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Lucille, a graduate of the University of Pretoria, joined Atterbury in 2000 and is one of the longest-serving executives in the company. In 15 years she has gained experience in every part of the business, and has run the asset management division, with a portfolio currently worth R17 billion, for a decade.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up working for Atterbury.
I was born and raised in Pretoria. I’m one of three children and have an older sister and younger brother. Both of them have their own businesses; I’m the only one who works for someone else! I started with Atterbury “by accident”. It was 2000 and I’d just sold my share in a restaurant – so ironic that I did that long before I knew I would be running shopping centres! My friend was the receptionist in the building Atterbury was occupying, and heard that they were looking for someone to assist with the sales on vacant stands in the Woodlands Lifestyle Estate, Atterbury’s first residential development. I went for the interview and was offered the third job at the young company; the rest, as they say, is history.

Who is Lucille at home? We believe this year you’re having a milestone birthday – do you have any bucket-list plans for that?
I have two cats and two Yorkies, and my hobbies mostly entail anything outdoors, from walking trails and camping to kite surfing. My special present for my 40th was the birth of my baby boy on 18 November 2014: he keeps me very busy but very happy. I did find the time to have a great 40th birthday celebration! As for my bucket list, I’m fortunate that I’ve done a lot already and next up is a catamaran trip around the islands in Croatia, which we’re doing at the end of June! That’s to celebrate my friend (and colleague) Heloise van Niekerk’s 40th.  And watch this space for the next one to be ticked off, hopefully before year end…

You must travel extensively with all Atterbury’s expansion projects, what is your favourite destination? Is there a territory that you personally would love Atterbury to expand into to give you the opportunity to do business there?
The obvious favourite is Mauritius… although we never have enough time to enjoy and explore the island. With Atterbury’s rapidly expanding business we don’t have a lot of time to ponder where we’d really like to go ourselves, but there must be a reason – and it’s no accident – that we’ve decided Europe is next!

What are the benefits for a company such as Atterbury to offer not only development, but also management of property?
Firstly it puts us in the position where we not only develop the assets, but retain and continue to grow these as one only can if they’re owner-managed. Without being arrogant, one of our greatest strengths in asset management is that we can really sweat the asset to extract the maximum value without compromising it. This strength is being recognised in the industry and it results in not only new deals being introduced to us, but also, in cases where owners don’t necessarily want to exit the asset, Atterbury being invited to co-invest with them. This gives us the opportunity to own assets that we might not otherwise have had access to.

What do you think are the most important principles of managing assets – and do the same principles apply in SA as does in the rest of Africa, and Europe?
Most important is to consistently stick to the basics, not get distracted by other issues, and then to make a decision and follow it through. In reviewing Atterbury’s success it’s evident that the secret lies in the speed at which decisions are made and the follow-through. That doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes make the wrong decisions, but we’re also good at recognising and admitting mistakes, and then rectifying them. We use the same principle to continuously re-evaluate the operations – income and expenses – of an asset. It may sound simple, but it’s very challenging to maintain a fresh eye when looking at assets continuously, to be able to evaluate its operations; and sometimes recognise that a previous decision might not have been the best one. One of our strongest attributes, which has helped us to adapt in new territories, is that we thrive on challenges. Yes, our 15 years experience does help, but it really is the team’s tenacity that pulls us through every time.

What are the best lessons you’ve learnt about managing assets outside of SA?
That two is better than one. Our success outside of South Africa is directly linked to the partners we work with; it is a matter of association… And also it is to accept that things will happen that you have no control over. You must know this, plan for this and then handle it when it happens. And lastly, always remember that you’re outside of South Africa and you can’t try and do business the same way we do back home. You can rely on your experience and the principles that always work for you, but you must find the best way to do business in the country that you’re in.

How does one go about finding the right local partner in a foreign territory?
It is two-fold. Firstly, you have to go out there and find them. It’s hard work and doesn’t happen overnight. Atterbury explored Africa for five years before we found the right partners. Secondly, because we’ve been in business for so long, and we’ve built the reputation that we make good partners, sometimes business does find us. But this process never stops, even in South Africa, while we remain very loyal to our existing partners, service providers and tenants, we are continuously looking for new relationships. New partnerships, such as the one with Fatti, are what keeps us in the forefront of delivering the best service and product there is on the market.

In your experience, is it unavoidable to learn lessons the hard way, or are there sure-fire ways of getting the most out of a development? Can you share a story of a valuable lesson learnt only once you were operational in a different territory?
It is unavoidable, but the success lies in how you resolve the issue and learn from it going forward. One of the hardest and most expensive lessons we’ve learnt was the implementation of the sewer treatment plant at Mall of Mauritius. In South Africa we’re very fortunate to have a very good sewer system but outside of South Africa it is a different story. But the lessons learnt there has set us up for success in Africa!

Asset manager Catherine Bosman talks island life, urban landscapes, and travelling with a small baby.

How did you come to be part of the Atterbury family, and what is your role now?
My bloed is blou; I’m a born and bred Pretoria girl, who basically grew up on a construction site. Building is certainly in my blood thanks to my father and grandfather’s influences. During and after my studies at Tukkies to become a quantity surveyor I worked at GK Projects where Atterbury was a key client. I soon realised that this was a company to aspire to work for. I was fortunate to be employed as an asset manager in 2010. In 2014 I was given the opportunity to spend a year in Mauritius training asset managers and providing support to Enatt, our asset and property management company.

