Roopa George
Director, Hotels, JLL Sri Lanka
Roopa has been at JLL for 7 years, moving to her current role as a Director with JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality division.
What anchored her at JLL?
Roopa has always been fascinated with Hospitality. She has loved the travel and the exposure that has come with her hospitality focused role at JLL which has taken her across busy corporate hubs, sleepy hill stations and scenic beach destinations. After earning a degree in hospitality, she worked at an organisation that specialised only in hotels as a business line. She wanted more. She consistently kept tabs on JLL’s market standing, three sixty degree coverage of the real estate ecosystem and open work culture. By the time she got an interview call from JLL, she already knew she was home. The rest of the assurance came as soon as she met her reporting manager and the team to be. So, in came Roopa, with all her energy and dreams, getting to work at once to deliver and rising steadily. “JLL grows on you,” said Roopa, when she returned to JLL after a brief stint outside of the firm.
Row and steady wins the race.
A school time hobby, rowing is a sport Roopa’s hoping to find time to pick up again. Even at work, she is always keeping the boat steady, rowing from dreams to reality, from ambitions to achievements. Rowing fast when the water is calm—and harder when it’s not.
Keeping her oars balanced.
When asked what she likes most about JLL, Roopa says, “I operate best when my work and personal life are equally fulfilling. Balance is what I have found with the firm. JLL has gone the extra mile to ensure I create my own path when I needed to. The firm took no time in offering me a relocation to Sri Lanka when I decided to move with my husband, hoping to capitalise on the seven years I had spent covering the Sri Lankan hospitality market for JLL from India. They figured out all the ‘hows’ for me, eventually. But the prompt assurance I got from the senior management was enough for me to feel confident I was in the right place.”
"When there’s a sea of opportunity lying in front of you, no KRA can limit you!"
When there’s a sea of opportunity lying in front of you, no KRA can limit you!
Roopa feels blessed to be in Sri Lanka and has quickly adapted to the new market and culture. She has used her new base as an opportunity to further explore untapped opportunities in the country and is already at work charting new territory yet again, with JLL Lanka!
What keeps her motivated?
“My clients,” says Roopa. The conversion of projects on paper to actual buildings speak volumes of the passion, perseverance and patience that goes into making it happen. “I’ve loved working with clients to align their passion and vision for a project with what would be a sensible investment.”
What did Roopa find at JLL that will always stay with her?
“JLL’s people focused approach! JLL is a classic example of being people-centric and yet so ambitious and spot on in business. The way the firm and its leaders strike that balance is beautiful—and a lasting lesson in business practice and vision.”