Newly appointed equity partner: Scott Palmer

i2C has welcomed a new equity partner with Scott Palmer, Senior Associate and General Manager, joining Brian Jende, Anthony Merlin and Rod Rose as owners of the business.

Scott’s journey with i2C commenced in March 2013 as Interiors Manager, before making his way up the ranks to Senior Associate and General Manager in January 2018.

Responsible for managing i2C business activities and developing and implementing effective business strategies and programs, Scott says the move to partner was a natural progression as he had always viewed himself as a business owner.

“I had always wanted to own a business, but I wanted to do it with great people and with a business that has really great potential, growth and an authentic culture, of which i2C was the perfect fit.”

“The partnership represents and solidifies that the founders’ Brian and Anthony, are genuine in their vision to embrace, develop and progress their team while sharing in the rewards of what they have created with the team’s support.”

i2C Managing Director and co-founder Anthony said “it was an exciting milestone to be welcoming Scott as an equity partner, as he personifies i2C’s values in all that he does.”

“Scott’s passion and enthusiasm for business and his dedication to culture are what makes this partnership so appealing. From the time Brian and I started the business, and later with Rod joining, we have always been interested in developing talent ‘in house’ and exploring the idea of team members becoming equity partners, so this is the first step of an exciting new chapter in our business,” said Anthony.

For 21 years, i2C has built its reputation on the values of integrity, expertise, and innovation but eleven years ago, Anthony made the change that truly revolutionised i2C’s business model.

“Eleven years ago, we stopped taking resumes and started hiring for culture rather than credentials,” said Anthony. “This provides us with the opportunity to see who will be the right fit for our team, with credentials secondary.”

This model is now a key component of i2C’s cultural and business DNA, with three team members celebrating their 20 year anniversary with the business this year, and team retention rates are at an all time high.

Furthering its commitment to office culture, i2C also participates in the Great Places to Work Awards Program and has done so for the past 10 years. The only design firm in Australia to enter and rank in the top 20 for the last five out of six, i2C uses the program as a way to receive honest and anonymous feedback from team members to ensure it continues to create a positive work environment.

With its standing planted firmly in the retail space in its earlier years, i2C has since expanded its offering and is now considered an expert in the increasingly popular build to rent space, regenerative housing, and industrial design. As a result, the range of clients i2C works with has expanded across both Australia and New Zealand as well, now working with developers including Frasers, Vicinity, Investa and Kiwi Property.

Equity Partner, Scott said he hopes to provide a platform for others in the business to develop and grow professionally, just as he has.

“I plan to grow the business further so that everybody can be rewarded financially, inspirationally as well as culturally, while helping the founding partners fulfil their vision of an employee-owned practice, allowing them to enjoy being in a business rather than purely running it,” he said.