Avison Young grows U.S. Flexible Office Solutions team

Flexible Office specialist Giovanni Palavicini joins as Principal, will help grow expanding service platform

Toronto, ON – Martin Dockrill, Avison Young Principal and COO, Global Operations, today announced the appointment of Giovanni Palavicini as Avison Young Principal and flexible workspace strategist. Palavicini will join Charlie Morris, leader of Avison Young’s Flexible Office Solutions (FOS) practice, who was appointed in August 2019 to oversee the development of the platform in the U.S. and to expand it across the globe. The investment in the team reflects the growing demand of occupiers, owners and operators seeking offerings that provide a higher level of technology, hospitality, transparency and flexibility in an increasingly mobile and on-demand economy.

“Giovanni’s experience advising operators and landlords in the delivery of their flexible real estate strategies is a great addition to our growing team,” says Dockrill. “Under Charlie’s leadership, we’re building a differentiated offering and recruiting top talent that can flex to meet any client workplace portfolio strategy need in this evolving space, which remains one of the biggest growth areas in almost every major market around the globe.”

Avison Young’s FOS team is well-versed in the flexible office needs of the occupier community along with institutional owners around the globe. According to the Avison Young 2020 Forecast, flexible offerings currently account for up to five percent of space across most major office markets. Within ten years, this is expected to make a transformative leap to 15-30 percent. Avison Young’s FOS platform is a unique, agnostic service-based offering, ensuring the delivery of bespoke solutions supporting the entire flexible office community.

“The future of work is all about flexibility, and I’m passionate about working with clients as an extension of their team to understand their needs, create a targeted strategy and implement it to its best effect,” said Palavicini. “Avison Young’s vision and commitment to identify and create a unique offering, while responding to the evolution in technology and cultural factors that are driving FOS, is outstanding. The firm’s reputation of putting clients first combined with its reach, entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative culture is central to how I conduct business.”

Palavicini joins Avison Young from Fronteras Commercial Real Estate, where he was President. He has completed more than 70 transactions totaling more than one million square feet and $200 million in flexible workspace transactions for operators to expand their portfolios. He will be based in the firm’s Dallas office and will play an active role in the delivery of solutions for the operator and ownership community throughout North America.

“To build a world class offering in the flexible office sector, you need an industry-leading team and Giovanni’s reputation across the flexible office sector has positioned him as one of the leading strategists,” adds Morris. “Giovanni’s commitment to supporting the evolution of the sector will be integral in the delivery of our vertically integrated offering across the entire flexible office landscape. We are in the very early stages of a transformational period for the future of work and our growing team is committed to delivering a differentiated offering focused solely on the evolution of technology and flexibility emerging within the commercial real estate sector.”