Question 1: Hi Louise, thank you for taking the time today to answer some questions about yourself. Firstly, would you like to give a brief introduction to yourself? 

Sure! On a personal level, I am married to Paul and our spare time is generally taken up by our two young sons Charlie and Georgie who are both football mad and play for two football teams each, which Paul also helps coach. However, I love being active, walking, cycling, going the gym, and spinning is my favourite exercise class so I try to fit as many activities as I can around the boys’ busy schedules. 

I joined Pillar-X as an Executive Assistant back in February this year and I have to say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I didn’t come from a real estate background and prior to joining Pillar-X I spent 19 years as HR Professional within Professional Services predominantly as a Human Resource Advisor. However due to technology dramatically changing over the years, this then took me into my last role, as a People and Development Analyst, whereby I was responsible for the management of all People Systems, aggregating and reporting people data for analysis.  

Question 2: Wow, your life sounds pretty full on!! So, how did you come to work at Pillar-X, given such a lengthy career as a HR professional and why the switch to real estate? 

Yes, it can be quite hectic at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!  

During 2021, I came to a stage in my life were I wanted change, I wanted a new challenge. I had been working for the same company for over 19 years, which was a great company to work for, one of the best but it wasn’t about the company, it was about me. So, I decided I needed to make some changes and look for another job but back then I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to, whether I wanted to continue with HR or try something different.  

I have always had a personal interest in real estate as I am a residential landlord myself so when I came across the job for Pillar-X I knew straight away I WANTED that job. 

So, I was over the moon when I was successful. Of course, this was a big risk to jump ships with such a long-standing career with a well-established company to join a company that was in its infancy. But I had a good feeling, and I was super excited to be a part of the Pillar-X journey from the start. As the saying goes….  

“If you are not happy with something then change it, otherwise you will always get the same outcome.”  

And I am not alone here, this period is known as ‘the Great Resignation’ which is actually an economical trend and was predicted following COVID-19 pandemic were high rates of people quit their jobs and rethink their career for lots of different reasons.  

Question 3: That was a very brave decision you made but sounds like the right decision for you and for Pillar-X. So, what is your role in the company? 

Absolutely and working for Daniel and Thomas is an absolute honour, they are simply great and so knowledgeable about property investment. I have learnt so much from them already.  

As Executive Assistant at Pillar-X it is my role to be on the front line, communicating and building relationships with our internal and external clients/suppliers as well as managing all administrative responsibilities to ensure the business runs smoothly and effectively.  

I did think at first, how it is this going to work? Me being here in the UK, where Pillar-X is based and Daniel and Thomas being in Switzerland, but we’ve not come across any challenges at all. If anything it is working better for Pillar-X as I am here on the ground and able to push projects along. I’m also used to working from home as I worked remotely even prior to lockdowns. 

Question 4: This sounds like a WIN WIN WIN for everyone. What does a typical day at work look like for you? 

It certainly is! There is no ‘typical’ day for me here at Pillar-X and this is why I love my job. A day for me could include anything from preparing investor packs, researching areas, communicating with our power teams including letting agents who are managing our properties, communicating with our legal team, attending site to any of our refurb projects as well as preparing content ideas for our Socials Media Channels alongside our Social Media Manager. So, as you can see, it is quite varied, and no two days are ever the same.  

Question 5: How did your previous experience prepare you for your work at Pillar-X? 

Throughout my career in the corporate legal world, I was accustomed to working in a challenging and fast paced environment particularly when dealing with multiple projects at a time, which has given me the foundations to manage my varied tasks here at Pillar-X. I am a very methodical person and love organising so managing a project or task from start to finish is just so gratifying for me.  

Much of my career has been client facing roles, whether that be internally with employees, externally or with the company stakeholders so having good interpersonal and communicating skills has certainly benefited me working here at Pillar-X as I am communicating with our power teams daily to ensure work progresses, whatever that might be. 

Question 6: What excites you the most about real estate?   

Who doesn’t love real estate. If you’ve ever purchased a property yourself then you will know how rewarding that can feel. Being part of a team that does this regularly and being part of that process from start to finish is just so satisfying. Obviously once we purchase a property, the work doesn’t stop there, in fact, it’s the complete opposite for me as it only just begins. 

Question 7: Are there any new projects you are most looking forward to? 

I am really excited to see the end result for our Wallasey project, which is well underway. This project comprises of X 3 mixed use properties and is currently going through a complete rip out and is being converted to X 9 one and two-bedroom apartments. It has been challenging at times to get our proposed plans through planning permission but that’s all part of the process. This project is also local to me as I live on the Wirral, so I often pop down to see its progress and it’s really starting to take shape. We have some reels of this project on Instagram if you would like to see the progress yourself?