WIP Around: HopgoodGanim Specialist Adviser Winnie Hadad

The Property Council sat down with HopgoodGanim specialist adviser Winnie Hadad to discuss her career highlights to date and upcoming challenges. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievements in life? (personally or professionally)

I have 5 children in a blended family with different cultural heritages.  I am happy to report that love and listening bind us all.  I have 4 degrees and 5 professional association qualifications.  I am a wife, a mum, a mentor, public speaker and currently working on a book.  Oh, and I have a day job as a lawyer.

What advice would you give to future leading women in property?

Read, watch and listen.

Read as much as one can about emerging industries and emerging trends.  Whether you are a developer or a builder, involved in commercial or retail buildings, a financier or a renter, we are affected by related industries.  Understand where we are in the value chain to help us to forecast and predict how we are impacted accordingly.  For example, every one begins to talk about agriculture, innovation and aged care sectors.  What does this mean for your area?  Start-ups and accelerator programs mean more collaborative work space.  Flexible work arrangement might mean “hot‑desking”.  For retail, there are more digital and online users – how would the retails outlets be designed and where should they be located?  In China O2O, Online to Offline strategies are prevalent.

Watch (not just where one resides, but broadly) – it allows you to see where we are positioning between West Coast and East Coast.  In a few years, will we experience what happens in the East Coast?  An example is the % split between people living in apartments and houses.

Listen to the experts and the various points of views but test your own theory.  Sometimes experts don’t get it right.  Know the underlying trends and take a position.  Also, watch the lead indicators and check whether your theories are right. 

Repeat all the steps of Read, Watch and Listen.

What are the greatest challenges you have had to overcome in your career to date?

I have been lucky with a supporting husband and family.  However, this is also by design.  I talk to my family about the hours I work and the reasons behind that.  Many people talk about a work / life balance.  I believe you should go hard for both for, when the economy is sluggish, there is plenty of time to relax.

What can/should the industry be doing to promote women in industry?

This is an example of promoting women in industry.  I think quoting articles and the iconic “Women from Asia” will work well.  There are many property developers, owners and CEOs in Asia who are women.  Contrary to general belief, there is not as much talk about diversity in China or Asia. Women are involved in properties in senior positions. Family companies and Asians not only understand property, but a great percentage of their wealth portfolio is direct ownership of land and property holdings and run by women. Showcasing certain women from say, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines or Singapore and forming a mentoring structure between Asia and Australia (especially Western Australia because of our location to Asia and our time zone) would be amazing.

Did you always want to work in property, if not what were your original plans?

I started as an accountant, then a mineral economist and now I am a lawyer.  Also, being Asian, property is in my blood.  My clientele would always have a property portfolio so working in property is part of my life.

What is the next goal or project you are working towards?

My immediate next goal is to complete my book and to continue to promote Australia as a destination, for direct capital investment, as a tourist destination and an education hub.  There are many agencies working towards that but I like to form a strong strategic link between investors (local or foreign) and project proponents.

How did you come to be the specialist adviser of HopgoodGanim?

Initially, I was a client and now I continue to refer clients to HopgoodGanim because of the efficiency and responsiveness of the Partners I work with.  Also having representations in both the East and the West Coasts of Australia is fantastic.  I have also become the go‑to person for China related issues.  As I speak Mandarin and Cantonese fluently and am an accredited interpreter, I am involved in commercial and contract negotiations.  I have a strong commercial background so I can understand and communicate negotiations, not only cross‑culturally but commercially.

Who have been your greatest influences, both personally and professionally?

Personally- definitely my parents.  They have guided and advised me through all the good things and also advised on what not to do!  They are great parents and the challenges they have encountered have become lessons that I have learnt without having to go through them personally.

Professionally- there are quite a few people.   A couple who come to my mind are Oprah Winfrey, “Coach Carter”, Chris Gardner from “Pursuit of Happiness- real life story”.  All these people have a heart.  In pursuing a profession, it is not any money that drives me.  It is being able to make a difference that keeps me going.

What do you think are the biggest issues affecting the property industry?

Generally, we do not work in sync with our environment.  There is so much to learn from travelling to China and European countries.  I am not saying other people do it better but you need to regularly (at least, annually) make a site visit to see an environmentally sustainable project – not just a single building but with the whole environment.  Every project proponent will have the necessary costings and financials.  I think there is a general belief that more environmental considerations affect a project’s economics.  Regulations in planning should also make sense and not be there just for the sake of regulating.

Why did you choose to be involved in the Property Council and what are your thoughts on our various diversity initiatives?

There is a huge dynamic of people and professionals involved in the Property Council.  There are policy makers, builders, architects, planners and transaction advisors and so on.  I believe the Property Council of Australia is becoming more relevant, unlike some who might think that the Council is only for the “big boys” in property.  Personally, I have seen a very good representation of women in the audience at functions I have attended.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

There is always a good deal to be done around the corner, but never feel you have missed out but instead get on with it.