial services then moving over to business management, partnering with the Myer buying team to bring in new and interesting products and concepts, across a number of categories, from all over the world.

The industry has a habit of being small and after several years, I moved over to the landlord side of business, starting out in Centre Management with Westfield at Galleria in Western Australia. During my career, I have held a variety of roles, including in Property, Development and Asset Management at Westfield (now Scentre Group), AMP Capital Shopping Centres and Stockland. I have been lucky enough to have worked across many asset classes as well, including a period in Retirement Living (truly customer centric!), but happily find myself back in retail, heading up a variety of functions at Vicinity Centres. After all these years, I am also back working on Galleria, which is part of the VCX portfolio.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Like everyone, we’ve all faced challenges, however the biggest career challenge I’ve faced as a leader in the property industry is navigating through market volatility and uncertainties. And we’ve faced a lot over the years. Economic fluctuations, regulatory changes, and unforeseen events like the COVID-19 pandemic have all posed significant challenges in the work sense. A key difficulty is these periods is balancing short-term decisions with long-term goals, and through all of that I have learnt that you have to be agile and resilient, skills that I draw on regularly today.

Another key area I have learnt much about over the years (sometimes the hard way), has been around managing large and diverse teams. This brings with it the management of varying and diverse perspectives and priorities, and navigating them all, while keeping teams engaged and involved presents its own set of challenges. For me, I prioritise communication, focus heavily on collaboration and aim to ensure my teams are well-equipped to deal effectively with conflict – lifetime skills that have helped me way beyond my professional career.

Finally, it would be remiss of me to exclude the juggle of work and managing a family, kids and carer responsibilities as a key challenge. Not sure I have mastered that yet, but I am still learning and failing along the way for sure.

Chadstone, VIC

Who is someone who has inspired you?

Someone who has inspired me is my mother. Despite facing numerous challenges in her life, she always faced them with relentless determination.

Her resilience in the face of adversity taught me the importance of perseverance and grit. Whenever I face obstacles or doubt myself, I think of her strength and resilience. She passed away a few years ago, but I always think about how she might solve a problem. There is always a way! Somehow, she still motivates me to keep pushing forward and keep trying to make a positive impact in whatever I do.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

The best advice I’ve received was from an old boss of mine who was an executive leader himself. He said to always lead with empathy and authenticity – he encouraged me to find the value in all people, even if I had to dig a bit deeper to do so. He knew that this would help me better understand and value the perspectives and experiences of the teams I work with. It creates much more value and builds trust along the way.

I also share his passion for practicing (and believing deeply in) high levels of communication. Listening actively and communicating transparently and often, helps create a sense of belonging and inspires collaboration – which is critical in large teams.

He also said I shouldn’t care as much about what people think of me, as I won’t please everyone. Good advice! (Although I still find it hard to put that into practice).

What motivates you to keep going?

What keeps me going as an executive leader during tough times is knowing that my actions can make a difference. Seeing progress, even small wins, helps maintain my drive, especially connecting with my team and knowing I’m not alone in facing challenges.

When needed, I also try to reflect back on past successes, or where I have overcome challenges before. It reassures me that I can overcome the current ones too. As well as this, I often come back to the purpose and vision of our company – it inspires me to push through obstacles and reminds me why we’re all here.

Ultimately, it’s the desire to make a positive impact on my company and the people I work with, or the teams I lead, that drives me forward.

What are your top tips for the next generation of female leaders?

As a female leader, my tips would include:

• Align yourself with a sponsor or advocate – someone you trust and respect and who will be there on the sidelines supporting you or being at the forefront of ensuring what do you do is seen
• Build a support network outside of work – surround yourself with people who uplift you outside of the workplace – you’ll need them!
• Advocate for yourself — Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for what you deserve
• Continuously learn and grow – seek opportunities for development and skill-building
• Support other women — through your work around fostering a culture of inclusivity and empowerment. Where you have the chance, actively mentor and sponsor the next generation of young women in your organisation.

Galleria, WA

How do you manage self-doubt?

Dealing with self-doubt over my career has been a journey of learning (again, sometimes the hard way) and figuring out the best way to bounce back.

Talking to mentors and peers has often helped me see things from a different angle and believe in myself more.

Overall, I’ve learned to see challenges as an opportunity to do better, even when things don’t go as planned. Taking care of myself and staying positive has been key in staying confident and focused. Self-doubt happens to everyone, I have learned to manage it, that doubt eventually passes and I’ve become a stronger individual and more empathetic leader as a result.

Your most memorable career moment?

Lots of career moments and memories, happy and hard times, but the funniest moment still remains earlier in my career. Myself and my CEO at the time (Hi Mark!), along with some of our P&OD team went out to a wellness solutions centre to inspect the latest health and wellbeing technologies we wanted to make available to employees. It included massage and oxygen chairs, Pilates room set ups as well as a vast array of other health equipment on display in a large showroom.

The wholesaler insisted we try the new infrared sauna – so there I was with the CEO, in the two-person sauna, sweating it out in our suits and jackets, just to try out the technology. There was no way I was going to let him defeat me in endurance and he wasn’t game to be the first to leave either, despite it being 65 degrees inside. I think it was even playing soothing music inside… I still laugh about it!

Proudest moment?

I can’t say there is one moment that outshines all the rest, but I always feel a great sense of pride when I see teams I am involved with working at their potential and creating value together.

For me, I spend a lot of time with my direct team focused on building their leadership capabilities so they can best lead their own teams, no matter the task or challenge. Rallying my team, with the help of my leaders, especially when times are tough, but being able to deliver results always fills me with a sense of accomplishment. Seeing all of this positively impact the company and our customers is incredibly gratifying as well.

What excites you about the future?

I am just over 12 months into my current role, so I remain absolutely focused on bringing my new team together, rallying around our purpose and strategy, and working together with my teams to identify and drive value through the opportunities ahead. There are lots of them – so that definitely excites me!

What do you want to achieve next?

There is still much to do in my current executive role, and I am really lucky to enjoy my work as well as working with my colleagues and the teams I am a part of. I certainly plan to continue spending time developing my own leadership skills and trying, testing and learning from my mistakes as I go.

Additionally, there is no doubt I will continue on with my mentoring work, helping out our next generation of leaders in their own leadership journeys. I value my own mentoring network incredibly deeply, and aim to show my gratitude to them by giving back in the same way.

Ultimately, I hope to make a lasting and positive impact on Vicinity Centres, our customers, our stakeholders and partners, and especially our employees.

This exclusive SCN feature is shared with the industry with thanks to Redpath Partners

Premium members can view the full feature in the latest edition of SCN magazine