Meet the Team: Caspar Courage
Caspar is an Associate at SAY and joined the team in 2016. Caspar works across several sectors, but has a particular interest in housing with care. Here we find out more about Caspar’s career, his dream mentor and his view on the biggest housing challenge today.
Why did you choose to work at SAY?
There were a lot of reasons to join SAY! I was looking for a new challenge at the time, and wanted to move away from reactive property management. I was interested in providing a more proactive role, thinking about the whole life cycle of buildings and how to help developers create places that will stand the test of time.
The culture at SAY was very clear as soon as I visited for an interview and I was really keen to join the SAY family. Whilst we have continually grown since I joined, the culture has remained the same and it’s one of the best things about working for SAY. The size of the team also means that we get to work on a lot of really exciting projects and grow relationships with amazing clients, working across most sectors within the industry. I think this is a fairly unique experience which it would be difficult to emulate at a larger firm.
What did you do before SAY?
I had been working as a property manager for a large lettings agency. Having decided to take some time off to think about what I would like to do next, I was offered an interview with SAY in the final weeks of a three month trip around India. I felt slightly shell shocked wearing a suit and being interviewed just a couple of days after I got back – but immediately knew that SAY was the place I wanted to be next.
Tell us something your colleagues might not know about you?
I think after five years there is very little my colleagues don’t know about me… Some may know that I have a large scar on my knee from ‘motorcycle accident’. The truth is I was blown off my moped by the wind… but that doesn’t make such a good story.
If you could choose anyone to be your mentor, who would it be?
I think I would choose Bill and Melinda Gates. Aside from the obvious business successes, the scale of the issues that their foundation works to resolve are remarkable, and the reasoning behind the causes that they support honourable.
What is the biggest housing challenge today?
I think there are a lot of challenges at the moment, particularly over the coming years as the effects of Covid on the economy and the spending power of younger people become clearer.
The challenge which I am currently spending the most time thinking about though, is the provision of good quality retirement housing. The positive impacts of well managed housing with care are well reported (astronomical savings for the NHS, more housing available for young families, increased wellbeing… the list goes on…) yet currently just 0.6% of the eligible population live in such communities.
It is great to see this challenge being tackled as increasing amounts of investment are made in the sector. I look forward to continuing to help our later living clients create communities that allow older people to thrive, and free up much needed housing for younger generations.
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