Satnam Singh is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer for CBRE’s Advisory Services business, where he leads digital, AI, and tech teams. With nearly 25 years of experience, he has driven transformative value creation across various industries. Earlier, Satnam was an executive product and technology leader at Thomson Reuters, where he developed innovative cloud, data, and AI applications. At Oracle, he launched and scaled the company’s first AI product suite. Satnam has also held leadership roles at Travelocity, Omnicom, and Microsoft. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and is passionate about innovation and digital transformation.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Satnam shared his professional trajectory, insights on the key trends in the commercial real estate sector to keep an eye on, the secret sauce behind his success, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Please tell us about your career path. What experiences have brought you here?
Throughout my (nearly) 25-year career, I have built a reputation as a leader who drives significant growth, efficiently, by leveraging digital strategy, product development, and technology, with a strong focus on Data and AI. My journey began at Akamai Technologies, where I designed advanced AI algorithms for one of the world’s first and foremost digital infrastructure companies. While I thrived in this technical domain, my passion for creating customer-centric digital solutions steered me toward product management, where I could directly influence value creation at scale.
As I transitioned into product and technology leadership roles, I had the opportunity to transform major organizations like Travelocity and MetLife. In these roles, as I spearheaded initiatives that significantly boosted growth and operational efficiencies, resulting in both revenue growth and enhanced profitability. One of the key milestones in my career was turnaround of Travelocity, under the private equity ownership of TPG and Silver Lake, to profitable growth, within 18 months, and an eventual sale to Expedia. Another key milestone was when I launched Oracle’s first AI suite, an industry-leading product suite that I successfully scaled to several hundreds of millions USD in annual recurring revenue. These experiences reinforced my belief in the transformative power of digital, technology, and data/AI to drive business outcomes.
Currently, as the Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Advisory business, and as a member of the Digital & Technology executive leadership team at CBRE, a Fortune 126 company and the world’s largest commercial real estate firm with $32 billion in annual revenue, I lead digital transformation initiatives that drive substantial value creation for our Advisory business. My career has been defined by a commitment to commercial growth, focus on execution, and the ability to align cutting-edge technology with strategic business objectives, positioning organizations to outperform their peers in increasingly competitive markets.
What do you love the most about your current role at CBRE?
What I find rewarding in my role are the opportunities to leverage data, AI, and technology to build digital applications that deliver commercial value for both CBRE and our clients. It is incredibly satisfying to develop and deploy large-scale data platforms that handle and utilize more than a billion data points. These platforms enable use of AI, including Generative AI, effectively, positively transforming the workflows of a diverse range of customers, from brokers and appraisers to property managers and loan service teams.
I also value the opportunity to drive operational excellence and enhance productivity for our various teams across the globe through a combination of global solutions contextualized for local needs. By focusing on integrating advanced digital and technological solutions, I work to streamline processes and improve efficiency, which directly contributes to our commercial success and benefits our clients.
Finally, I am motivated by the role I play in building a sustainable and innovative future. Knowing that my efforts in advancing technology and strategy can help create lasting value for both our organization and future generations gives me a deep sense of purpose and achievement.
How is CBRE leveraging digital technologies like AI and data analytics to enhance its services and stay ahead of the competition?
CBRE uses data, AI, and advanced analytics across the real estate life cycle and in our own business to unlock operational efficiencies, manage risk, differentiate our services and help our employees be more productive. Two examples are predictive insights and document abstraction.
As the world’s largest real estate services and investment firm, we possess vast quantities of proprietary transaction and building management data. For example, AI enables our Capital Markets professionals to determine best sources of capital for property sales. It also helps our account teams streamline operations across geographically diverse building portfolios, ensuring consistent delivery of services.
Commercial real estate is a document-intensive industry – there are numerous contracts (such as leases), other legal documents, and research reports. Generative AI helps drive higher productivity for our employees through faster extraction of information and improved accuracy. As one example, by automating lease abstraction, CBRE has reduced manual lease processing time by 25%.
In the next 5 years, what emerging technologies or trends do you see having the most significant impact on the commercial real estate sector?
Commercial real estate continues to evolve at pace with several emerging trends shaping its future. Adoption of smart buildings and digital twins, increasing attention to sustainability and green practices, growing role of AI and data, and the influence of e-commerce and AI on fast growth of warehousing and data centers are some of the key factors driving a shift in the sector. These developments are gradually enhancing the industry’s efficiency, sustainability, and adaptability.
