Page 28 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

The Top 10 NUMBER ONE

Ric’s recipe for a life

of real richness

He’s a big name in global real estate and the man behind Britain’s largest black-run private
company. He’s also this year’s Powerlist No 1. Ric Lewis talks to Beverley D’Silva about
getting to the top, giving back and why stories and people are worth more than money

Congratulations, Ric. How does You didn’t follow the career path of growing around me and I was seeing
it feel to be voted No 1 on the others in your family – how did life take the tables turned and affirmative action
Powerlist 2019? off for you? happening. I’m a product of people
It feels like a real honour! It’s almost like I got straight As, and I was student being open to the idea of diversity
a lifetime achievement award. But I’m class president and school president. and inclusion.
not done yet. No one told me I wasn’t supposed to
be those things – I just ran for the posts, Did you have role models or heroes?
For people not familiar with you and won. I was a bright kid, but I had no My maternal grandmother – she was a
or your work, how would you idea of my potential. I would have gone force of nature – and my parents, who
describe yourself? to the local university, but the head of have been together 55, 56 years. In the
I feel I have a precious perspective as guidance (careers adviser) for Salem US, an uncomfortable percentage of
an insider/outsider in this country. I’ve picked up on me and helped extend my black families don’t have a male head
been here 20 years, I am a UK citizen, horizons completely. He said: “I’m taking of the household, which has led to
my two daughters were born here, went fractured families. So I think my parents
to school here, and have British accents. are my heroes for the fact they’re still
Britain is a big, integral piece of my life. together and married in their sixth
But at the same time I’m not affected decade. They’re shaping their pride.
by some of the cultural or historical
constraints that might affect those who How did you choose your profession?
were born here – especially in the black Bigger isn’t At college I played basketball at the
community. I have my own struggles better – it highest level. But I knew it wasn’t my
and baggage growing up as a black vocation. Early on I realised I wanted
person in America – but I don’t have can be to be in finance, and I started as a
ones from England. I’m often an outlier commercial banker. What attracted me
in the room and I use that freedom to humbling and to real estate and private equity was
question the status quo. it’s tangible and it has a narrative. I like
daunting that and I like building teams that are
Tell us about your life before moving performing to people’s expectations.
to Britain. you to this college fair,” and he brought It’s investing and it’s a trust business.
I grew up just outside Boston, in Salem, me to Northeastern University and to People’s most precious commodities
Massachusetts. It was a majority white the admissions officer. It was: “Could are love, their children and money, and
population, so I learned early on how you please apply to Dartmouth, and you’re asking them to trust you with one
to exist in a different setting. I couldn’t to Harvard”… and I got in. Back home, of those. My whole life has been: how far
get into any trouble – I was the eldest of dad said: “How much is that going to can I push that, if you could get people
three boys and we were easily identified cost?” But at the fire station ,he would to trust you and then other people to
because my dad was fire chief in Salem. be saying to the other officers: “Well, we join in, what you could accomplish? My
My uncle was a firefighter and my brother got into Harvard.” So I was the first in business life is an extension of that
is one now, and my grandfather was a my extended family to go to university, same passion.
policeman. My aspirations were defined and to a great one at that.
by – and confined by – my immediate How do you encourage your
family. They were good, hard-working What was it like growing up in the employees to thrive and progress at
people – my parents had us in their States in the 1960s? your company Tristan?
early 20s, and to make ends meet, dad I definitely felt prejudice. But as a young My experience is that people tend
worked three jobs and my mum had a job boy in 1960s Boston, it helped that I to gravitate towards and invest in
outside the home too. To find housing, was living in one of the most educated, people who are most comfortable with
they probably went to 30 places before enlightened parts of the country. themselves and what they do. Integrity
someone would rent to them. Plus the civil rights movement was and authenticity matter in business, as

24 Powerlist 2019