Hanna is an entrepreneur passionate about the built environment and social value in development. As the founder of Mood and Space, she specialises in helping clients develop community-focused buildings and urban neighbourhoods by embedding social value into their development strategies and processes, to date, she has been involved in the development/delivery of over 5,000 homes. Prior to establishing Mood and Space, Afolabi served as Development Director for Balfour Beatty Investments, where she worked on East Wick and Sweetwater. There she was responsible for leading the feasibility, business planning, budgeting, design, programming, and planning of a mixed-use regeneration project of approximately 1,900 homes on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In 2019, she founded Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE), an international organisation that elevates Black women in the property industry and creates opportunities to retain and increase diverse talent.
Priya Aggarwal-Shah is the Founder and Director of PREACH Inclusion® (PREACH standing for Promoting Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage - formerly BAME in Property), an organisation that promotes and preaches intersectional inclusion in the Built Environment. Launched in 2018 as a networking group online, Priya has since organised in-person networking events with leading built environment companies for 1,000s of property professionals, grown a social media following to 11,500+ and engaged in numerous campaigns, including Race Equality Week, #MyNameIs, South Asian Heritage Month and International Women’s Day. In 2020, in response to the pandemic and the changing nature of the industry, Priya evolved what was BAME in Property into a company to offer a range of services, including workshops, consultancy, a Jobs Board and membership packages. Some of her clients include National Grid, Trident Building Consultancy, Montagu Evans, Turley, London Property Alliance and many more. In April 2024, Priya rebranded her organisation to PREACH Inclusion® (Promoting Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage), a better reflection of how we identify ourselves, what the focus of the organisation has been for a while and where she aims to take it in the future.
Mr. Breslauer founded Patron Capital in 1999 and is the Managing Partner of the Patron Capital Funds (Patron Capital Captive Fund, Funds I–VII). Total capital under management represents approximately €5.3 billion from leading U.S. and European institutions, endowments, pension funds and family offices. The Patron Funds primarily focus on investments in companies and assets associated with property and property related activities in the United Kingdom and Western Europe. Patron, with 60 people is based in London with offices in Barcelona, Lisbon and Luxembourg with asset management platforms across Europe. Patron’s portfolios now include over 90 million square feet of different types of properties.
Mr. Breslauer is active in many charities with current and previous roles including acting as Chairman and Trustee of the PTI (formerly the Prince’s Teaching Institute), Vice Patron and lead Corporate Donor for the Royal Marines Charity, Director on the Advisory Board for the Rustandy Centre/Social Enterprise Initiative of Chicago Booth, Member of the Chicago Booth Global Leaders Group and Senior Patron across multiple charities.
Mr. Breslauer pioneered The Women in Safe Homes Fund, believed to be the world’s first gender- lens property fund. The fund is designed as a solution to the lack of affordable, safe, and secure homes for women who are experiencing homelessness, are, survivors of domestic abuse, or other complex needs. With Patron’s initial anchor support including £1m personal investment, £29m of capital was raised and now being deployed.
He is a guest lecturer at Chicago Booth, Harvard Business School, IDC Reichman. Oxford University Said School of Business and Imperial College. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the New York University School of Business.
Sue Brown is managing director for Real Estate Balance, a campaigning organisation working to improve diversity and inclusion in the real estate industry. Sue has four decades of business, property and economic-development experience.
Sue joined Real Estate Balance in April 2020 from London First, where she was executive director with responsibility for property, planning, the environment and development since 2016. Sue started her career in government, serving as a senior advisor in a variety of high-profile roles, before going on to establish her own real estate consultancy.
Sue was a driving force behind the launch of MIPIM, the world’s largest real estate investment conference that takes place each year in Cannes. Sue was the co-founder and co-chair of REWIRE, the network for women in property. At the EG Awards in October 2023, Sue won the ‘Outstanding Individual Award’ in recognition for her services to the property industry.