PropTech is facilitating this shift, with smart buildings and digital twins becoming more prevalent. These technologies are improving the management and maintenance of properties by utilizing IoT devices and real-time data. The ability to create virtual replicas of physical assets not only allows property managers to monitor and optimize building operations, contributing to better tenant experiences and resource efficiency, but enables brokers to drive better insights into the spaces during the leasing process.
Sustainability continues to gain traction within the commercial real estate sector, with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy integration. AI-driven systems are helping to optimize energy use and reduce waste, aligning with broader efforts to enhance building performance and environmental impact. Additionally, AI (especially Computer Vision) is being increasingly utilized in asset and property management, enabling more efficient operations, predictive maintenance, and better financial forecasting, which helps maximize the value and performance of real estate portfolios.
AI and large-scale data management are playing a crucial role in shaping the future of commercial real estate. Predictive models enable more informed decision-making by forecasting market trends and tenant needs and loan origination and servicing. The rise of e-commerce is also impacting demand for warehouse and logistics spaces, with automation improving efficiency in these areas. Additionally, AR and VR technologies are transforming property marketing, offering virtual tours and immersive experiences that help visualize spaces before they are built. These trends are gradually influencing the landscape of commercial real estate.
How does CBRE balance the use of technology with the need for human expertise and client relationships in the commercial real estate industry?
Everything we do at CBRE is guided by our RISE values – Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. While we highlight where AI can help our people work more efficiently, we also educate employees that AI makes mistakes and it’s essential to have a human in the loop on all decision-making. AI is good at processing large amounts of data, recognizing patterns and completing tasks that require precision and speed. Yet commercial real estate is truly a relationship business built on trust.
We take great care to manage risks appropriately, and all AI technologies are analyzed for security, privacy, and regulatory compliance before introducing them in the enterprise.
What does the term “authentic leadership” mean to you? How do you foster innovation and experimentation within your team?
To me, authentic leadership is fundamentally about leading with integrity, clear communication, and a genuine commitment to the growth of my team. It involves embracing a servant leadership approach and maintaining a learning mindset. Authentic leaders understand that they may not always have all the answers, but they use emotional intelligence to remain transparent and approachable. They bring together the right team, ask insightful questions, and establish the necessary frameworks to support collaborative problem-solving. By combining emotional intelligence with a commitment to continuous learning, authentic leaders foster a supportive environment where trust, innovation, and effective solutions can thrive.
Fostering innovation and experimentation within my team starts with creating a culture that encourages curiosity and embraces a learning mindset. I prioritize building an environment where team members feel safe to explore new ideas balancing risk taking with appropriate due diligence. This involves setting clear expectations for experimentation and providing the resources and support necessary to pursue innovative projects. I also ensure that we celebrate successes and learn from setbacks, reinforcing the idea that every experiment, regardless of the outcome, contributes to our collective growth and progress. By empowering my team and leading by example, I strive to cultivate a dynamic atmosphere where creativity thrives, and new solutions can emerge.
You’ve had an illustrious career, marked by numerous awards and recognition, including being named one of the Top 100 Global AI Executives. Our readers would love to know the secret sauce behind your success.
The key to my success is a straightforward yet non-trivial formula: deliver improved commercial returns through increased revenue and margins. Achieving this requires a delicate balance between addressing immediate needs and implementing long-term strategic shifts within the product portfolio and organizational culture. It also involves managing competing demands, such as customer expectations, sales team requirements, strategic objectives, and competitive pressures.
My approach is centered on three core principles. First, I focus on understanding how to help our customers grow, which involves a deep comprehension of their industry, business dynamics, and the specific challenges they face. Second, I prioritize hiring and nurturing exceptional teams, as this is essential for scaling operations and executing at a high level. Third, I emphasize the importance of iteration and rapid development, which enables us to stay ahead of competitors and continuously improve. These strategies collectively ensure that we not only meet but exceed our commercial and operational goals.
What would your advice be to other leaders who are about to embark on similar journeys of business transformation?
I would direct these leaders to my earlier response for a comprehensive perspective. Additionally, I believe that achieving success is far more rewarding when it is done collaboratively. Embrace the opportunity to support your peers and other teams, and do not hesitate to seek assistance when needed. Effective communication is crucial—keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the journey. By fostering a spirit of teamwork and maintaining open lines of communication, we not only enhance our collective success but also ensure a more enjoyable and impactful experience for everyone involved.