Background
Janus Henderson, then Henderson Global Investors, is recognised as one of the world's leading asset management organisations and has a long-established reputation for investment expertise across a diverse range of asset classes. Headquartered in London and operating internationally across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, the business needed a senior corporate real estate professional to support its continued growth and global workplace strategy.
As the organisation expanded its international footprint, Janus Henderson engaged Maxwell Stephens to strengthen its Corporate Real Estate (CRE) function by appointing a Corporate Real Estate and Workspace Manager capable of driving portfolio optimisation, workplace consistency and operational efficiency across its global estate.
The Challenge
This was a strategically important appointment. It required an experienced real estate and workplace professional able to manage a complex international office portfolio while aligning property decisions with wider business objectives. The successful candidate needed to combine strong commercial property expertise with facilities management knowledge, stakeholder management capability and a deep understanding of corporate workplace strategy. Key responsibilities included:
- Managing Janus Henderson's global leased office portfolio
- Overseeing lease events, acquisitions, renewals, disposals and negotiations
- Maintaining and optimising corporate real estate data and portfolio performance
- Managing relationships with landlords, sub-tenants and external advisors
- Supporting global workplace and occupancy strategies
- Overseeing office fit-outs, refurbishments and infrastructure projects
- Managing operational and capital expenditure budgets
- Driving consistency across workplace environments globally
- Supporting business continuity and workplace resilience planning
- Aligning property strategy with organisational growth objectives
The role required a highly commercial individual able to operate confidently across multiple jurisdictions while balancing operational requirements with long-term strategic planning. Corporate real estate and facilities management are usually recruited as separate disciplines; a single role spanning lease transactions, fit-out delivery and day-to-day workplace standards across several countries narrows the field considerably.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Janus Henderson's leadership team to build a detailed understanding of the international property portfolio, future growth plans and workplace objectives. Particular emphasis was placed on identifying candidates with experience across corporate real estate portfolio management, international office environments, lease negotiations and property transactions, facilities and workplace management, budget management and financial planning, workplace strategy and occupancy planning, business continuity and operational resilience, and stakeholder engagement at senior level.
Targeted Search
Drawing on our network across the corporate real estate, workplace and facilities management sectors, we ran a targeted search for professionals with proven experience managing international property portfolios. We prioritised candidates who could demonstrate strong corporate real estate expertise, commercial property and lease management experience, strategic workplace planning capability, financial and budgetary control, project delivery experience, excellent stakeholder management and experience of operating across multinational environments.
Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed against both technical and leadership criteria:
- Technical. Portfolio management expertise, lease event management and negotiation capability, and workplace strategy development.
- Commercial. Commercial and financial acumen, and project management experience.
- Leadership. Communication and stakeholder engagement skills at senior level.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced Corporate Real Estate and Workspace Manager with significant expertise in managing international office portfolios and workplace environments. The successful candidate quickly established themselves as a key contributor to Janus Henderson's global real estate strategy, providing both strategic direction and operational oversight across the property portfolio. Their contribution was felt in five areas:
- Portfolio optimisation. Greater visibility and control across the global office portfolio, supporting better-informed decisions on lease events, occupancy planning and property strategy.
- Workplace consistency. The development of global workplace standards created a more consistent employee experience across international locations while supporting operational efficiency.
- Landlord and supplier relationships. Effective management of landlords, serviced office providers, consultants and external advisors strengthened commercial outcomes and improved service delivery across the estate.
- Financial control. Management of both operational and capital expenditure budgets, keeping property investment aligned with business priorities and delivering value for money.
- Business continuity. Ownership of the workplace and real estate components of the business continuity framework strengthened organisational resilience and preparedness.
The appointment gave Janus Henderson the leadership required to manage a complex international property portfolio while supporting long-term business growth and workplace transformation: stronger global real estate strategy and governance, improved lease management and portfolio performance, greater workplace consistency across international locations, tighter financial control and operational efficiency, better stakeholder and supplier management, and improved workplace resilience and business continuity planning.
Why This Placement Worked
The brief asked for a real estate professional who could also run workplaces, and the search was scoped that way from the start rather than defaulting to a transactional CRE profile with facilities bolted on. Assessing lease and portfolio capability alongside workplace delivery and senior stakeholder credibility produced a candidate able to own the estate end to end.
Maxwell Stephens recruits senior corporate real estate, workplace and facilities management professionals for organisations managing property across multiple countries. If you are planning a similar appointment, get in touch with our team.