2023 Ones to Watch Industry Leaders: Ryan Caffyn-Parsons, Unispace

Number of years in CURRENT position: 2

3 skills that you use every day in your position: Lead with empathy, listen actively and inspire by example.

Best book, podcast, or app for aspiring leaders: For aspiring leaders, I highly recommend Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. It delves into the importance of leaders prioritizing the well-being of their teams in order to create a culture of trust and collaboration.
My go-to source of inspiration is the podcast, HBR Ideacast by Harvard Business Review. It features interviews with leading thinkers and experts in the business world, covering a wide range of topics relevant to leadership management and organizational success.

Best advice for new leaders in 10 words or less: Embrace change; foster innovation; trust your team; focus on goals.What recent project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of? We recently won a 200,000 s/f, $150 million project for a leading pharmaceutical company. We stood apart from competitors because we leaned into our unique integrated approach of designing and delivering projects, prioritized DEIB initiatives, and demonstrated technical mastery to beat out all of the top firms in the Tri-state area. This win is the culmination of the culture of resilience and agility my leadership team and I created at Unispace post-pandemic.

What makes this nominee an Industry Leader? “Ryan is revolutionizing interior office fit-outs and his ingenuity is shaping the industry’s trajectory. Ryan’s acute understanding of the market and his emphasis on customers have made him an invaluable asset. His genuine investment in the professional growth and well-being of his employees is evident in their longevity and loyalty.” - Peter Rendall, Chief Financial Officer at Turnitin.