Kelly is a chartered surveyor, Diversity and Inclusion specialist and Executive coach. Kelly’s career spanned media, sales and hospitality before joining JLL and real estate in 2004. Whilst at JLL Kelly worked as part of the Strategic Asset Management team and was a founding member and co-chair of JLL’s LGBTQ+ network Building Pride. Her experience at JLL inspired her to start her business Tigrou Consulting in 2018 and she now delivers coaching and equality, diversity and inclusion advice and training to companies and individuals across the world. In 2023 she authored the RICS’s Creating an Inclusive Culture Guide. Kelly sits on the Ex-Co of AbilityRE. She was previously a member of ULI’s Executive Committee, Chair of ULI’s UK’s REDI committee and programme manager for Changing the Face of Property.
Clive Chalkley is a partner who enables clients to manage their property disputes to achieve a commercial advantage. Clive specialises in providing commercial, practical and innovative solutions to difficult property disputes, saving his clients time and money.
Property is a complicated and technical area of law. Clients need an adviser who is an expert in the field, but who can explain even the most complex matter in simple terms. Clive's straightforward approach enables clients to understand the issues and take control of their disputes.
Property is essential to all of our business needs, yet the law that governs it is complex and at times counter-intuitive. One of Clive's main strengths is to take the complex legal principles and present them in plain English, within a clear commercial context. This maximises clients' control over the conduct of any disputes and the management of their property assets.
Clive is an expert in finding innovative solutions to difficult property disputes and devising new strategies for achieving his clients' aims. This reputation has led him to be noted in Legal 500 for his "off the wall creativity". The vast majority of the disputes Clive handles settle without the need for litigation. But if it comes to it, Clive has extensive court experience and is known for the strength of his tactical analysis.
Michelle is an accomplished marketing strategist with deep expertise in internal and external communications, brand management, and event coordination. As Chief Marketing Officer, she leads the development and execution of strategies that drive strategic business growth, enhance brand awareness, and foster customer engagement. Known for her client-centric approach and strong business acumen, Michelle consistently leverages creativity and resourcefulness to deliver impactful marketing solutions that align with company goals.
Basil is Managing Partner of FORE Partnership, the purpose-driven real estate private equity firm that drives social and environmental innovation in the built environment using low carbon strategies, social impact, place making, and design. He is one of the UK’s foremost experts in commercial retrofit and sustainable real estate. With a background as an engineer and a 20+ years in real estate investing, he brings a depth of knowledge about how to solve the complex, systemic challenges facing the property sector as it seeks to adapt. Prior to founding FORE, Basil was a partner at Capricorn Investment Group, the family office of Jeff Skoll (eBay), and was Managing Partner of a German property fund. He spent 13 years in investment banking in New York and London. Basil is Chair of the children’s charity, the Institute of Imagination, and sits on the board of trustees of the UK Green Building Council, the property industry’s largest membership organisation dedicated to sustainability. He graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.
Paul is Director – Real Estate at TT Group (Telereal Trillium). He joined the Group as an Asset Manager in 1998 and has since had a wide-ranging role across property valuation, investment, and corporate real estate. He has been involved in transacting over £1.5bn of property assets and in arranging more than £1.5bn of real estate finance. Prior to joining TT, he worked in the real estate team at Royal Mail.
Paul is additionally a Non-Executive Director with Dolphin Living, the affordable housing charity providing homes to rent at below market levels, supporting London’s workers on modest incomes.
Paul is a Chartered Surveyor, with a Land Management degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Property Investment, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors
Having worked in the property sector since 1996, Bruce has covered pretty much all aspects of residential property, holding roles such as CEO of Lomond Capital and Managing Director at Countrywide.
During his career, Bruce has opened up over 200 businesses in the UK, been involved in over 100 acquisitions (several of which he headed up) and operated right across the UK, while always retaining a strong focus in London.
As Chief Commercial Officer of Rent Guarantor, he is in the unique position to be able to offer a product that has benefits for Landlords, Tenants, Agents and PBSA providers simultaneously.
Pete Gladwell, leads on public sector investments (>£5bn) for Legal & General and Productive Finance across Legal & General Group. His team drive the growth of L&G’s investments that benefit society. A former youth worker, Pete is heavily involved in local community projects in West London, an Honorary Professor at University College London, a Freeman of the City of London, a member of the government’s Social Impact Investment Advisory Group, and a Trustee of the Fairness Foundation.
