For Ethan Colaiace, no matter how far he travels – whether for education or business – Providence is always his “home base.”
The Rhode Island native received his bachelor’s degree in English literature and Spanish from Beloit College in Wisconsin. Colaiace later attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a master’s in community and regional planning and a master’s in Latin American studies.
Colaiace returned to Rhode Island to work in private sector planning and economic development, becoming development director at Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. in 2003. In his time there, Colaiace’s accomplishments led to his receiving a 2008 Providence Business News 40 Under Forty award.
While at the 2008 40 Under Forty awards event, Colaiace happened to meet a fellow winner who worked for GTECH Corp. With the global economic crisis putting pressure on the real estate industry, Colaiace had been considering making a career change. A few weeks after the event, he was offered the job of director of real estate and facilities for GTECH. He accepted and has found the new job a perfect fit.
As the leader of the real estate and facilities team for a global corporation, Colaiace travels more than ever. His team is responsible for site selection, lease negotiation, facility design, building engineering and project management for GTECH, which owns and leases more than 2.2 million square feet around the world.
Colaiace’s background in Spanish language and culture has allowed him to enhance his team’s role in countries such as Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Despite his new jet-setting career, Colaiace still finds time to focus on his (and GTECH’s) home base. Colaiace is a trustee of the Providence Foundation, and served on the steering committee for the Creative Providence Cultural Plan. •
