Gary Sacks, the CEO of City & Docklands, one of LiFE’s developer partners, held a talk at the LiFE Academy last week about his experience within the property industry and building his business. Gary Sacks played a significant role during the first years of LiFE, as LiFE worked alongside Sacks' previous furniture business offering packs to landlords. 

Gary Sacks talks to LiFE Academy participants

Sacks and Jonathan Werth, Managing Director of LiFE have worked closely with each other since the beginning of LiFE in 2000. When discussing highlights of their time working together, Sacks comments that "Jonathan's integrity makes him great to work with. He has a set of principles and sticks to them no matter what. I respect him for that." 

The inspiring session was part of the LiFE Academy programme, which is now in its second year. LiFE Academy is LiFE’s leadership scheme, which brings together a small group of staff who dive into a programme to learn more about the company’s objectives and department challenges. This is all whilst deepening their understanding of LiFE culture and values, as well as completing independent learning tasks. By partaking, academy participants challenge and empower themselves to improve themselves as employees to provide the required level of service to our clients and further various skills, such as leadership. 

“LiFE Academy is a challenging journey, during which participants learn more about our business model and step out of their comfort zone. At the end of it, you see them growing not only in their position, but also into future leaders of our company, who will ensure the level of LiFE customer service continues exceeding expectations,” says Stela Kostadinova, LiFE HR Manager.
 

The LiFE Academy offers a chance to all LiFErs to build a network and strengthen relationships with a number of people from other departments whom they may not have worked with previously. 

Cross-training is one of the aspects that Academy participants particularly enjoy. This is a chance for members of staff to experience what LiFE is like in other parts of the business, spending time outside of their own department. For instance, members of the Lettings department spend a week in Accounts, Property Management and Administration learning how the departments link and the importance of co-operating.

Matthew Harkin, Lettings Manager at Canary Wharf branch and Academy Graduate 2018 has reaped the benefits of participating in the Academy, “I came out a much more rounded employee; I have a better understanding of what my colleagues do, what the business is doing and where we are trying to get to. All of that combined means I’m far better positioned to help the company achieve their goals and ensure my own personal objectives line up with them. I really recommend it to other staff!”

Currently, the LiFE Academy has 16 students from Lettings, Sales, Property Management and Client Accounts departments.