Emma carved her career at Knight Frank, spending 38 years with the worlds largest private real estate advisor. She was a leading leasing agent in the greater London and SE region, advising forward thinking clients on some of the most progressive schemes including Chiswick Park, White City Place, Kings Hill and Green Park, Reading. She also focused on Tenant advisory, leading the EMEA Tenant Rep Team for four years. Her understanding of investor, developer and occupier priorities is now being focussed on her new role as a consultant advisor to Railpen, who has an innovation cluster of assets in the Growth corridor across Cambridge- Oxford- on which she provides leasing and occupier strategy. This includes the 330,000 sq ft Botanic Place, an AHMM designed energy efficient, best in class HQ office development in central Cambridge. Emma is a trustee of Club Peloton and a keen cyclist- riding the PedElle ride 6 times, raising funds for Coram, Cyclists Fighting Cancer and Toms Trust. She is an advocate of DEI activities in real estate, with a focus on gender and LGBTQI.
Jessica has over 20 years of experience in real estate investment, beginning her career at BNP Paribas before joining Deutsche Bank’s real estate funds business in 2004. During her tenure with Deutsche Bank and DWS she led transactions totalling €12bn and later oversaw European fund management for global institutional investors.
Jessica was a pioneer and trusted portfolio manager for the wave of inward capital flows from Asian institutional clients from 2011. She built a multi-billion assets under management (AuM) business for Deutsche Bank, drawing on her strengths in business building, leadership and investment solutions. In 2023, she was appointed the CEO of DWS UK, overseeing 500 staff and over €200bn AuM across Global Alternatives and Passive public market strategies.
As CEO and Co-Founder of Aboria Capital, her ambition is to create a leading, vertically integrated platform for investors in the European Living sector. In July 2024, Jessica became the President of the British Property Federation (BPF), serving a one-year term, and joined the board of INREV.
Valerie Henry-Baldock is Chief Marketing Officer at Estates Gazette, the UK’s most established voice in commercial real estate media. A bold and creative force in property marketing, Valerie has built a 16+ year career delivering brand and marketing strategies that drive measurable growth, transform reputations, and spark industry conversation. She has led high-impact marketing at major UK firms including the £9bn TT Group, The Arch Company and Lands Improvement, as well as global organisations such as FTI Consulting, Linesight and Woods Bagot, gaining deep expertise across placemaking, life sciences, energy, data centres, property management and real estate data products. A true 360° marketer, Valerie’s expertise ranges from brand, digital, PR and content to placemaking, events and reputation management. She is a Freeman of the City of London, a member of the Worshipful Company of Communicators, and an unapologetic believer in bold, strategic marketing that moves the dial.
Emma Huepfl has 30 years’ experience in the real estate debt markets, having co-founded Laxfield Capital which was sold to CBRE Investment Management in 2019, where she then co-led its EMEA Real Estate Credit platform until 2023. Current roles include chairing the Bank of England Commercial Property Forum, acting as Senior Advisor to Redevco’s Real Estate Debt platform and to CREFi, a newly established CRE debt data business, She also serves as a Non-Executive Director of April Mortgages and was previously a Chair and Board Member of CREFC, the trade body for the real estate finance industry.
Vivienne King is an award-winning built environment expert. Founder of Impactful Places, independent advisory where she specialises in social impact advice to the real estate industry, based on commercial fundamentals.
Vivienne has held leadership positions in real estate for more than 35 years, with experience across an unparalleled range of sectors, integrating sustainability for long term place resilience.
Previously Head of Real Estate at The Good Economy designing and assessing social impact delivery for real estate impact funds and REITS. Vivienne was CEO of Revo, the retail property trade association and CEO of Soho Housing Association developing and managing affordable homes London’s West End. For over 20 years she was with the Crown Estate, as General Counsel and member of its Executive Committee with responsibility for social and environmental performance.
Vivienne is non-executive board member of Revo; vice chair of real estate DEI organisation, Real Estate Balance Patrons Group; a LandAid Patron and Executive Vice President of the Story of Christmas charity.
