Jaimee Eddington, a partner in the Dallas office of Heidrick & Struggles’ Americas region, specializes in board- and senior-level financial officer assignments. “Preparedness” is a key word for Eddington, who’s a frequent speaker on talent for the future, board composition, and the changing roles in the C-suite.

The talent adviser—a former investment banker with Wall Street and corporate finance experience—also spent years at a large luxury retailer, where she led strategic planning of various divisions. Most recently, the impact-focused Eddington was named to the board of governors of The Dallas Foundation.

Eddington is among the experts invited to share their thoughts on the CRE market for our recent DALLAS magazine that focused on how DFW punches above its weight in commercial real estate. Here’s what she had to say in “View from the Top Tier.”

What should future-focused firms be thinking of in terms of leadership hires? What trends are you seeing?

The pandemic underscored how quickly and dramatically the business environment can change. Leaders had to be agile and adapt quickly to changing markets, and demonstrate resilience and the ability to keep a business on course. We see increased demand for leaders with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets focusing on inclusive environments and leadership teams.

What’s attracting top talent to DFW right now? Do you see a shift from what you’ve seen previously?

The Dallas market is booming, and we’ve seen a shift over the last 18 months of more top talent looking at roles in our city for a variety of reasons—lifestyle, climate, and tax advantages. In a work-from-anywhere world, Dallas offers access to a dynamic and growing business community with many amenities to support a thriving personal life as well.

What type of focus on environmental, social, and governance principles are you seeing for commercial real estate firms?

The emergence of ESG is requiring commercial real estate companies to respond to calls from stakeholders for more transparency and influence.  

What measures are being put in place? 

Leading organizations are responding with hires who can help them evaluate risk, climate, and sustainable strategies for the future. Companies with large carbon footprints will be asked to prove ESG metrics or meet stated goals in more substantial ways.

The pandemic has created massive change in talent leadership. What success have you seen?

The most successful leaders throughout the pandemic have been those that over-communicate and look for moments to encourage connectivity.  

What else should leaders think about right now?

Because it seems like hybrid work is here to stay, we encourage companies to see technology as a tool, and be clear about when to use it with their teams.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in the print edition of DALLAS^® Commercial Real Estate 2022, published by Dallas Next for TREC and the Dallas Regional Chamber. Read more in the digital edition of the magazine below, and request the next print edition here.

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The real estate magazine is part of the DALLAS^® media platform that includes the DALLAS^® Relocation and Newcomer Guide and the DALLAS^® Economic Development Guide. Published by Dallas Next for the Dallas Regional Chamber, together they tell the world about the future of live, work, learn, and play in North Texas.

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