Article | Future Cities
Powerful Partnerships
How two natural born collaborators are using their influence to bring together creative minds and industry experts to create the cities of the future.
May 19, 2025
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When the right people come together with a shared purpose success is inevitable. That’s what drives Ash Nicholson and Fatima Mohamed to create the right conditions for genuine partnerships, bold ideas, and innovative solutions to come to life so communities, businesses, and economies can thrive.
“Data informs everything we do,” she says. “One of the things that sets CBRE apart is our access to global data and insights which means we have a depth of understanding of the market which informs our views and advice. When you combine that with our local capability, through our expertise and high-quality people who can execute, we have a powerful proposition that is unmatched. When it comes to thinking about creativity and problem solving, our access to global examples that we can learn from and apply strategically is really powerful,” Ash adds.
For Fatima, who brings 19 years of public sector experience to her role as Director of Government Engagement based in Melbourne, CBRE’s data is a key part of being a conduit between the private and public sectors.
“One of the biggest differences between the public and private sectors is the pace in which decisions are made,” Fatima explains. “Similar to how the private sector has shareholders, the public sector has Australian taxpayers who they are accountable to and there is a significant level of rigour that comes into decision making. Research and data are important in the decision-making process by demonstrating where investment needs to be made and to provide the accountability that government needs. It also demonstrates credibility and positions CBRE as a trusted property advisor.”
“What I love doing is creating villages within larger communities and connecting the people who can bring those spaces to life—whether that’s public, private, or community sectors—it’s just part of my DNA,” says Fatima.
“Relationships are at the heart of everything I do and building trust and rapport for those relationships to flourish is essential. I like to bring a human focus to decision making as well as the commercial and the economic growth considerations. As a trusted advisor, I can talk openly about the options we have and the pros and cons, which are always backed with data. People feel confident they have the information they need to make decisions that will lead to the desired outcome,” she adds.
With partnerships central to success, Ash notes the importance of being able to draw on a wide network of property experts and government stakeholders to ensure the right people are at the table.
“A genuine partnership has got to be win/win driven by genuine commitment to a common vision,” Ash explains. “The ideal partnership for me would be bringing together key public and private clients and aligning them with a shared priority. Mutual interests, values, or investment priorities are important for delivering outcomes, you can’t force a collaboration for the sake of it.”
Being purpose-led also helps with nurturing the partnership and keeping a project on track, Fatima adds.
“When there is a clear shared purpose, it opens up the opportunity to negotiate. If we are involved in the early stages of the project there’s even more possibility to be transparent about what are the compromises and negotiables,” Fatima explains.
“By combining the innovation and efficiency of the private sector with the accountability and community focus of the public sector, we can create truly exceptional outcomes. Ash and I help to find the common ground and bridge any gaps to ensure both parties work together seamlessly to deliver a high-quality result that benefits everyone.”
“What sets my soul on fire is unlocking a sense of place and local stories. We can all relate to discovering a destination, eating that incredible meal, finding a unique shop, feeling refreshed from the vibe of a space. That’s what I want to be a part of creating for all communities, and the property industry has a big role to play,” Ash says.
“I really love innovation, creativity and problem solving. With my brand strategy background and digital marketing expertise, I’m always thinking about things in terms of the customer experience. So when it comes to our cities I am thinking about the place experience and how the user will have as minimal friction as possible, in both a digital and a physical sense, when it comes to their city user journey.
“The strategies of tomorrow require new and diverse thinking. I love the diversity and vast capabilities of the businesses I represent across CBRE because there is such a huge breadth of conversations we can be part of and the value we can add,” Ash says.
Ash and Fatima are dedicated to changing perceptions of the real estate industry and demonstrating how the sector can offer genuine solutions that promote progress and create spaces which benefit communities and business.
“In Sydney, the extension of the Metro across Western Sydney is a big focus especially in terms of the new airport and Bradfield City development. There's a huge amount of infrastructure and land to be developed when the airport comes online to enable increased freight activity and key worker amenity. We expect a huge boom for e-commerce and industrial supply chain, which is really exciting,” Ash says.
“When we talk about the CBD, because there isn’t a huge development pipeline for new stock coming online for a range of reasons, we really need to reimagine the buildings we have and the new lives that can be created for them. How do we invest in them to ensure they have the best sustainability-related credentials? Are they still fit for purpose? Can they be reimaged in some way that creates opportunity for vibrancy? Do they have multiple uses to drive economic productivity over a 24-hour period? Are there older office buildings that can be transformed into housing, boutique bars or experience driven retail?” she adds.
Fatima notes the importance of thinking beyond ‘the building’ when it comes to creating thriving precincts and vibrant communities.
“It’s about creating places people can enjoy. We might have a need for office buildings but there needs to be bigger thinking to make it a precinct. Is there connectivity—trains and trams especially—can we bring retail, food, art, hotels and accommodation into the mix so people have reasons to stay longer and tell other people about their experience? That’s where we come in to make these connections and bring the right people together.”
