Kirsty Macdonald

The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio, US.

Goodyear Australia has a national property portfolio made up of350+ retail & fleet stores, warehouse & retread facilities, distribution centres and their Melbourne head office.

My role was to deliver executive strategic leadership and management of the company’s350+ property portfolio. Over time this role turned into delivering the closure and divestment of leased sites and negotiating surrenders, assignments, and subleases of our leased properties.

Achievements at Goodyear:

• Successfully developed a program of works to vacate out of our2000 sqm Collins St site and relocated into a new300 sqm office in Queen St
• Works included site acquisition, lease negotiation, project management of the move and coordination of the executive leadership team to deliver outcomes
• Successfully developed a program of works to make good and vacate of the30,000 sqm Truganina warehouse prior to lease expiration and below budget whilst the warehouse was still in operation, which required effective management of all stakeholders
• Successfully negotiated the make-good payment for the Qantas sublease on Collins St, delivering results under budget and time, vacating prior to Lease expiry satisfying all contractual arrangements
• Successfully completed the program of works for the closure, decommissioning, make good and vacate of the5000 sqm QLD Retread facility including sourcing quotes, project managing the contractors to ensure delivery and completion whilst remaining under budget
• Successfully completed the program of works for the sale of business, decommissioning and make good of the4000 sqm VIC Retread facility including sourcing quotes, project managing the contractors to ensure delivery and completion whilst remaining under budget and meeting contractual requirements
• Successfully delivered/oversaw the closure/assignment to franchisee of200+ retail stores to date, working with the Franchising Manger, Head of Beaurepaires, Goodyear Portfolio Manager and CBRE to deliver this.

Ongoing responsibilities as detailed below:

• Strategic advice and direction to management of the company’s national property portfolio; leased and freehold properties, retail sites (company owned and franchised), offices, warehouses, distribution centres and retread facilities
• Ensuring all our contractual arrangements and regulatory compliance are met whilst identifying the best outcomes/cost options
• Proactive management of vendors; particularly managing adherence to compliance of contracts and goods & service agreements
• Advice to inform of changes in legislation impacting on the company/owner and associated compliance requirements
• Provide leadership, workload management and mentoring to the Property Management and Facilities Management teams
• Collaboratively responsible for the exit strategy (sublease/assign/surrender) of warehouses nationwide ranging from3000 sqm –30,000 sqm and overseeing Colliers to ensure delivery and execution
• Managed the conversion, closure, assignment, and surrender of over the retail stores nationwide, overseeing the associated program of work to ensure that all relevant teams met closure deadlines and adhered to budget constraints
• Ensured compliance with the franchising code of conduct and local government regulations, while also handling ongoing lease management responsibilities
• Lead the Facilities team to ensure delivery of programmed repairs and maintenance, reactive maintenance, essential services and site repairs of the national portfolio, ensuring the Facilities Manager remains under budget, adheres to lease obligations, regulatory body requirements and site development
• Developed the Strategic Plan for all capital expenditure requirements in accordance with site divestment objectives
• Stakeholder management with key staff, including the Fleet Operations Manager, Franchise & Licencing Business Manager and Head of Beaurepaires in divestment of store sites based on agreed assessment criteria, performance benchmarks and lease expiry dates
• Drive and implement effect significant cash cost savings by working closely with the functional areas in developing procurement strategies and action plans together with the Head of Supply Chain
• Stakeholder management - including meeting key suppliers and attend supplier performance review meetings as ANZ GDT Sourcing representative
• Effectively manage the schedules of procurement, leasing, fleet, and facilities team members to deliver upon objectives

The Pellicano Group is one of Australia’s leading award-winning construction, property development, property management and funds management business.

My role was to provide advice to the owners and manage the group commercial portfolio of approximately370 Tenants and deliver on strategic outcomes with the support of my Asset Management team and the Facilities Management team.

Achievements at Pellicano:

• Strategic advice and direction to management of the company’s property portfolio resulting in ongoing tenant retention
• Reduced the arrears across the portfolio by60% in two years, resulting in the lowest arrears for the company in over5 years
• Implemented and streamlined improvement processes for incoming tenants, vacating tenants, handover from sales and leasing staff, a new arrears process including developed a new property management manual
• Implemented the completion of ingoing condition reports using the Inspection Manager App
• Developed and deployed streamlined processes to enable contractor invoice payment processes to achieve contractors being paid within30 days, down from60+ days.

