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Navigating the Evolving Tech Landscape
With technology in a constant evolution, leaders are frequently faced with the challenging task of finding ways to get their teams ready for inevitable change. Marcos Marti, vice president (VP) of information technology (IT) at real estate development and lifestyle company Related Group, likens it to convincing elementary school students that high school won’t be so bad.
“As a kid, I would get so overwhelmed thinking about how hard math and other subjects would be. I could barely write three sentences, and they were writing ten pages,” Marti says.
But just as a teacher would work with students to unpack their concerns about new math equations or longer essays, Marti believes technology leaders must understand team fears and concerns.
“A lot of people are afraid of change because they just don’t know what things will be like after the transition,” the VP says. “As a leader, I usually try to understand a person’s point of view and address those things first, because that lowers their guard and makes them comfortable with the rest of the conversation. It opens the dialogue and shows them that you’re interested in walking with them through their concerns.”
At Related Group, Marti deploys this leadership approach to much success. Since coming to the company in 2018, he and his colleagues have not only helped build up critical IT infrastructure, but they made the department an integral part of the company’s construction process.
“Collaborating with Marcos within the realm of multi-tenant environments highlights our joint commitment to adapting to change and shaping the future. Together, we navigate the dynamic technological landscape, fostering growth and innovation while providing high value to the residents,” says Ryan Loftus, EVP of business development, multi-tenant environments at Hotwire Communications.
Delivering Exceptional Guest Experiences
Today, Marti oversees all low-voltage construction and agreements that involve technology. It’s a role that offers him unique insight into how the guest experience can be fine-tuned.
“We always needed someone who could see all of our projects in one view, so we could standardize and have symmetry between them,” he says. “In the past, some of the things we built had more or less tech than others. My role and my team allow us to achieve more of a balance to offer a more fun and exciting guest experience to everyone.”
Marti feels an immense pride when he meets people who talk positively about the projects he’s helped build. But one stands out: Veneto, which he calls his “crown jewel project.” The property, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and slated to open in 2024, will be the “Tesla of buildings,” according to Marti, powered by automation and cutting-edge tech. Imagine being able to navigate an entire apartment building with your cell phone or smartwatch.
“Free knowledge is the best—especially when people are willing to teach you.”
Marcos Marti
“In this well-thought-out project, we have an amazing Wi-Fi set up that allows residents to get on and off elevators without dropping a call,” he says. “You can gain access to the property and its amenities with your Apple Watch. The sound system in the building can drown out noise in the area and make pool deck visitors feel like they’re on the beach.”
Leveraging AI to Drive Digital Transformation
“Collaborating with Marcos Marti has been transformative for The Related Group,” says Nick Monfreda, VP at CSPi Technology Solutions. “Our expertise and partnership with Microsoft have significantly reduced costs and improved security, aligning perfectly with Marcos’s vision for digital transformation.”
For Marti, Veneto is just the tip of the iceberg as far as innovation goes. He and his team also have their sights set on the applications of artificial intelligence (AI), which he says will allow more people to become thinkers instead of doers.
“Many struggle to find information in the company, but we’ve experimented with connecting gen AI to our file system in a way that will help us better understand our business,” he says. “We can ask it questions about how many deals we have with certain clients or how we’ve spent our money. In that respect, the impact will be huge. But as AI gets more powerful, it may speed up project development in some ways and allow us to mitigate missed opportunities.”
Marti always liked taking things apart and understanding how they worked. Once his parents got him a computer as a kid, his interest in IT snowballed. He attended a technical high school for networking and took a help desk job at a call center after he graduated. While attending college was his initial plan, he couldn’t justify pursuing a degree when he was climbing the corporate ladder and getting hands on experience (although he did end up attending Miami Dade College after getting established in his career). In many ways, it was an education that couldn’t be replicated by a classroom.
“In the early part of my career, I spent eighty to one hundred hours at work and wanted to know how every ticket was closed,” Marti says. “I got a chance to sit with the development team, the telecom team, and the networking team to learn as much as possible about different sides of the business. Free knowledge is the best—especially when people are willing to teach you.”
Empowering Employees Through Trust
He went on to serve as a system administrator for six years at Inktel and an IT manager at various companies for five. He credits that decade to developing his leadership style. In addition to learning how to be understanding toward employees, he also learned how he could use his role to remove roadblocks.
“I believe in hiring skillful individuals and letting them do their jobs. I’m not a micromanager. I’m just here to remove things and provide resources and information,” Marti says. “I think that if you give people space and freedom, they grow quicker and become more consumed with what they’re working on.”
“As a leader, I usually try to understand a person’s point of view and address those things first, because that lowers their guard and makes them comfortable with the rest of the conversation. It opens the dialogue and shows them that you’re interested in walking with them through their concerns.”
Marcos Marti
In 2018, Marti came to Related Group to serve as director of IT operations and went on to serve as the senior director of technology, before falling into his current VP of IT role. Moving forward, Marti is excited about continuing his career at Related and working on the next big project.
“I love it here. There’s always challenges, but I never feel alone in what I get myself into,” Marti says. “The company has a saying that we’re not all family, but we’re all related—and I really feel that.”
He is also looking forward to continuing the journey with his wife by his side. They’ve been together for nearly twenty years.
“My wife has always said that she’d bet on me and my career over anybody,” Marti says. “She’s always held it down, so I can work and focus on my growth. Without her, I don’t know if I’d be so focused.”