Gavin is the Chief Operating Officer at CHPK Group, where he leads the day-to-day operations alongside the Senior Management Team. With over 20 years of industry experience and as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Gavin brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to his role. He has been instrumental in expanding the firm’s service offering and geographic presence. His commitment to operational excellence and client satisfaction has helped position CHPK as a trusted name in the industry.
Martin is based in London and has worked in the European property sector for more than 35 years. He started his career at Richard Ellis (now CBRE) and later became a senior partner at Strutt & Parker, where he was also the head of the commercial real estate division. After Strutt & Parker merged with BNP Paribas Real Estate in 2017, Martin became the UK chief executive of BNP Paribas Real Estate and was a member of its European board. He retired from BNP Real Estate at the end of 2020. Martin holds several advisory and board positions including, Senior Advisor to Stifel Nicolaus Europe, Senior Advisor to Hodes Weill, Chair of Lysara, Senior Advisor to Brydell Partners, Senior Advisor to Longfellow Partners, Non Exec Director Crick Skyline, Non Exec Chair at Charles Irvine. He is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute and the former of the ULI’s UK council and was recently appointed Chair of the Trustees o the Creative Land Trust He has also served as a director of the Investment Property Forum from 2001-2009, during which time he was chairman from 2004-2005.
As CEO of Colliers in the UK, John is responsible for the strategic direction and continued growth of the business, comprising more than 1,000 talented professionals across 13 offices.
He joined Colliers in 2022 as Co-Head of Colliers’ Project & Building Consultancy division, following a strategic partnership with Paragon, the business he co-founded and grew to become one of the largest independent building and project consultancies in the UK.
Throughout his 30-year career, he’s built and led successful businesses, driving transformational growth both organically and through mergers and acquisitions. His leadership style aims to foster innovation, advance careers, and deliver exceptional value to client, while embedding a culture of values, alongside enjoyment within the workplace.
Andrew is the UK COO at JLL. Andrew joined JLL in 2019 as the Head of Real Estate, spearheading its Estate strategy including JLL’s move to its new UK flagship office at 1 Broadgate. Andrew has spent time across various business teams in operational roles from managing JLL’s Covid 19 response to running the operations of JLL’s agency business.
Alex started his career as an officer in the British Army, before working in investment bank after leaving the military in 1997. After gaining an MBA at London Business School in 2001, he joined Palmer Capital, now Fiera Real Estate UK, becoming chief executive in 2008. He grew the AUM from nil to over £1bn of third-party capital, sat on boards of 12 of the most active property development companies and established a Pan-European real estate debt business. After leading the sale of Palmer Capital to Fiera Capital in 2019, he became chief executive of the combined European business. He left in 2023, studied for a master’s degree at Kings College, London, before setting up Ashen Capital in 2024. Ashen Capital is a UK private investment firm that provides venture capital investment to real estate businesses. Out of work Alex enjoys fitness and cricket, sitting on the MCC Estates Committee responsible for managing Lords.
Tim is Head of Commercial at Knight Frank, leading the firm’s commercial business across the UK. With more than three decades at the firm, holding varied roles from London leasing agent to property asset management, and more recently leading the firm’s consultancy service offering, Tim brings a deep understanding of investor, landlord, lender, and occupier needs. During his career, he has played a key role in strengthening Knight Frank’s commercial offering, expanding its UK footprint, and integrating new talent and expertise into the business.
Passionate about client engagement, placemaking, ESG, and the role of technology in real estate, Tim has been a driving force behind innovation at Knight Frank. As the previous Commercial Board Representative on the firm’s Technology Investment Board, he has ensured technology investment enhances client experience and business efficiency. A committed advocate for diversity, he is also a senior ally for Knight Frank’s Race & Faith Group.
Beyond his professional role, Tim is Vice President of The Story of Christmas Appeal, supporting charitable projects across London and also sits on their Fundraising Board.
