Inspirational women: In conversation with Sabrine Boudhi
In honour of Women’s Month, Profica is celebrating women who are making a significant impact in Workplace Solutions across Africa. Today, we chat to Sabrine Boudih, Profica’s Workplace Solutions lead in Morocco, who is reshaping the landscape of property development and workplace design in the region.
Sabrine joined CBRE in 2013, immediately after university, and then pursued her career in Dubai and Spain before returning to CBRE. She transitioned to Profica after CBRE Excellerate acquired a share in the company. With a rich background in interior design, project management and contracting, Sabrine now serves as a project and account manager with Profica, focusing on business development as well.
Sabrine greatly values the multidisciplinary nature of her role, saying, “Every project is different, and every day brings new challenges. That’s what makes my job so exciting. What I enjoy the most is seeing a project go from an idea, to paper to reality. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
Her diverse experience allows her to don multiple hats at Profica, providing a comprehensive view of the project and all its stakeholders. “At Profica, we multitask and we don’t work in silos. We touch everything from design, to commercial aspects, to administration, to site management. I’ve been in everybody’s shoes! This gives us a fully-fledged view of the project and all the stakeholders involved, which adds huge value as you understand the project from all perspectives. It certainly helps us to manage the project better.”
Sabrine highlights Morocco’s strategic position as a gateway to Africa, attracting multinationals with its renewed economic stability, large ports, reduced taxes, and ease of doing business. As a French-speaking country, it is easier for multinationals to access. These factors have resulted in a construction boom across Morocco. “New hotels, residential and commercial developments, factories, and industrial projects are being built, transforming the landscape of our economic capitals. We’ve been seeing more factories and industrial projects as companies move production from Europe to Morocco.”
Profica offers turnkey developments and has been involved in several significant projects in the region, including a project for Mastercard in Casablanca, which earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Other projects include work for Syngenta, Ericsson, and the British Council.
In terms of workplace solutions, Sabrine notes that multinational clients prefer having one point of contact and appreciate the turnkey developments offered by Profica. “We’re able to offer turnkey developments through our design and build services, delivering as the principal contractor. We help appoint and manage the subcontractors and all aspects of the project.”
She also highlights the growing importance given to people, not just space, in project management, indicating a shift towards a more holistic approach to workspace strategy. “There’s a growing focus on the people aspect of workplace design and management. Previously, it was just about workspace strategy. Once we delivered, there was limited change management. Clients are now understanding the people aspects better.”
Profica CEO Tim White has expressed confidence in the team in Morocco, saying, “Sabrine’s ability to effectively manage projects and maintain strong client relationships is invaluable. We value proactive problem-solving and the ability to ‘see around corners’ as part of our commitment to ensuring that our clients achieve the maximum return on their investment.”
As we celebrate Women’s Month, Sabrine Boudhi stands as a powerful example of the impact women can have in the field of Workplace Solutions. Her dedication, innovation, and leadership continue to drive Profica forward, contributing significantly to its success in Morocco and beyond.