CGI Recruits Hospitality Veteran to Build Its Multifamily Brand

Los Angeles-based CGI Real Estate Investment Strategies has recruited a hospitality veteran to build its multifamily brand. Kasia Mays has joined the firm as COO, bringing more than 20 years of experience at four- and five-diamond resorts to the firm. Mays will leverage her experience to infuse lifestyle and hospitality into the company’s multifamily portfolio.

“I have been very fortunate to work in the luxury sector of hospitality in general. Realizing that my life has been around certain aspects of real estate, at the Irvine Company, I got the first sampling of what it means to work for a company that not only has a resort division but also has a significant real estate portfolio from residential to commercial,” Mays tells GlobeSt.com. “For me, I had always hoped that if there was an industry where I could take my transferable skills, that real estate would be a natural transition. CGI’s purpose in what they build is so soulful. As you can imagine, hospitality is about the details. To be able to find a company that has those values at the core is rare. I am honored to be part of a company that shares my same values.”

The multifamily market, like much of commercial real estate, is evolving, and users are demanding more quality, community and service in apartment buildings. “The more personalized the experience is where people feel more involved and well cared for, the experience becomes more permanent,” says Mays. “My goal is to take all of the fine points of the beautiful properties that we have built and make sure that the saliency of those experiences are personal and magical.”

In addition to building the lifestyle brand for CGI, Mays will also build an all-star team that can execute the strategy. “A significant aspect of my career success has been being able to identify the right people for the right culture,” says Mays. “Quite often, that is not only identifying the most skilled person in the room and being able to bring them within the company, but more importantly being able to source the right person with the right personality. That is what we are focusing on in this new phase and this new evolution, what it might look like for our communities.”

Over the next year, Mays plans to hit the ground running, and if it is up to her, she will push CGI and its properties front and center. “I love a great challenge, and I love being part of a team that wants to make a difference,” she says. “In the next 12 months, I would love to have CGI be known as a company that builds communities that are life changing. We want to grow portfolios that have enduring value and exceptional quality.”