ICE Condominiums hires new Executive Director, brings Management in-house to benefit owners, residents

The Executive Director will be supported by a team of condo management professionals focused exclusively on the needs of ICE Condominium’s residents and owners

TORONTO ON—OCTOBER 19, 2022—Today, ICE Condominiums (TSCC 2510) announced that it will appoint Robert Buckler as Executive Director before the end of December 2022. In his new role, Robert will lead a new team of experienced industry professionals that will be ICE Condominiums’ in-house management team, overseeing administration, facilities maintenance and resident services. Bringing these services in-house will mean that ICE Condominiums’ residents and owners can enjoy the benefit of a dedicated team that is accountable to and focused on the best interests of the community, through direction provided by the Board of Directors.

In-House Approach

This strategic decision challenges the status-quo of the condominium industry.

In making this change, the Board of ICE Condominiums is adopting an unconventional approach by directly hiring management employees, as opposed to relying on a third-party condominium management provider. This approach is uncommon because of the significant investment by volunteer-run condominium boards to investigate, create and staff a team, but that work comes with significant payoffs. By hiring employees directly, the Board of Directors will be able to attract top talent to the building, reduce costs related to contracted services and incentivize contributions to excellence in resident experience by linking staff compensation to levels of satisfaction and improved value to owners.

"The new Executive Director position will be critical in our ambitions of redefining what best-in-class condominium management looks like,” said Nicholas Pearson, Board President. “In our search for the right person, Robert distinguished himself as a skilled and tactful professional who understands the needs and challenges of our community. As we prepare for Robert to transition into this new role, we also express our gratitude to the incumbent management, DUKA Property Management, for their contributions to our building over the past several years.”

Robert has worked closely with ICE Condominiums since June 2022, most recently employed as a Strategic Advisor to the Board of Directors, supporting operational improvements. Robert has also performed advisory work for ICE Condominiums since 2021. He is a seasoned industry professional with extensive experience advising and managing condominium corporations and other real estate entities. Robert developed and now teaches the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s (CMRAO) Excellence in Condominium Management course, which must be taken in order to become a condominium manager in Ontario. He is also an active contributor to the industry’s professional development community, participating in various committees and publishing regular thought leadership articles. Robert’s work was recently published in CCI Toronto’s CondoVoice magazine, “The Impact of Bid-Rigging.”

A hand-picked team

In-house management will allow ICE Condominiums to attract top-tier industry professionals in service to residents and owners.

ICE Condominiums has recently undertaken a recruiting effort to develop a team of skilled professionals that will support the Executive Director. The incoming condominium management team has broad and diverse experience and will report into an organizational structure led by the Executive Director, who reports and is accountable to the Board of Directors. Together, the entire management team will be oriented around excellence and accountability in the key functional areas of ICE Condominiums’ management.

The new team demonstrates the vision for employee specialization and introducing best-practices from other industries into the condominium management setting. For example, ICE Condominiums is welcoming one facilities management professional with years of experience specifically in high-rise maintenance and repairs, and another who has run high-volume customer support helpdesks. By doing this, ICE Condominium is able to build a hand-picked team tailored to our condominium’s unique needs.

Residents, owners, and vendors of ICE Condominiums are asked to continue addressing any operational questions to the existing DUKA team, who will remain as the building’s management provider until a future announcement is made.

About ICE Condominiums

ICE Condominiums is an urban landmark and the largest condominium in Downtown Toronto, located at 12 York Street and 14 York Street. ICE I and ICE II— comprising 57- and 67-storey towers, were completed in 2014. In 2016, the annual Emporis Skyscraper Award recognized ICE as one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world.