Raynuha Sinnathamby on bold leadership and burning ambitions
With an ambitious goal to create ,000 jobs in Greater Springfield, Raynuha Sinnathamby says workplace trends “keep her up at night”. How will the evolution of the office influence one of our fastest growing cities?
Managing director of Springfield City Group since 2013, Sinnathamby is driving a visionary project that is carving out a second CBD for Brisbane.
Over the last 26 years, more than $15 billion has been invested in Greater Springfield. Around 40,000 people live in one of its six suburbs, but by 2030, more than 138,000 residents will call Greater Springfield home.
At the development’s heart lies Springfield Central, occupying some 390 hectares. This will eventually provide an employment base for ,000-plus workers within 2.6 million sqm of office, retail, educational, health and technology facilities.
A goal to create ,000 jobs comes with a huge responsibility, Sinnathamby says, and keeping pace with rapidly shifting workplace trends is a challenge.
“Let’s face it – every major tenant is looking to downsize and provide more flexibility for their people. We need to be looking at different working environments – flexible workspaces and smaller office environments for example, as well as supporting more people to work from home.
“We’re constantly looking for the answer – but I don’t think anyone’s found them yet. We all need to be flexible and nimble.”
Sinnathamby says many other issues have her burning the midnight oil, from immigration to the banking royal commission. But Sinnathamby, optimistic and upbeat, dismisses the suggestion that property is slow to react to change or innovate.
“Innovation has always occurred in our industry – whether that’s in retail or education, health or infrastructure. It’s such a diverse industry – and it’s an incredibly rewarding job, because every day I can look out the window and see the fruits of our labour.”
She points to daring investment decisions at the earliest stages of Springfield, which stimulated jobs growth and built momentum.
“When Springfield was first established, no one had the internet at home. We ended up building our own dark fibre network from Brisbane to Springfield so we could support businesses without being reliant on telecommunications providers. This allowed us to control our own destiny.”
Sinnathamby has previously served as president of the Property Council in Queensland and sat on the national board, and was recently acknowledged in the University of Queensland’s 2018 Alumni Awards for her work as an agent of change. She says she is often stopped on the streets by Springfield residents who ask: “what’s next?”
“After 25 years, we’ve ticked a lot of things off our list, but residents are demanding more from us. Continuing to deliver is our burning ambition.”
She says the residential component of Springfield will continue “without us having to worry too much”.
“But delivering jobs is what keeps us up at night. We want to be true to our goal.”
Sinnathamby’s advice to other aspiring leaders is simple.
“Nurture your relationships. You never know how the next person you meet may help you down the track. That’s been a big story of Springfield. The person you meet today could help you make the biggest deal of your career in 10 years’ time.”