Ellen Slaven: from Property Economics student to industry mentor

With the launch of an industry scholarship, the student becomes the teacher.

Ellen Slaven graduated from UTS in 2004 with a Bachelor of Property Economics. Today, she’s a Senior Portfolio Manager for Goodman, one of the world’s largest listed industrial property groups. Ellen joined Goodman in 2003 through a paid cadetship program for UTS students.

Eighteen years later, she’s helping UTS property economics students start their careers with the Goodman Group Scholarship. This award offers financial support and real-world experience for students passionate about industrial property.

Nurturing the next generation

“The Goodman Group Scholarship provides a student – usually in second year – with a $10,000 cash scholarship, in addition to a six-month paid work placement,” says Slaven, who has provided key mentorship opportunities to several students through the scheme.

“The work placement gives them a meaningful opportunity to work in our Property Services team and gain a solid foundation in property management, while also developing soft skills such as communication, problem solving and initiative.

“They also receive structured on-the-job development with the support of experienced mentors.”

The scholarship was established in 2004 and revamped in 2018. It reflects the strong relationship between Goodman and UTS, and the quality of the UTS Property Economics degree.

The course [UTS offers] is exceptional. It gives students a really good grounding and understanding of the property sector.

Ellen Slaven

“The students are very articulate, they understand a lot of the concepts of property, and because the degree is so specialised, they come to us with a much more strategic focus.”

Building a talent pipeline

But, while the scholarship offers a life-changing opportunity for Property Economics students, it’s far from a one-sided transaction.

The program is a key component of the company’s recruitment pipeline, giving Goodman access to the best and brightest students before they hit the market. In fact, says Slaven, many scholarship recipients go on to work at Goodman, either immediately after their work placement or in their graduate year.

“We, at Goodman, rarely hire outside that graduate level,” she says.

“The majority of staff have been here 10 years plus, so the graduate program is really our feeder program into the next generation of the business.”

From mentee to mentor

Slaven is a prime example of how university-industry partnerships can lead to successful long-term careers. After completing her Goodman cadetship, she was hired as a property manager while finishing her UTS degree. She graduated in 2004 and by 26, she was in London helping Goodman expand in the UK and Europe.

She returned to Australia in 2009, managing Goodman’s South Sydney portfolio with numerous urban renewal opportunities. Today, she oversees Goodman’s Western Sydney portfolio, managing 180 customers and 2.5 million square meters of space valued at over $6 billion. She also founded Women in Industrial in 2018 to help women expand their professional networks and industry knowledge.

Even after 18 years, Slaven remains passionate about what she does – and she’s excited about continuing to share what she knows with the next generation UTS scholarship recipients.

“Industrial is a fantastic part of the property sector, but probably one that, up until recently, didn’t really get a lot of airtime,” she says.

“But the industry has changed massively. It’s become one of the most highly sought-after asset classes and there are some fantastic people in it.”

Find out more about the Bachelor of Property Economics

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