Emily Robson is Assistant Chief Executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool), a leading innovation district in Liverpool. She collaborates with university, NHS, local authority, and private sector partners to drive economic growth within its 450-acre boundaries and across the wider Liverpool City Region. Emily supports the strategic development and delivery of inclusive innovation programmes and shapes policy, aligning with KQ Liverpool's 2040 Vision. She is passionate about ensuring opportunities within the knowledge economy are accessible to all, including inspiring the next generation through the KQ Futures Programme, part of the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone. Emily received the Rising Star award at the Estate Gazette Awards in 2024.
Nick joined GPE in July 2011 as Finance Director, and is now Chief Financial & Operating Officer. Previously, Partner and Head of Real Estate Corporate Finance Advisory at Deloitte, which followed ten years of real estate investment banking experience in Europe and Asia with Nomura, Lehman Brothers and UBS Investment Bank. External commitments: Member of the Reporting and Accounting Committee of EPRA and Trustee of the Outward Bound Trust.
With a career spanning 24 years as a commercial property agent, Shaun Simons takes pride in his role as a founder at Compton. His specialisation revolves around office space in London’s City Fringe district, where he has been an integral part of some of the most forward-thinking developments over the past two decades.
Compton is Shaun's second venture after founding Hatton Real Estate in 2010. The core Compton team members founded Hatton Real Estate in 2010, and this business was sold to Colliers International in January 2016. The team continued to run the City Fringe office until March 2021.
In April 2021, the Colliers City Fringe Team directors exited the business to form Compton while retaining the entire Colliers City Fringe Team. The Compton business is currently at 25 members and focuses on Office Leasing, Capital Markets and Tenant Representation.
Shaun's particular focus lies in understanding the nuanced requirements of businesses in the modern landscape, especially those in the fast-paced technology sector. Over the years, he has added value to hundreds of businesses by creating opportunities for companies experiencing rapid growth and navigating the uncertainties that come with their expansion.
In addition to working with innovative start-ups, Shaun has had the privilege of collaborating with global industry leaders, including his recent role where he represented Julius Baer bank, the world’s largest private bank. In this venture, he was tasked with identifying a forward-thinking building that would harmonize with their ambition to modernize. This experience underscores his ability to adapt and cater to the diverse and ambitious objectives of businesses on a global scale.
Misa is the Head of Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Europe for real estate investment and development firm Lendlease. She has 30 years’ marketing and comms experience and has worked in the Built Environment sector since 2004.
In addition to her role at Lendlease, Misa is a trustee of Eastside Young Leaders Academy holds a Director of Bird College and Freehold, the property industry’s LGBT+ network and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors.
Misa collaborated with the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors on their charity fundraising Property Marketing Awards programme for ten years, chairing the Judging Panel for four years until the awards were merged into the Estates Gazette Awards last year. Misa is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and holds a degree in Sociology and Cultural Studies from the University of Sussex. Prior to joining Lendlease, she worked in Marketing & Communications at BNP Paribas Real Estate, JLL, EY and the Imperial War Museum.
Nick Walkley is Principal and UK President at global real estate advisory firm Avison Young. Prior to joining Avison Young in 2021, Nick was Chief Executive of Homes England, the UK Government’s land, development, and housing investor. He led the creation and growth of the new Agency, responsible for the management/delivery of a diverse portfolio including the affordable homes programme, new towns, urban brownfield schemes, support to SMEs and infrastructure funding. He has served as Chief Executive of two London local authorities, with a focus on building high performing teams during periods of adversity and austerity, and as a seasoned leader, is passionate about fostering strong organisational culture driven by clear values.
In all his roles, Nick has championed the power of urban regeneration and public-private partnership to improve peoples’ everyday lives. An advocate for the dynamism and vitality of cities, Nick is a firm believer that the best way to get to know a city is through its restaurants, bars, and record stores.
Sam is a forward-thinking CEO who seamlessly integrates innovation and efficiency into his leadership approach. As an experienced Chartered Building Surveyor with a specialisation in Rights of Light, Daylight & Sunlight, and Dilapidations, including expert witness work, Sam brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. Over the last decade, he has successfully led the Manchester office of GIA, demonstrating a keen ability to manage complex projects and foster growth. Now, as GIA’s Chief Executive Officer, Sam is spearheading a growth strategy across the UK and Ireland that underscores the company’s multidisciplinary services and commitment to digital innovation.
