Name: Dustin Fjeld
Job title: Founder and CEO of Fjeld Consulting and Parcel SafePlace
What I do: Provide insight and engineered solutions for the built environment to increase profitability and create long-term operational excellence.
Why I got into the property industry: While in university, I was studying industrial engineering [business engineering/assembly line process improvement] and I secured an internship with the USA’s second largest home builder, Pulte, as a construction project manager intern. As part of the course you were supposed to rotate through departments, I started in the most coveted of rotations working with the area civil engineer streamlining contracts and bids, but he must have liked me, as I was never rotated out with the other interns. I was then offered a role with two years of my degree still remaining. I focused the rest of my time at Purdue University on how to improve and speed up the homebuilding process like a fixed-point assembly line. As I approached my last year in university, I attended the school’s construction job fair and tried to sell my newfound knowledge and home building process improvement plan. It fell on deaf ears, but one of the apartment developers was looking for a young engineer that understood data cabling, construction job sites and spreadsheets. I got the job as a project coordinator for AMLI residential and 15 years later I was senior vice president of strategic business services at a Morgan Stanley run national multifamily operator.
My first big break: During the 2008 financial crisis, the company I was working for downsized and I ended up with an additional two departments to manage. It was a challenge but having more responsibility in my role helped me to thrive in my career and open up new opportunities.
My inspiration(s): Steve Hallsey – a major university football coach turned businessman who could motivate people to do anything. He got into the multifamily industry after spending 11 years of coaching college football at the University of Utah.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Starting two companies and keeping them going through Covid restrictions and lockdowns. It was a tough environment, but we have a great team that really pulled together.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: I’ve always been very work focused, so I’d have to say becoming a vice president before I turned 40.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: Furnished apartments – adding furniture is expensive and can be problematic. It makes the apartments look like hotels rather than homes, everyone has different tastes, and no two homes have the same furniture. So, why would any developer think 300 units kitted out with the same furniture will resonate and raise rents, rather than hurt them?
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: At its core, my passion for DE&I stems from a fundamental belief: we are all just people, trying to navigate through life as best as we can. Regardless of our physical abilities, gender, skin colour, or neurodiversity, each of us shares the same basic desires – to succeed, contribute, and be recognised for our unique strengths. In my role as a business owner, I see it as my duty and privilege to identify the strengths within each individual and create environments where they can thrive. This isn’t just about fairness or doing the right thing from a moral standpoint; it’s about recognising the immense value that diversity brings to the table. Diverse teams are more creative, more innovative, and better equipped to solve complex problems. By fostering an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and understood, we can unlock potential not just within individuals, but within the organisation as a whole. When we celebrate our differences and work together, we can achieve remarkable things. It’s about creating a workplace where everyone, from every walk of life, knows they have the opportunity to succeed and be heard. This commitment isn’t just a part of what we do – it’s at the very heart of how we operate. It’s about building a better, more inclusive world, one decision at a time.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: In my US career I saw so much wasted water and energy from all-inclusive utility offers to try to entice renters. Several years later I was part of the solution; renovating apartments with meters and adding billing systems to try to get the usage under control. Wisely, the industry lobbied for more metering and billing. As an engineer I enjoy data and the tracking of costs and utility usage, I watched happily as the usage decreased by 25% just by billing via estimations, and another 25% once metering was in place. I’m seeing the same thing here in the UK, and hope we get organised to ensure everyone treats our limited resources more carefully.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I’d like to be in a spot where I can negotiate cost savings and add value for the entire PBSA and BTR industry.
What I do in my downtime: I love travelling with my family and exploring all the cultures the different cultures around the world. My favourite trip was interrailing across Europe with my girlfriend who later became my wife.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: Completing deals really does excite me, so it would have to be a job that involved large transactions.
My advice for someone just starting out: Learn everything you can, be nice to everyone, and build your brand.
My motto/mantra: I might have borrowed this from Peter Drucker, but he said it well… “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
