Q&A with Stephanie Petrevski, this year's PCA Future Leader of the Year

Stephanie Petrevski, National Manager Asset Services/Asset Manager – Industrial & Logistics, won Future Leader of the Year at the Property Council of Australia Awards last month. The award recognised the exceptional leadership and innovation she has demonstrated in her role working across 345 assets, driving significant business improvements and championing team engagement and achievements. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Stephanie supported the group graduate program mentoring students and organising programs for annual rotations and is working to position it as a sector of choice for females via her work with Women in Industrial.

We sat down with Stephanie to learn more about what drives her and what she’s looking forward to.

Congratulations on winning the PCA’s Future Leader of the Year award! What does this award mean to you?

This award really emphasises for me how fortunate I am to be part of such a strong and supportive team, I'm definitely proud and grateful for the acknowledgement. It feels great to have my hard work and persistence recognised but all the finalists were deserving so it’s also been very unexpected.

How did you get into the property sector? Was it always an industry you wanted to work in?

I didn’t have much of an idea of what I wanted to do when I was at school. But Dad was in building – office and residential – so I did have that exposure to the industry. I chose the business and commerce degree at University of Western Sydney in part because it covered property as a key program and I was interested to see what it would be like.

You’ve held multiple roles at Charter Hall. Can you talk us through them and how you’ve got to the role you’re in today?

I joined Charter Hall in 2016, just after I&L became its own sector within Charter Hall. I started as an Assistant Property Manager and was responsible for assisting the national property management team, which then included pubs and Bunnings. After about six months I was promoted to Property Manager for sites across NSW which involved the management of national tenant customers, then I moved into a Senior Property Manager role for a NSW portfolio. I also had a six-month stint with operations covering the facilities management function, processes and procedures and some ESG.

In 2020 I was promoted to Asset Manager and now work as National Manager Asset Services where I’m responsible for the national operations and property management of the $25.1 billion I&L portfolio which covers 345 assets, along with our external facilities function which currently sits with CBRE. It’s important for me to keep my feet on the ground on site and to see what the team is dealing with daily, so I’ve continued asset management for a smaller portfolio.

What are the aspects of your current role that you enjoy most?

I’ve been fortunate to grow with the I&L sector over the years and love the exposure this role gives me to our broader national team. Now is a good time to reflect on where we’ve come from and look forward to our next stage of growth as we look to improve efficiencies for our team, especially through leveraging automation  of the more mundane tasks, so the team can work on higher value jobs or take up opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills across the business.

What inspires or motivates you?

It’s very motivating to see the Operations, Property and Facilities Managers doing well and achieving targets. The genuine excitement of the team is fantastic and it’s wonderful to work together on projects. It motivates me to want to keep driving positive change and help ensure everyone is empowered to do their jobs well and enjoy every day.

The award also recognises your involvement in community engagement and social enterprise initiatives – can you tell us about some of the projects you’ve worked on at Charter Hall?

I was involved in the roll out of the Charter Hall Kick Start Café which helped disadvantaged young people get hospitality certifications and training so they could go on to find full-time employment opportunities. Operated by the PAYCE Foundation, it was a very rewarding project to be part of. I’ve also been a mentor for the Property Council of Australia (PCA) Girls in Property program and was pleased to work with the PCA through Women in Industrial (WIN) to expand the program to include an industrial project for the students to work on. It’s a fantastic way to give students exposure to the sector and show what’s possible for women in our industry. I also sit on the Industrial & Logistics National Roundtable representing Charter Hall which has been a great experience.

Internally, I’ve been part of the graduate program including mentoring students for over 12 months as they rotate through different parts of the business, then supporting them to secure a full-time role

What have been the highlights of your time at Charter Hall so far?

I’ve spent the last few years developing the strategy for an asset we acquired in 2018. Recently everything has finally fallen into place, with a pre-lease and buy in from all stakeholders. It’s a great result from both a portfolio perspective and personally. In terms of my overall career, a highlight has been the ongoing support and exposure to different areas of the business I've received, allowing me to grow and learn. Any time there’s been something out of the box I’ve been interested in, Charter Hall has supported my exposure to it and allowed for my personal development.

The industrial & logistics sector is a male dominated industry, what are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome as a female working in this sector?

I was fortunate to join the sector at a time that many strong and determined women had already helped forge the way for the next generation and have had both strong male and female mentors at Charter Hall who’ve wanted me to succeed in the sector.

One of the best pieces of advice I got early on from one of my male mentors was to connect with external stakeholders like agents or customers on things I was genuinely interested in, not to pretend to be interested in golf and football which at the time tended to dominate discussion and could make you feel quite excluded. It was just a matter of opening conversations and finding common ground. People respond to that authenticity, and I’ve built strong relationships because of it.

Can you talk to us about your involvement with Women in Industrial (WIN)?

I joined the WIN committee about six years ago and have been on the board for just over two years. My role in recent years has been focused on driving engagement with university students and exposing them to the industrial & logistics sector. When I was at uni, I didn’t even know it was a sector, let alone a career opportunity! We’re currently supporting universities to include industrial & logistics on the curriculum, alongside office and retail, and WIN also offers a full scholarship to a female student from a disadvantaged background.

We hold annual student events wtih Western Syndey University, and have in more recent years commenced with UTS, RMIT and Bond University to help promote the various career opportunities within the sector, demonstrate not all pathways are a direct one, and provide career advice for students not knowing how to enter into the workforce. This has allowed me to meet many motivated students and help mentor them in the early stages of their careers.

What has been the highlight of working with WIN?

Staying in contact with some of the students I’ve met and watching their careers flourish has been fantastic. It’s very rewarding to be an informal mentor and help with career advice and facilitate networking opportunities. Personally, it has also been the connections I have made, and the genuine support network I have been able to build working alongside likeminded and brilliant women in the industry.

What advice would you like to share with young women wanting a career in the industrial sector?

Really go for it! It’s not always necessary to have a clear pathway or a five-year plan. Your career path might change as you go and that’s totally fine. Also, no one expects you to know everything when you start, and no one wants to see you fail – people will help and guide you. You just have to dive in and be motivated.