Peter Calwell has been the General Manager of 101 Collins Street for 13 years. Responsible for some of the biggest corporate tenants in the business, Peter says personal relationships and trust are at the heart of his role. Thanks to his professionalism and pragmatism, 101 has one of the highest tenant retention rates in Melbourne. Balancing tradition with progression, Peter is responsible for respecting 101’s heritage past, adapting to change and forging a bright future. 

Working at 101, I feel like I’m managing one of the best buildings of our time. There’s a huge sense of community in the building, which is probably because most of the tenants are in similar fields – law or finance – and they interact with each other. This interaction also helps the tenants with their work: if you are small investment firm in the same building as some of the larger players, it puts you in that league or on that level. The building also has large floor plates, which helps with the social aspect. The emergence of Flinders Lane as a fantastic restaurant destination over the past decade is another huge plus. Our customers meet their partners and families at 101 before they go out in the evening and use the building as a base. You’d be surprised at how many people park their cars here on the weekends and walk to the MCG, so it brings the families in as well. The location makes it more than just a place of work. 

The best part of my job is dealing with people. Even when we’re negotiating deals with our tenants, it’s always a positive experience, which I love. We also have a really great team. We have a mix of personalities and that’s what’s so good about it. They have been around for a long time and that’s helping with the continuity of managing a building of this standard. Hopefully our good management on behalf of the owners has made an impact – we have always had the respect and support of the people we work for and that’s important. Everyone is expected to achieve results, but we are given the resources to allow that to happen. 

The number one leadership quality I hope to instil in our team is to treat people with respect. To be a good leader, you should surround yourself with good people and empower them to do their job while supporting them and encouraging new ideas – there’s no such thing as a bad idea in my view.. I’m incredibly proud of the team, they know everyone at 101 and work tirelessly to support our community. I never take that for granted, and I couldn’t do my job without them.