The cover story in today's New York Times Real Estate section (published 3/1/19), The Boss? You’re Looking at Her: 7 Women in the Building Business, begins with the woman who is apparently the leading example of women in real estate:
It is no longer exactly groundbreaking for women to work on construction sites, to develop or design retail and commercial spaces, or to fill those spaces with tenants.(Emphases added)
Women, for example, occupy 43 percent of commercial real estate positions industrywide, according to data from CREW Network, a networking organization for women in commercial real estate. And more women than ever now fill senior vice president, managing director and partner slots in commercial real estate businesses.
Still, women who work in male-dominated sectors of the industry sometimes discover that a hard hat is a hard hat to wear. They tell of being locked out of deals, of being condescended to, of having to prove their skills and then prove them again.
“None of us are looking for a handout. We’re just looking for a level playing field,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, the chief executive of the development company L&L MAG, which she co-founded in early 2018 after 23 years at Forest City New York, the last five as chief executive.
“Where I feel concerned,” she added, “is that the #metoo backlash will mean that women won’t get opportunities because the men doing the hiring don’t want to open themselves up to confusion or claims about their behavior.”
But Ms. Gilmartin said she also sees cause for optimism: “As women become more common in the real estate workplace and move up the ladder, we’re in a position to influence who makes up the team.”
She is also hopeful because “there’s pressure on the all-male lineup to diversify,” she said. “This is an industry that changes because it has to, not because it wants to. The failure to address the women issue will cost them money and opportunities, so companies will do what they have to do.”
The article goes on to profile seven women, with no further mention of Gilmartin. In other words, she's so prominent she doesn't need attention.
Her statements in the lead are worthwhile homilies. But it's dismaying that Gilmartin's own record doesn't get aired. After some high-profile successes, how well did she steer Forest City Ratner/Forest City New York in recent years? What role did she have in the #metoo issues at Forest City? What kind of leadership style does she have?
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