“Convincing the conservative real estate world that sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) is an important topic is a big deal.”
Award-winning executive Natalie Voland left social work to helm her ailing father’s business with a novel vision of building a city she’d want her family to live in.
An environmental activist and GI Quo Vadis president, Voland encountered skeptics every step of the way while repurposing historical buildings into accessible, affordable spaces for small-scale entrepreneurs, artists, and non-profits.
“I felt like a unicorn,” recalls Voland, a leader of the B Corp movement, which aims to balance purpose and profit.
As head of the Quo Vadis real estate empire, Voland is also actively researching “the next generation city,” completing a PhD on the “barriers and opportunities for private developers to build climate-resilient buildings in communities.”
The Concordia connection
Voland and Rebecca Duclos — dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the time — joined forces to give students access to real data using a Quo Vadis project on Quebec’s Percent for Public Art program, which requires construction projects to allot part of their budget to public art. Then, Ursula Eicker, the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities, partnered with Voland to research energy-modelling in Quo Vadis’s portfolios.
Proudest professional moment
“Being invited to chair the Montreal Real Estate Forum (May 2021). I’m about sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) — that means the conference slant is real estate serving people. And they said, that’s exactly why we wanted you. Convincing the conservative real estate world that this is an important topic is a big deal.”
Pandemic fallout
“We lost about 30 per cent of our office-building tenants. My amazing team refilled our buildings so we’re actually buying more buildings to fill an overwhelming supply need for the type of office we provide. If anything, COVID proved that what we’re doing matters.”
Best career advice
“Surround yourself with people who don’t agree with you.”
Words of wisdom
“Never give up! Nelson Mandela, my idol, had a saying: it always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Causes
“On the board of directors of the Quartier de innovation, Greater Montreal Climate Fund, Montreal Climate Coalition, Women4Climate initiative, and consultant for non-profits.”