What does it actually take to manage billions of dollars of other people’s money — and turn ageing office towers into thriving assets?
In this episode of Behind the Role, host Samara Issa sits down with Declan Walsh, Director of Real Estate Funds Management at QIC, for a conversation that spans three continents and 18 years in the industry. From valuing property at JLL, to a Cambridge MPhil, to 12 years investing across Asia and the Middle East at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority — Declan’s path is anything but linear, and that’s exactly the point.
Inside this episode:
- What a fund manager really does — and why fiduciary duty is the golden rule
- Why QIC is betting on life sciences as Australia’s next big real estate opportunity
- Why ESG isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a commercial necessity
- The case for getting comfortable with discomfort (and moving overseas)
- The one question Declan asks every candidate he interviews — at every level
- How to break into QIC through PropConnect, internships, and the 2027 grad program
Whether you’re a student weighing your first move in real estate or just curious what fund managers actually do all day, this episode is packed with hard-won, honest advice.
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