Industry Tracker Executive Profile
Manhattan Software's Craig Gillespie
'Recession-defying metrics'
With this Summit being about convening for change, I began looking for the new face of CoreNet Global.
One of them is Craig Gillespie, CEO of Manhattan Software.
The global, privately-held firm serves the Integrated Workplace Management Software (IWMS) side of the corporate real estate industry primarily through its Strategic Performance Management (SPM) integrated technology platform, and it's never had a losing year in its 26-year history.
We sat down at the Expo Luncheon here in Vegas yesterday to talk about Craig's background, his view of the CRE industry, and how he gets value from being a CoreNet Global member.
Craig is on the 'older' side of our Young Leaders demographic. Still, at 37 years old, he's making the kind of mark we usually associate with industry veterens.
Start with the fact that Manhattan is having its best year ever; hard to believe in the midst of the worst downturn we've ever seen. But Craig has seized the moment, positioning the company in a counter-cyclical way and capitalizing on the tremendous demand from the client side to consolidate portfolios, use space more efficiently and drive down costs quickly.
"We do well in periods of change," he observed, citing major drivers like consolidation, mergers and acquistions and disposition as critical client needs that also represent major points of value delivery for customers.
'I Wouldn't Be Anywhere Else'
One thing is clear, people like Craig are proving that you don't have to be 'senior' to be senior-level. For Craig, and a growing number of other younger professionals in the CoreNet Global network, it's the future face of our organization - and it's changing fast.
I've never seen as many younger professionals at a given Global Summit than here in Vegas, to which Craig observed, "I wouldn't be anywhere else" to interface with the CRE industry.
He connects his view of the CoreNet Global value proposition to "the whole eco-system around our company," adding that "it's important to foster that connectivity to the CRE industry and then to Manhattan Software."
When he joined CoreNet Global a couple of years ago as he migrated over from Center Stone Software into the C-Suite of Manhattan Software, he found a key channel to enhance his main mission of being viewed as a "trusted partner" to his clients.
Trusted Partner Status Using CoreNet Global
"We've got to be viewed as a trusted partner in the marketplace," he said emphatically. "And that's why we've got to be here at CoreNet Global." He builds that level of credibility mainly around networking. "I come to CoreNet Global for networking," which he considers a key to developing and maintaining his corporate client base.
Navigating the company through its best year ever during the industry's worst year ever is certainly a major achievement for Craig. The fact he's using the CoreNet Global network to do so makes it even more interesting, especially when you look at his current results.
Landing large corporate clients in multiple sectors like financial services, technology, retail and even with other global service provider-consultants has brought some incredible results to his bottom line. "The value, size and scope of our account base is up 100%," he shared, adding that the "back end of 2009 looks as good." Volume is up 150% over expected bookings, and revenue has grown by 30%, as a result.
Those recession-defying metrics reflect on the managerial talent of this up-and-coming industry executive, with an assist from Craig's effective use of his CoreNet Global membership.
One of CoreNet Global's long-term ambitions has been to bridge the gap between CRE, the CFO and even the CEO. While Manhattan's SPM and IWMS platforms have gone a long way toward aggregating critical data and softening the lines that often silo companies, CoreNet Global members can take a note from the pages of Craig's growing client portfolio on how to better integrate CRE with the enterprise in a general sense.