Meet the Team: Richard Lewis
We’re delighted to introduce our newest team member, Richard Lewis who joins the growing SAY team as a consultant. We sat down with Richard to find out more about him, his career so far and who his dream mentor would be.
Why did you choose to work at SAY?
I chose to work with SAY because of their reputation within the sector for being experts in their field. SAY are renowned for providing excellent advice and service to their clients. I have known SAY for a while through my work within the industry and have been aware of the services SAY provide because of positive experiences and feedback from colleagues and clients.
I was fortunate enough to meet with Charles and Debra and was enthused by their professionalism and knowledge. I really felt that working for SAY would be an excellent opportunity to further my career and gives me the opportunity to help developers, leaseholders and investors run their buildings and developments as efficiently and as safely as possible.
What did you do before SAY?
I have spent my entire career working in property management. I have manged retail tenants, multi-site leasehold portfolios and large mixed-use developments. Most recently I have been working for Managing Agents to assist clients with the day-to-day management of their mixed-use schemes. My previous roles have included the planning and delivery of mobilisation projects, estate management strategies, service charge management and accounts, leaseholder liaison and problem solving.
Tell us something your colleagues might not know about you?
My hobby is creative writing, and my dream is to one day have a novel published.
I have always loved to read (fiction) and as I get older, I find that immersing myself in a good book is the best way to relax and unwind. I like the freedom that writing gives you to create people, places and things in a world that does not exist. Whilst I would not describe myself as a creative, I do think that the ability to tell a story and paint a truly unique picture that the reader sees is a wonderful concept. Hopefully, one day, I will find that ability so I can finally let someone else read something I have written!
If you could choose anyone to be your mentor, who would it be?
I would choose the Obama’s. I think they represent intelligence, integrity, and an industriousness to achieving your hopes and dreams without losing your values. I have always found their approachable public personas to be warm and inclusive and would love to understand how their desire to be uncompromising in their beliefs and direction drives them. I have also always had the perception that they support each other and find true joy in the success of each other and others which I think is a quality we should all have.
What is the biggest housing challenge today?
I believe that the biggest challenge in the sector today is the cladding crisis. As an industry, safety is our collective, paramount concern and we need to ensure that everyone is protected when they are living in their homes. It is imperative that developers, leaseholders, and the government understand their rights and responsibilities regarding building safety. People being safe in their homes should not be something that anyone should have to worry about.
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