JLL Executive Vice President Natalie Ceva once entertained global audiences as a studio operations manager at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles. Today, she negotiates some of the largest deals in industrial real estate, trading studio lots for industrial parks.
As one of the first women to serve as a warehouse development director at a major firm, Ceva has carved out a leadership role that's helping to redefine what that position looks like. After a decade in the media and entertainment industry, she made a bold career pivot, joining JLL as an industrial associate in 2019 and rising to her current executive post last year.
"While I still love the art of acting, singing, and modeling, the day-to-day grind diminished my passion, leading me to realize it was time to walk away after eight years," Ceva told GlobeSt.com.
"It is still something I think about nearly every day, but ultimately, I wanted to be in the driver's seat, creating my own destiny – not waiting on a casting director who may or may not like how I looked, talked, or walked. This is only the beginning!"
Ceva shares that mindset with the growing number of women pursuing careers in the industrial sector.
"Find a female (or male) mentor who 'gets it,' and learn as much as possible from them," she said. "It's a tough business sometimes, but if you surround yourself with a really good team that supports your career, you can truly do anything."
She encourages women interested in the field to reach out directly. "I will always respond," she said. "I might not have all the answers, but I can promise I will give you my best advice."
For Ceva, success in commercial real estate also requires resilience.
"Having a sense of humor, thick skin, and learning to get up quickly when you get knocked down is the name of the game in this business," she said. "If someone doesn't want to do business with you, shake it off and move to the next."
Among her proudest achievements is completing the largest industrial deal in the Charlotte market last year.
"This was truly a team effort and could not have been done without my teammates," she said, crediting JLL fellow colleagues Dan McGillicuddy, Brad Cherry, Britteny Love (research), Kate Glenn (brokerage coordinator), Pete Pittroff (capital markets), and others for their contributions.
"This can be such an individual sport, but the best way to succeed is by making it a team sport, which is partly why I loved this deal so much," Ceva said. "Without them, I would not have been able to do that alone."
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