Gillian Giles

Partner, Ryden

The most satisfying thing about my job is .... that I get to build great connections with clients and meet a lot of people. At times I feel like I am part of my clients' businesses as I gain such an understanding of what they do in a short space of time, whether I am acting for landlords or occupiers. You need to understand a business' goals in order to help them secure the right accommodation.

The hottest topic in our sector right now is .... what the future of offices looks like.

The career achievement I am most proud of is .... acting for Atos to secure them 36,000 sq. ft. in Glasgow in 2014. This was a significant deal at the time for several reasons. There were very few Grade A deals due to market challenges, and for me personally, it was a large acquisition.

The biggest challenge I have faced in my career to date is …. related to me being lucky enough to have had 2 children during my career. It was initially alien to go on maternity leave, passing over my workload and clients to a colleague, even though I knew they would be well looked after. Returning to work was a separate and different challenge; from leaving your baby to re-establishing yourself in the market, familiarising yourself with enquiries and building availability. It took a couple of months to re-establish myself, however it was worth it. It also reminded me how graduates feel when they start a new position and it gave me an understanding of how other working mums feel. I was fortunate to have good teams to support me both times.

The three best things about working in Glasgow are .... the architecture, the people and the opportunities the city holds.

My favourite part of Glasgow is .... Kelvingrove Park - you can walk in a green space, cycle along to the canal, let the kids play in the parks or explore the architecture and planting. I love the outdoors and the sense of freedom. It has it all, plus the bars and restaurants nearby.

Outside of work, I am passionate about .... spending time with my family. My children are still relatively young and still enjoy spending time with us. We try to spend time together at the weekend. You will find us out walking, cycling or in a park. We enjoy exploring and finding a new adventure, no matter what the Glasgow weather is.

Thinking about my first ever job …. I had a few jobs growing up, from having a paper round to being a pizza delivery driver. As a student, I had a job in events PR. We would hand out leaflets outside phone shops, give away samples of various products and I sold Duty Free at Glasgow Airport. That job taught me confidence, sales techniques, and pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Several of the events were about giving away stock and we were n you ran out of stock you could go home. That helped me learn how to sell!

Favourite boxset? - Grey's Anatomy

Favourite band? - Snow Patrol - I drove through France for a week to MIPIM in the LSH Minis with 5 other graduates. Someone played the album all week. I have great memories of that week and therefore still love the album.

Favourite author? - I do not enjoy reading. My only reading is to my kids, so it is Tom Fletcher and Julia Donaldson.

Favourite holiday destination? - Center Parcs, with our friends and the kids. If the kids are happy, we are happy. Without the kids, it's definitely Thailand.

And, finally, what three words best sum you up? Bubbly, happy, outgoing.

  • Gillian Giles
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