A career in the property industry wasn’t always on the cards for the inaugural recipient of the Property Council’s Past Presidents’ Scholarship. Find out why Anna Lambert took a leap of faith.
With a head for numbers, Brisbane-born Lambert chose a commerce degree that made sense on paper, but never felt right.
“I finished my second year at the University of Queensland and realised that pursuing a career path in a field with little human interaction was the wrong choice for me,” Lambert says.
Switching courses so late in her degree took some courage. “I lost a lot of credit points and my family thought I was crazy. But property has always been an interest of mine and the influential people in my life, especially my mother, always stressed the importance of property ownership.”
It was partly that bold, brave commitment to pursue a career in property that landed Lambert the Property Council’s inaugural Past Presidents’ Scholarship in 2021.
The annual award is presented to a promising final-year QUT Bachelor of Property Economics student. The $10,000 scholarship includes a cash prize of $5,000, as well as access to mentoring, online learning and events, and participation in the Property Council’s Future Directions committee as an observer.
Raynuha Sinnathamby, managing director of Springfield City Group, is one of the past presidents who reviewed Lambert’s application and, once she was successful, mentored Lambert.
Sinnathamby says the scholarship committee was impressed with Lambert’s articulacy and interest in property. “Anna was a worthy winner who really took advantage of the scholarship to fully engage with Property Council committees, members and at events to build her own knowledge of the industry.”
Lambert speaks highly of the scholarship’s mentoring opportunities. “Having one-on-one access to established leaders like Raynuha, Bruce Harper and Angus Harvey-Ross was amazing.” In just 12 months she gained insider knowledge that would otherwise take years to accumulate, she says.
Lambert is only a few units away from completing her double degree in property economics and business, and, after narrowing down her interests to investment, leasing and sales, recently secured a job with JLL as an office leasing agent. She’s now learning the ropes from other respected leaders, notably another Property Council past president, JLL’s Stephen Conry, who only recently announced his retirement after 40 years with the agency and 13 years as chief executive officer.
“Learning from so many leaders has shown me that a career in property is limitless. There are so many opportunities ahead.”
Lambert hopes, ultimately, that her example will inspire other young women to pursue careers in property. “JLL has hired several talented women in the six months since I’ve joined. As an industry we still have some way to go, but it feels like diversity and inclusion are priorities.”
Sinnathamby is optimistic that the scholarship will provide another avenue for rising stars to “connect into the industry in a meaningful way”. The scholarship “provides a safe space for young talent to ask questions and gain insights into possible careers”.
The scholarship is not all one way, Sinnathamby notes. “As past presidents, we value the chance to engage with the next cohort of property professionals and, importantly, the university that is continuing to deliver these graduates.”
Who will be handed the 2022 Past Presidents’ Scholarship? Watch this space.
Anna Lambert, left, with Future Directions members