The latest in our Just A Minute profiles features Irene Devenny, managing director at Ross and Liddell.

How did you get started in the industry?

I started in Ross and Liddell for a two week period during the summer while at college and was appointed Managing Director in 2005. It’s been fantastic to play a prominent role in helping the business develop over many years and to see how it has adapted to changes in the industry.

Biggest professional achievement:

I’m very proud to have been involved with Ross and Liddell since the start of my career in property management. To have worked my way up from a temp to MD is an achievement in itself – but I could not have achieved that without the help and support of colleagues through the years. After a couple of weeks in the job, I knew I wanted to develop my skills and to work my way up in the company. We now have 90 members of staff working with us across our offices in Glasgow, Paisley, Edinburgh and Dundee and we manage properties all over Scotland.

Best advice you received:

Do the best you can and stay focused on your goal, even if a tiny part of the process isn’t going the way you would like.

What is the most important part of the industry?

Communication. When you have several companies working on one project, it’s so important that everyone speaks to each other about the task in hand.

It’s also vital to keep up-to-date with developments in the industry. It’s essential that everyone working for the company knows what’s going on in property management UK-wide and that they’re able to talk about these developments with confidence.

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy all aspects, particularly identifying new business opportunities and meeting new clients. I’ve built up strong, constructive relationships with developers across Scotland over the years and I always make sure the business is very visible across the client network, as this helps us bring in new opportunities.

As managing director, I like to be very involved in the whole Property Management process – from identifying new developers and meeting with them to discuss management opportunities, to overseeing the whole process until handover stage.

And least?

I enjoy every part of my job but the most challenging aspect is managing all of the people involved in a project. It can be difficult to get all of the personalities involved to align to get the best result – but I can be quite a persuasive person!

What you would most like to change in housing?

I would like to see more affordable homes being built. It’s also really important that environmental factors are considered in the building process, and that homes are energy efficient.

What future issues do you see arising in housing?

The lack of affordable homes will cause a real problem in the future. It’s so important that investment is made in creating high quality, energy efficient, affordable homes at the heart of sustainable communities.

Which newsletters do you receive?

I receive several industry newsletters daily, as does the company as a whole. It’s so important that the teams across our five offices have access to up-to-the-minute property news and features, so that everyone is aware of industry developments.

How would you change Scottish Housing News?

I wouldn’t change anything – I think it’s a great publication and is really accessible to everyone.

Do you read a daily newspaper?

Yes, I read a selection of newspapers fully and scan through the rest.

Which social media sites do you use?

I’m not active on social media – I’ll always prefer to find things out from newspapers and by picking up the phone!

Hobbies and interests:

I enjoy fly fishing, swimming, arts and crafts fairs and going to the theatre.

Favourite holiday destination: It has to be Italy. I’ve visited many times and I still enjoy it. I also visit Argyll at the weekends in the summer.