US developer-investor Greystar Real Estate Partners has announced the hire of Cope Willis as managing director of Sustainability to support its sustainability and broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts.
Willis’s 20 years of sustainability and ESG experience includes working with senior leaders to advance business and sustainability goals, managing cross-functional teams, and aligning organisations around sustainability strategies.
He will be responsible for leading both the strategy and execution of Greystar’s global climate and sustainability efforts with respect to the owned asset portfolio, representing over $50 bn in asset value.
‘Sustainability is at the heart of all future-proofed real estate strategies,’ said Bob Faith, CEO, Greystar. ‘We are excited to welcome Cope as our new sustainability leader as his extensive industry experience and ability to harmonise business and sustainability goals will continue to help Greystar strive to be a leader in ESG performance.
'This is in line with Greystar’s ongoing commitment to managing a changing climate by implementing robust climate risk mitigation and sustainability programmes.’
Prior to joining Greystar, Willis was vice president, sustainability & environmental solutions at Harsco Corporation, where he led the global sustainability programme and ESG integration across key corporate and business unit functions.
Before that, he was director of sustainability services at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he advised some of the largest global real estate, private equity, and financial services companies.