Data-driven strategy
As Director of Government & Industry based in Sydney, Ash works closely with NSW government clients and peak industry bodies. With years of brand marketing expertise and a genuine passion for being part of meaningful projects, Ash is known for bringing vibrancy and a fresh perspective while delivering strategy and data-backed solutions.“Data informs everything we do,” she says. “One of the things that sets CBRE apart is our access to global data and insights which means we have a depth of understanding of the market which informs our views and advice. When you combine that with our local capability, through our expertise and high-quality people who can execute, we have a powerful proposition that is unmatched. When it comes to thinking about creativity and problem solving, our access to global examples that we can learn from and apply strategically is really powerful,” Ash adds.
For Fatima, who brings 19 years of public sector experience to her role as Director of Government Engagement based in Melbourne, CBRE’s data is a key part of being a conduit between the private and public sectors.
“One of the biggest differences between the public and private sectors is the pace in which decisions are made,” Fatima explains. “Similar to how the private sector has shareholders, the public sector has Australian taxpayers who they are accountable to and there is a significant level of rigour that comes into decision making. Research and data are important in the decision-making process by demonstrating where investment needs to be made and to provide the accountability that government needs. It also demonstrates credibility and positions CBRE as a trusted property advisor.”
Cultivating collaboration
While it’s an essential part of their role, both Fatima and Ash agree having an intrinsic understanding of how best to bring people together is simply part of who they are.“What I love doing is creating villages within larger communities and connecting the people who can bring those spaces to life—whether that’s public, private, or community sectors—it’s just part of my DNA,” says Fatima.
“Relationships are at the heart of everything I do and building trust and rapport for those relationships to flourish is essential. I like to bring a human focus to decision making as well as the commercial and the economic growth considerations. As a trusted advisor, I can talk openly about the options we have and the pros and cons, which are always backed with data. People feel confident they have the information they need to make decisions that will lead to the desired outcome,” she adds.
With partnerships central to success, Ash notes the importance of being able to draw on a wide network of property experts and government stakeholders to ensure the right people are at the table.
“A genuine partnership has got to be win/win driven by genuine commitment to a common vision,” Ash explains. “The ideal partnership for me would be bringing together key public and private clients and aligning them with a shared priority. Mutual interests, values, or investment priorities are important for delivering outcomes, you can’t force a collaboration for the sake of it.”
Being purpose-led also helps with nurturing the partnership and keeping a project on track, Fatima adds.
“When there is a clear shared purpose, it opens up the opportunity to negotiate. If we are involved in the early stages of the project there’s even more possibility to be transparent about what are the compromises and negotiables,” Fatima explains.
“By combining the innovation and efficiency of the private sector with the accountability and community focus of the public sector, we can create truly exceptional outcomes. Ash and I help to find the common ground and bridge any gaps to ensure both parties work together seamlessly to deliver a high-quality result that benefits everyone.”
Harnessing innovation and creativity
Both Ash and Fatima are passionate about building thriving communities and precincts so everyone can live, work, and enjoy the cities that they love.“What sets my soul on fire is unlocking a sense of place and local stories. We can all relate to discovering a destination, eating that incredible meal, finding a unique shop, feeling refreshed from the vibe of a space. That’s what I want to be a part of creating for all communities, and the property industry has a big role to play,” Ash says.
“I really love innovation, creativity and problem solving. With my brand strategy background and digital marketing expertise, I’m always thinking about things in terms of the customer experience. So when it comes to our cities I am thinking about the place experience and how the user will have as minimal friction as possible, in both a digital and a physical sense, when it comes to their city user journey.
“The strategies of tomorrow require new and diverse thinking. I love the diversity and vast capabilities of the businesses I represent across CBRE because there is such a huge breadth of conversations we can be part of and the value we can add,” Ash says.
Ash and Fatima are dedicated to changing perceptions of the real estate industry and demonstrating how the sector can offer genuine solutions that promote progress and create spaces which benefit communities and business.
Open to opportunity
Both Ash and Fatima are energised by the opportunities to be a catalyst for connecting government and property sectors. They see the biggest opportunities in both Sydney and Melbourne centering around transport and precincts.“In Sydney, the extension of the Metro across Western Sydney is a big focus especially in terms of the new airport and Bradfield City development. There's a huge amount of infrastructure and land to be developed when the airport comes online to enable increased freight activity and key worker amenity. We expect a huge boom for e-commerce and industrial supply chain, which is really exciting,” Ash says.
“When we talk about the CBD, because there isn’t a huge development pipeline for new stock coming online for a range of reasons, we really need to reimagine the buildings we have and the new lives that can be created for them. How do we invest in them to ensure they have the best sustainability-related credentials? Are they still fit for purpose? Can they be reimaged in some way that creates opportunity for vibrancy? Do they have multiple uses to drive economic productivity over a 24-hour period? Are there older office buildings that can be transformed into housing, boutique bars or experience driven retail?” she adds.
Fatima notes the importance of thinking beyond ‘the building’ when it comes to creating thriving precincts and vibrant communities.
“It’s about creating places people can enjoy. We might have a need for office buildings but there needs to be bigger thinking to make it a precinct. Is there connectivity—trains and trams especially—can we bring retail, food, art, hotels and accommodation into the mix so people have reasons to stay longer and tell other people about their experience? That’s where we come in to make these connections and bring the right people together.”
