Kaimahi Kōrero: Stephen Loizou
Over the past couple of years, Whai Rawa has grown its internal capacity to manage both Te Tōangaroa, our single largest commercial asset and the first tangata whenua urban precinct, including our flagship set, AECOM house, where Whai Rawa and the Trust recently moved to. Asset Manager Stephen Loizou is a key part of the team.
Stephen moved to Tāmaki Makaurau to study a Bachelor of Property from Pōneke/Te Whanganui a Tara. He worked at CRBE as a research assistant while at university, where he realised he had the urge to move into the property management space to help facilitate tangible change within precincts.
He began by working at Auckland Airport for four years, which was a great place to cut his teeth on as it has a significant landholding, greater than the entire CBD. The airport is a key component of the Tāmaki Makaurau landscape, connecting it to the rest of the world and Stephen had a good amount of work to deal with.
Stephen’s next role was to manage the retail portfolio for the country's biggest dairy production company, and one of the largest in the world, Fonterra.
After this mammoth task, he took a break to explore Aotearoa, and indulge in his love of surfing. And when he returned to the workforce, he was seeking mahi where he could make important changes. He saw Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa was hiring and was impressed by the potential of its land assets and of course, the purpose of the organisation to deliver for whānau “a solid 20 hectares of land in Auckland City Centre is exciting and a great investment for the iwi!”
Stephen’s an early starter, typically at work by 7.30am. He spends most of his day out and about in meetings with contractors, tenants, lawyers, Auckland Council and other stakeholders.
It's now been two years in the role, and so we asked, what has he learned so far?
“Where to start! The importance of relationship building and maintaining them! Working together to create some great momentum and outcomes.”
He started off wanting to make an impact and feels like he's achieved it in this role. "We've managed to retain and sign up some great tenants which will have positive spill on effects on the precinct," he says. "That is, more business for retailers, contributions to the vibe of the precinct and fostering a community. Also, we've completed lobby refresh of AECOM house and are continuously looking at how we can make improvements in the area through the physical environments and activations."
“My days are super varied, which I like,” he says. “The highlight of my job is the people I get to work with, internally and externally. Also, getting the opportunity to make this precinct a better area to work, live and play.”
"Looking ahead, I'm excited to see the continuous improvement of Te Tōangaroa."
Outside of work, Stephen is a big fan of surfing. He's travelled across the motu and says while there are too many great surf spots to name, Daniels Reef on the East Coast, and Raglan in the right conditions take the top spots.
