The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has recruited Aleksandra Smith-Kozlowska as a director in the research team, focussing predominantly on ESG and environmental sustainability across the built environment.
Smith-Kozlowska joins ULI from JustOne, a sustainability consultancy, where she worked with leading real estate firms, advising them on ESG strategies, net zero carbon plans and implementing sustainability initiatives in practice.
Before that, she spent six years at JLL, acting both as a sustainability consultant to large property firms and an in-house sustainability manager for JLL EMEA.
Smith-Kozlowska will be working with the ULI research teams in Europe and its US headquarters to support the company’s sustainability mission priorities and wider initiatives.
A key element of her role will be focused on advancing the C Change programme in Europe – which was set up to support the built environment community to speed up the decarbonization process and scale up initiatives.
She will also be working with ULI’s Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability at ULI’s HQ in the United States and within it, the ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance, a research organisation focused on climate mitigation, making the business case for green buildings by tying carbon reductions to increased asset value.
Lisette van Doorn, CEO, ULI Europe, said: 'In close collaboration with our members from across the globe, we have developed extensive programmes geared towards accelerating the decarbonisation of our industry.
'Given the urgency to reduce emissions and demand for collective action to future proof our built environment, our members are highly engaged with our mission.
'Aleksandra will play an important role within the sustainability research team here, collaborating with our global colleagues, and she will be working closely with our members to pilot some of the progressive measures ULI is developing.'
Marta Schantz, co-executive director of the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate, added: 'We are thrilled to have Aleksandra join the ULI research team, advancing the organisation’s net zero mission priority.
'The business case for sustainable real estate has never been stronger, and Aleks brings a tremendous amount of expertise and strength to ULI’s thought leadership and member engagement efforts.
'By bridging the US HQ and Europe teams, she’ll also help ensure our content is globally relevant in addressing the global climate crisis we are facing.'
Said Smith-Kozlowska: 'Throughout my career, I have supported a wide range of organisations, from micro-businesses to international corporates, in shaping their ESG agendas and making meaningful progress towards sustainability.
'I look forward to working with ULI and its unrivalled network of industry experts to effect much needed change.'
