RFP Magazine

Jones Lang LaSalle has appointed Susan Lim as the new Head of Strategic Workplace Services for its Corporate Solutions business in Asia Pacific.

Susan is widely recognized as the leading workplace expert in Asia Pacific and joins the Firm from DEGW where she was formerly the Asia Pacific Regional Managing Director.

She has over 18 years' experience in workplace briefing, strategy, space planning, design and change management, working with a diverse range of corporate, government, healthcare and learning environment clients throughout Australia and Asia.

John Forres, CEO of Corporate Solutions for Jones Lang LaSalle in Asia Pacific, said that "This appointment is in response to the rising demand for workplace strategies as ongoing economic uncertainty intensifies the focus on cost control and business performance. Companies worldwide are focused on increasing competitive advantage and growing their revenue in Asia and are looking to their workplaces to help them drive greater business productivity."

"Many of our clients are asking us to help them not only design but also implement workplace change as they recognize that change management is critical to delivering successful workplace programs; something that wasn't part of the corporate real estate discussion five years ago. Susan's expertise and experience in workplace strategies will complement our existing workplace capabilities to deliver tailored solutions to our clients in the region," said Mr Forrest.

Susan Lim said, "Jones Lang LaSalle is a pioneer in Asia Pacific with deep experience in how people, process and place can drive business productivity. Bringing my experience to an organization that has such an extensive regional platform makes this a very exciting opportunity for me and enables me to think about the workplace proposition from the ground up."

"I am also excited by the opportunity to provide the first truly end-to-end workplace solution in Asia and to help companies to implement workplace strategies successfully across multiple locations worldwide," said Ms Lim.

"Successful implementation of workplace change is not just about space; it is necessary to align all the components that touch employees when they work. This means coordinating across the environment, processes, technology, behavior and protocols and developing leadership and training that will help people learn how to work more effectively," she said.

Jones Lang LaSalle's Global Corporate Real Estate (CRE) Survey 2011 revealed that 66 percent of respondent companies had workplace mobility programs implemented or underway. A further 20 percent are planning or have proposed to introduce workplace mobility programs. Respondents cited management and/or employee engagement and resistance/fear of change as the two greatest constraints to adoption.