The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Director of Global Facilities / Head of Real Estate
5-7 years in this role before C-suite considerationSkills to master
- Mastering multi-country operational oversight, large-scale budget management, strategic vendor negotiation, and building high-performing regional teams. You'd have been accountable for a significant portfolio, just not the entire global strategy.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding performance targets for a large regional or functional portfolio (e.g., EMEA facilities, global lease administration).
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop other leaders, not just individual contributors.
- Proven track record of influencing executive-level stakeholders and driving strategic initiatives.
- Deep financial acumen, comfortable with complex P&L and capital planning.
- 2
VP of Operations / Chief Operating Officer (COO) (from a smaller firm)
3-5 years in this role before C-suite consideration in a larger firmSkills to master
- While broader, this path brings strong operational leadership, P&L accountability, and cross-functional integration experience. The challenge would be scaling that experience to a global, dedicated real estate and facilities focus.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully scaled operations in a high-growth environment.
- Managed a P&L of comparable scale and complexity.
- Demonstrated ability to build and lead diverse operational teams.
- Strong understanding of the interplay between physical assets and business operations.
- 3
Senior Real Estate Consultant / Partner at a Global Consultancy
5-10 years in this role before C-suite considerationSkills to master
- Brings deep strategic advisory experience, market knowledge, and client-facing skills. The transition involves moving from advising to directly owning and executing a global strategy, including building and managing an internal team.
You're ready to move on when
- Led major real estate strategy engagements for large, multinational clients.
- Developed and presented strategic recommendations to C-suite and Board levels.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects and deliver measurable value.
- Strong network within the global real estate industry.