Nicki Hay, CO-CEO – Core Projects
For this instalment of our Humans of Property series we took the opportunity to profile Nicki Hay, Co-CEO and a founder of Core Projects, to delve into her ethos and passion for our industry.
A little about Nicki
I’m passionate about people and what makes them tick. How we create communities that feel like they were designed by the people that will live in them. Workplaces that feel like they are created by team members that contribute to them. Families that learn from the young and old that are within them. Friendship groups that evolve to celebrate and include different views on the world and life. And for my 2 daughters, I try to lead by example and show that being uniquely you and working hard can lead to anything you want it too.
How long have you been in your current position?
I’m proud to say that I am a founder of CORE, so since day dot- almost 10 years now.
Her greatest career achievements to date have been?
Oh tough question! But definitely being one of the first 100 B-Corps in Australia is up there! We became a B-Corp in the very very early days when we really didn’t have the resources to become one. The certification is quite an intense process (as it should be), but it was important for us from day 1, to show that we are a business that cares about much more than profits.
We truly want to use our business as a force for good and have always measured our triple bottom line- social, environmental and financial impacts, because we genuinely care about the impact, not because we care about what shareholders will think. Beyond that, I think having a truly organically diverse and empowered team is one of my proudest achievements. We have a leadership team that is gender diverse, not because of quotas but because people know if they come into the Core team they will be judged on the value they bring not the demographic advantages they hold.
This has created a company culture that is incredibly fun to be a part of, but that also breaks the mould for our industry.
What motivates her
Purpose, people and property.
A tip she would give her younger self
Well, there are probably two. Stay curious and play the long game. By staying curious you feel like you have never reached the best result and continue to evolve, research and observe how to do things better. Most importantly, you ask questions, from all sorts of people, all the time. By playing the long game, you don’t make poor short-term decisions that will ultimately compromise the long-term outcome. We work on a lot of large scale and long-term masterplan communities and with many long-term clients-this mindset and advice is incredibly relevant.
Oh there might be a sneaky third too… be yourself. If you can’t speed date/network a room but can make a few genuine connections in a night, go with that. If you want to create change by empowering others, not shouting from a soap box, go with that. Put expectations and ego aside, and see what arises from that.
When she thinks about the future of the industry, what is she excited by?
Innovation! I absolutely know that’s a buzz word, but after being on an international study tour to research best masterplan and built form outcomes, I’m ambitious about what can happen next. With density requirements increasing and affordability being an ongoing challenge, I think there are many innovative and new solutions we can be looking to bring into the development landscape.
She has seen the UDIA advance the industry in the following ways
I think when I entered the industry 20 odd years ago, it was quite homogenised. That’s not casting any judgement, that’s just what it was. Over the years I have seen the UDIA expand their vision, support, events and advocacy to show stakeholders that we are an evolving and adaptive industry that is very capable of change. Always willing to collaborate the UDIA has proven itself to be a valued voice in many conversations.
