Duan He.
Duan He, 28
Senior associate at Silverstein Properties
The concept of legacy drew Duan He to real estate. A Chinese engineer who excelled at Columbia, where he earned a master’s in construction engineering and management. He graduated in 2015 with a hunger to build places that “help people thrive.”
He’s off to a solid start at Silverstein Properties, where, after five years, he’s become a project manager, after working on such marquee projects as the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown and 3 World Trade Center.
He credits his rise in part to his work philosophy: Do everything on time, learn as much as possible to avoid getting pigeonholed, and treat every job as if it’s your own company on the line.
His current project, the Disney Corporation’s massive new Hudson Square headquarters — his first as a lead project manager — will be his focus for the foreseeable future. He’s in charge of overseeing the core and shell construction for the 1.2 million-square-foot office development, which is aiming to be both LEED- and WELL-certified. He sees the development as a sign that, despite today’s uncertainty over the office market, the city’s real estate market will persevere.
“This is where you can have all access to all the great leaders in the world,” He said of New York. “The culture of the city, the best media, the best music — it’s what drew me to Columbia. It’s the best city in the world.”
His belief in New York City’s resilience — part of what attracted He to Silverstein in the first place — has made the Disney project a dream. Not only will he get closer to seeing a megaproject evolve from start to finish, but he’ll be part of helping New York bounce back.