You travelled to Mauritius with a tiny baby. How did you juggle work and childcare in a foreign environment?
Looking back I don’t know what I was thinking travelling to a tropical island with a five-month old baby, but we managed! You learn to adapt, cope and you learn to be extremely organised, it’s also part of becoming a mom. Just after we arrived in Mauritius, she picked up hand, foot and mouth virus, which sounds worse than it was, but it immediately showed up the challenges I would face there in terms of childcare, medical care and general family support. I was lucky to be introduced to a wonderful nanny who immediately loved Lindsay as her own. She had the same core values when it came to discipline and manners and Pamela ended up reading more of the childcare books than I found time to read.
As a working mom, you need to find someone you trust to look after your child, so that when you are at work your mind is at ease and you can focus on your work. Even though your child is your first priority, the dedicated time to work needs to be planned, organised and productive so that you can then spend dedicated time with your child. It’s a fine balance, but certainly manageable.

If you could visit three landmarks/built structures anywhere in the world, what would they be?
My wish list includes the Great Wall of China as well as the pyramids in Egypt (as these were the foundation of construction as we know it). I would like return to Dubai to see the development since my trip in 2008 when Dubai was booming with construction of multi-story office blocks and apartments. I also enjoy engineering masterpieces, such as the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco..

Atterbury is building its tallest building yet, the 25-story PWC head office in Waterfall Estate. What is the tallest building you’ve ever been in?
In 2008 I was lucky enough to travel to Dubai as part of a contractors team. We visited buildings under construction and went as high as the 60th floor of the 63-story ‘The Address’ building which then towered over the now Burj Khalifa (as it was then to be called, Burj Dubai) which is 160 stories.

If you could populate your own personal best mall, what would be the three shops/design elements you’d make sure was in there?
I prefer natural elements like wood and stone but love mixing old with new, sort of like vintage with a modern mix. The Bagatelle – Mall of Mauritius brings together a modern retail mall with local Mauritian elements.
I can certainly see myself shopping at the Mall of Africa and am inspired by the architectural design using Africa’s geological and landscape features as the theme for each of the mall wings.

What is your favourite part about the new Atterbury head office in Bloukrans?
The people! I believe that if you can find a workspace that ignites passion (as our offices do) with passionate people you cannot but love the work you do.
I might add that I am very glad to be back for Mia’s yummy food and Lerato’s skinny cappuccinos!

If you could spend three months in any city anywhere, which would it be?
New York – for its urban landscapes. Where else in the world can you experience walking through the city, walking over bridges, through Central Park past museums of the calibre of the Guggenheim, and finally ending with retail therapy along 5th Avenue and Times Square?
For more about Catherine’s experience of working in Mauritius, see Working on a holiday island

Asset manager Catherine Bosman talks island life, urban landscapes, and travelling with a small baby

How did you come to be part of the Atterbury family, and what is your role now?
My bloed is blou; I’m a born and bred Pretoria girl, who basically grew up on a construction site. Building is certainly in my blood thanks to my father and grandfather’s influences. During and after my studies at Tukkies to become a quantity surveyor I worked at GK Projects where Atterbury was a key client. I soon realised that this was a company to aspire to work for. I was fortunate to be employed as an asset manager in 2010. In 2014 I was given the opportunity to spend a year in Mauritius training asset managers and providing support to Enatt, our asset and property management company.

You travelled to Mauritius with a tiny baby. How did you juggle work and childcare in a foreign environment?
Looking back I don’t know what I was thinking travelling to a tropical island with a five-month old baby, but we managed! You learn to adapt, cope and you learn to be extremely organised, it’s also part of becoming a mom. Just after we arrived in Mauritius, she picked up hand, foot and mouth virus, which sounds worse than it was, but it immediately showed up the challenges I would face there in terms of childcare, medical care and general family support. I was lucky to be introduced to a wonderful nanny who immediately loved Lindsay as her own. She had the same core values when it came to discipline and manners and Pamela ended up reading more of the childcare books than I found time to read.
As a working mom, you need to find someone you trust to look after your child, so that when you are at work your mind is at ease and you can focus on your work. Even though your child is your first priority, the dedicated time to work needs to be planned, organised and productive so that you can then spend dedicated time with your child. It’s a fine balance, but certainly manageable.

If you could visit three landmarks/built structures anywhere in the world, what would they be?
My wish list includes the Great Wall of China as well as the pyramids in Egypt (as these were the foundation of construction as we know it). I would like return to Dubai to see the development since my trip in 2008 when Dubai was booming with construction of multi-story office blocks and apartments. I also enjoy engineering masterpieces, such as the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco..

Atterbury is building its tallest building yet, the 25-story PWC head office in Waterfall Estate. What is the tallest building you’ve ever been in?
In 2008 I was lucky enough to travel to Dubai as part of a contractors team. We visited buildings under construction and went as high as the 60th floor of the 63-story ‘The Address’ building which then towered over the now Burj Khalifa (as it was then to be called, Burj Dubai) which is 160 stories.

If you could populate your own personal best mall, what would be the three shops/design elements you’d make sure was in there?
I prefer natural elements like wood and stone but love mixing old with new, sort of like vintage with a modern mix. The Bagatelle – Mall of Mauritius brings together a modern retail mall with local Mauritian elements.
I can certainly see myself shopping at the Mall of Africa and am inspired by the architectural design using Africa’s geological and landscape features as the theme for each of the mall wings.

What is your favourite part about the new Atterbury head office in Bloukrans?
The people! I believe that if you can find a workspace that ignites passion (as our offices do) with passionate people you cannot but love the work you do.
I might add that I am very glad to be back for Mia’s yummy food and Lerato’s skinny cappuccinos!

If you could spend three months in any city anywhere, which would it be?
New York – for its urban landscapes. Where else in the world can you experience walking through the city, walking over bridges, through Central Park past museums of the calibre of the Guggenheim, and finally ending with retail therapy along 5th Avenue and Times Square?
For more about Catherine’s experience of working in Mauritius, see Working on a holiday island