Uma Rajah - CapitalRise - Women in Luxury Property
Uma Rajah - CapitalRise
CEO and Co-Founder
Specialist Prime Property Financier
Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I think it is important to elevate the great things that women are doing in their personal and professional lives. It is important to remember the sacrifices made by our predecessors that have enabled our generation to have the have the freedoms and opportunities that we have today. There is so much for us to celebrate - women are at the forefront of world- changing innovations and making a great difference to people’s lives. International Women’s Day is just one way we can shine a spotlight on this great work and these great people to encourage future generations to reach greater heights. I would love to see greater diversity in the future generations of entrepreneurs and business leaders and better female representation in STEM career disciplines.
Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman, and if so, how did you overcome them?
Throughout my career, I have frequently been the only woman in the room. This started when I first arrived at Cambridge University to study engineering to find I was the only female engineering student in my college and continued in my working career which has covered a few different industries including manufacturing, technology, finance and real estate. I got used to managing all male teams, from the factory floor to the board room. To be honest though, I always saw being different as something positive rather than negative.
Is there another woman on whom you would like to shine a light in the luxury property industry and why?
I would like to shine a light on Parul Scampion from Fruition Properties as an excellent example of a woman in our industry who is leading the way... She is the Chief Operating Officer at Fruition Properties the award-winning Property development firm. In my experience it is rare to meet a female leader in the prime property development sector, something I really hope will improve with time. In addition to having delivered around 150 homes since 2004 in over 30 sites Fruition are also market leaders in air space development and are one of the founding members of the Association of Rooftop and Airspace Development, which was set up to promote the industry and uphold professional standards. It is lovely to see female leaders like Parul who are helping to move our industry forward.
How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in the luxury property industry?
Encouragement needs to start at school and in the education system. I think female business leaders in our industry sector should invite themselves into schools to talk to students and show them, first-hand, why a career in property can be so rewarding for women and why it is accessible for them. There is a perception that certain industries are very male dominated which can be off putting and cause young people not to consider them as attractive career options. This is something we need to overcome if we want to have a more diverse workforce.
It can be invaluable to be mentored by a person who has walked in the shoes you are likely to walk in, and by increasing the number of female mentors, the property sector, which has historically been very male dominated, we can make it feel more welcoming and accessible to all.
It is our responsibility to show young people that any career is possible, regardless of gender, and equip them with the resources they need to pursue it.
What is the best advice you have been given?
‘Your human talent is your most important talent’. This is something we think about with each and every new hire we make at CapitalRise. As a fast growing business we are constantly recruiting and we want to build a team of smart, hardworking, talented people with a diverse range of skills and styles. By hiring smartly and building a team of brilliant people around you, you can achieve great things as a team and a company.
At The Luxury Property Forum we truly believe in “you cannot be what you cannot see”.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, throughout March we are shining a light on our wonderfully inspiring female members who are all leaders in luxury property. If you are an LPF Member and would like to celebrate a senior female member of the your team, please get in touch at marketing@theluxurypropertyforum.com