Leader Spotlight #04 - Erene Rugendo Niyonsaba

Erene Rugendo Niyonsaba is from South Africa with Rwandan heritage, currently working as a Development Manager at Development Victoria. He has significant involvement in an internal organisation working group, volunteering to promote diversity in the industry.

1. Background and Inspiration: Can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in the property and construction industry?

I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to parents of Rwandan descent. My entire immediate family—my mother, father, and two older brothers—were born in Rwanda and fled due to the civil war. We eventually settled in South Africa, where I was born. When I was three years old, we migrated to New Zealand and later to Australia.

My father, an electrical engineer with a methodical approach to problem-solving, played a significant role in shaping my career in property and construction. I share that trait with him, additionally, I've always been fascinated by the outcomes of built forms and the complexity of coordinating multidisciplinary teams to develop assets or places that serve a community. Sport was also a big influence in my life. Growing up, I played football (soccer) at various representative levels, which instilled in me a drive to compete and overcome adversity from an early age—a trait I continue to apply today and will carry into the future.

Professionally, I've always been driven by big-picture thinking and understanding the full project life cycle, from inception to handover and management. This perspective fueled my career progression and is the reason I now work as a Development Manager, where I gain exposure to the entire life cycle. Navigating complex challenges, experiencing exponential learning through those challenges, and collaborating with a broad range of SMEs are just a few reasons I see myself continuing in property development long-term. A common thread in all these drivers is the positive interactions with people and the recognition of how crucial it is to foster strong relationships.

2. Leadership and Diversity: How do you integrate your cultural background into your leadership style, or how do you advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry?

I advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry in several ways, including:

• My involvement in working groups that promote cultural diversity at work, such as Development Victoria’s Culturally Diverse Working Group.

• I also volunteer and mentor with organizations that assist young adults transitioning into, or beginning studies in, the property and construction industry.

• Additionally, I connect with great organizations like MAPP to learn techniques for better promoting diversity and regularly attend and speak at events to encourage representation.

Diversity is also integrated into my leadership style, as I believe it brings unique perspectives, which lead to innovative ways of navigating challenges and delivering outcomes.

3. Advice for Aspiring Professionals: What advice would you give to young professionals from multicultural backgrounds who aspire to leadership roles in the property and construction industry?

Be unapologetically yourself!

At times, there may be a tendency to feel like you need to adhere to certain societal and/or industry standards to ‘assimilate’ e.g. personal hobbies, music taste, and appearance.

However, your cultural background makes you unique and is something to celebrate.

Embrace it, and utilize that- in both your personal life, and career progression.

4. Future Vision: In your opinion, how can the property and construction industry better support multiculturalism?

Through the implementation of cultural diversity frameworks within organisations in the industry.This could also include the implementation of frameworks in the assessment criteria for work that organisations may procure from other businesses.

Significant strides have already been made in promoting gender equity within many organizations, leading to profound impacts on the property and construction industry. Building on these measures, and fostering organisational growth through cultural diversity is something I believe will continue to build on this positive impact.

5. Cultural Celebrations: Can you share a significant cultural celebration or festival from your heritage that holds special meaning for you?

Mandela Day – Due to the profound impact Nelson Mandela had in not only his community, but globally. It inspires me to be grateful of what I have, while also staying brave and fearless in all my future endeavours.