Ongoing responsibilities as detailed below:

• Professionally manage a large and diverse portfolio of370 tenants across large format retail, shopping centre retail, industrial and office spaces
• Ongoing feedback and advice to owners to inform of changes in legislation, associated compliance requirements to ensure full compliance and any necessary risk mitigation strategies
• Ongoing stakeholder management including maintaining tenant relationships and tenant retention
• Lead the Asset Management team to deliver the strategic management of the group portfolio including providing leadership and mentoring to the team including performance reviews and workload management
• Lead the Facilities team with the support of the Senior Facilities Manager to ensure delivery of programmed repairs and maintenance, reactive maintenance and site repairs of the group portfolio including ESM
• Stakeholder management involving tenants in Liquidation, COVID rent relief and Lax Tax relief
• Facilitating improvements of internal processes and procedures and ensuring the other departments work collaboratively
• Developed new systems and procedures including checklists and processes for Assignment/Surrender/ Transfer of Leases
• Negotiate lease renewals, conduct market reviews and new tenant leasings
• Review of all CAPEX budgets with Investment Funds Manager
• Review legal/public liability complaints before handing to insurer, process any insurance claims
• Develop and oversee program of works to manage/approve tenant refurbishments/alterations/ make goods etc
• Prepare annual tenant budgets
• Financial review of annual contractor agreements to monitor contractor performance and expenditure against budget
• Create, refine and implement operational policies and procedures
• Preparation of ongoing/outgoing condition reports and property inspections
• Financial reporting on tenant arrears and property/facilities CAPEX/R&M accruals

Gorman Kelly are Melbourne commercial real estate specialists with $3.8 billion assets under management and pride themselves on their local knowledge and expertise.

My role was to manage a portfolio of approximately180 industrial/commercial/retail properties end to end to the highest possible standard. I was also the senior mentor to two Assistant Property Managers.

Achievements at Gorman Kelly:

• Secured 10 new Managements Agreements bringing in revenue of over $220,000 per annum to the company
• Automated the arrears process by utilising RP Office and its mail merge function

Achievements at Raine & Horne Commercial:

• Developed and maintained all procedures by improved filing systems by going paperless, i.e
• Scanning of Leasing documents, management authorities and email correspondence into Filesmart
• Successfully negotiated11 new Managements Agreements from new Landlords bringing in revenue of $280,000 per annum for the company
• Improved the arrears process by creating mail merge documents for rent and outgoings collection in Word through mail merging REST data
• Developed new systems including templates and checklists including welcome letters, vacate letters, option letters, rent review letters and general letters to landlords and tenants in Word mail merging REST data
• Created a spreadsheet in Excel to assist with preparing tenant final statement of adjustments when vacating.

Ongoing responsibilities as detailed below:

• Provide advice to management and practically apply compliance with Retail Leases Act and all regulatory requirements
• Establishing and maintaining positive, productive relationships with tenants and landlords
• Developing and mentoring of two Assistant Property Managers within my pod
• Program of Works and project management of tenant make good/fit out works
• Negotiation of Leases at expiry/option
• Process Assignment/Transfer of Leases
• Risk management of Essential Safety Measures
• Responding in a timely manner to high volume tenant and owner enquiries
• Conducting rent reviews and processing tenant options
• Maintaining accurate electronic correspondence, files and records
• Controlling and collecting monies, including rentals, outgoings and recoverable costs
• Preparing accurate monthly and annual financial reports and statements for Landlords
• Developing and managing annual budgets, including approving invoices for Accounts
• Responding to repairs and maintenance enquiries and coordinating contractors to attend to
• Conducting Ingoing, Outgoing and Routine property inspections
• Effective use of all software programs including RP Office, REST, File smart, Print Mail and Microsoft Office

Cameron is a market leading specialist agency that has built a comprehensive knowledge through commitment to the South East Industrial Commercial region for over40 years.

My role was to manage a portfolio of approximately270 commercial/industrial/retail properties in the Eastern corridor of Melbourne. I also mentored an Assistant Property Manager within my pod

Achievements at Cameron:

• Successfully negotiated 10 new Management Agreements from new and existing Landlords bringing in revenue of $261,000 per annum
• Implemented improvements and new systems including Implementing a new fortnightly meeting process between the Property Managers and the Sales Agents at the Eastern office to improve communication between departments
• System improvement including data clean-up of in-house database across the portfolio
• Recovered $45,000 in outstanding rent for one Landlord and significantly reduced the arrears across the whole portfolio
• Implemented new service agreements for tenants to ensure their roller doors and air con were being serviced and their gutters cleaned out to protect the Landlords asset.

Ongoing responsibilities as detailed below:

• Respond to high volume of tenant and landlord email and phone enquires in a timely manner
• Maintaining positive, productive relationships with tenants and landlords and external stakeholders
• Workload management and mentoring of an Assistant Property Managers within my pod
• Project management of tenant make good/fit out works
• Conducting rent reviews and processing Tenant Options
• Negotiate Lease renewals/Surrender or Transfer of Leases
• Process Assignment/Transfer/Surrender of Lease by liaising with tenants, landlords and solicitors
• Sourcing and building relationships with prospective clients to expand business opportunities
• Maintaining accurate electronic correspondence, files and records
• Controlling and collecting monies, including rentals, outgoings and recoverable costs
• Responding to repairs and maintenance enquiries and coordinating contractors
• Conducting Ingoing, Outgoing and Routine property inspections
• Proficiently using software programs including REST, File smart, Print Mail and Microsoft Office
• Developing and managing annual budgets by forecasting and analysing variances, data and trends
• Preparing financial statements and budgeted outgoings