Women in Real Estate Spotlight: Katrina Mackay

Katrina has risen from a graduate to a member of Savills UK board over her 15-year career with the firm.

Katrina graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with an honours degree in Real Estate Management. Whilst studying, her interest and passion for the real estate sector only grew and gave her the determination and ambition to start her career with a leading organisation in the sector, Savills.

Katrina launched her career shortly after graduating, the business was a perfect match for her desire to grow and develop her skill-set and have a successful career. The business has recently been awarded The Times top graduate employer for the 11^th consecutive year – proving the truth behind the business’ ethos: ‘we know that if you provide the right environment then people are much more likely to reach their potential.’ Katrina is a clear example of this.

Having held several senior leadership positions throughout her career, Katrina then progressed to Head of Leisure Property Management. Developing a specialist sub-sector more than 10 years ago, Katrina was widely known as the Director of the only dedicated leisure management team in the UK. This is an outstanding achievement and a fantastic example of a successful, thought-leading professional. Having recently handed this role on, she is now UK Board Director and heads up Commercial Property Management taking full responsibility for designing strategy and coordinating our business operations to deliver services to her clients.

As the lead for strategy and business management for the division, Katrina has been most recently working on the integration of new company acquisitions.  Her expertise also covers customer relationship management and people development, marketing, and research services related to property management.

Katrina and her team are proudly targeting the recruitment of 100 apprentices alongside their popular graduate programme and ran their first apprentice insight course recently. They also have a dedicated programme of activity with schools to try and promote property as a career to a broader audience.

The success and rapid progression Katrina has experienced is genuinely impressive and makes for a fantastic role-model for graduates, aspiring professionals in the real estate sector as well as females in any male-dominated industry. Savills is an example of an organisation with a leadership program that will support the future diversity of the workforce. Having recruited a number of individuals who work directly with Katrina at Savills, she has been referred to as a true inspiration and leader within the business and the sector.

 Join our High Achievers – Women in Real Estate group to help us continue to champion diversity and support females progress and develop within the industry!