GlobeSt.com: What does the creation of a CEO position mean in terms of expectations for the client solutions group, and how do you see your role?

Santora: My new role is really to lead this global group and take it to the next level of performance, integration and service delivery. This is an important part of our everyday business and our core competencies. Under the new structure, it has what it deserves: a seat at the table. I am a board member and I’ll be reporting directly to the CEO, so I’ll be able to direct and bring all the resources needed to deliver on a global basis.

I look at where we stand today: a dominant player in some markets, an established player in others and emerging in some others. My goal over the next three to five years is to expand on that.

GlobeSt.com: The client solutions group has two core constituencies: space occupiers and institutional investors. Do they have overlapping interest and priorities?

Santora: Yes, and there are multiple sides to this. With some of our clients, and I’ll use MetLife as an example, we manage all of their facilities and then also a significant portion of their investment portfolio. So on the client side, we do both. On the actual delivery of services, there are some significant differences, but understanding both sides of that equation—what it takes for a tenant or an occupant to deliver their services in an efficient manner—impacts how you operate the space and the need to provide an environment for them.

Whether you’re working for an investor or a user, you have to understand what the ultimate goal of the space is. When you’re working for an investor, it’s all about performance and return on investment; when you’re working for a corporation, it’s all about how to make that environment as efficient and effective as possible to improve their bottom line.

GlobeSt.com: Do corporate users have a clearer idea of their space requirements than they did in the fall of 2008?

Santora: I don’t know that anybody has a clearer picture now than they did 18 months ago. Those companies that are still around are making longer-term decisions, but this is an interesting economy for all of us. As far as real estate decisions are concerned, the one thing that’s certain is that leases have a start and an end date, and you have to deal with that. Based on the information you have at the time, you make decisions on whether you stay, move or build new headquarters.

What we do know is that the way we do business is going to be different five years from now and 10 years from now. As I look at the group and where we’re going, technology will play a bigger role in what we do and what our clients do. We’re going to look at different energy sources for a client, we’re going to be looking at putting up solar panels in the parking lots for certain parts of the country because we’re doing to have to be powering up electric cars. Ten years from now, are we going to be dealing with mega-data centers or computing in the clouds? These are all things you have to consider when looking out a few years.

GlobeSt.com: Are client expectations evolving with regard to what they expect from their service providers?

Santora: Without question. You have to be a technology leader, and we are. We have a strong sustainability platform, and that’s at the top of everybody’s list of requirements. But it’s all about partnering with your client and moving forward together.