Cushman & Wakefield hires London logistics partner; Edge names new chief; Knight Group donates funds

Global property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield has hired Ivan Scott as a partner in its London and South East logistics and industrial team. Scott will work in the company's London office and "play a lead role in supporting the firm's developer, investor and occupier clients across the UK," the business said. He joins from chartered surveyor Glenny, where he spent more than a decade, most recently as head of the South East London and Kent office. In that role he focused on industrial development and agency. Scott has three decades of industry experience, having previously held senior roles at Studley, Strutt & Parker and Lambert Smith Hampton.

Edge has appointed Boudewijn Ruitenburg as chief executive after Marian Herman left. The company said the appointment is part of a “strategic reset” that will allow it focus on its core strategies. Shareholders named Ruitenburg after Herman stepped down with immediate effect. Ruitenburg has been at the company for more than 18 years and has worked across development, investment and client relationships in its target markets. Bas van Holten, non-executive director and chair of the board at Edge, said: “This decision reflects a clear-eyed assessment of where the market is today and where Edge can create the most value."

Knight Property Group founder James Barrack has presented a cheque for £106,642 to 25 charities across Scotland via the group's Charitable Trust. Founded in 2009, The Barrack Charitable Trust is solely supported and funded by Knight Property. The money has been given to the charities as part of the Trust's latest tranche of two rounds of donations for this year. Major beneficiaries include Belmont Community Cinema and Alpha International, each receiving £25,000 along with a range of charities across the country. Barrack said: "We are committed to supporting organisations that make a tangible difference in communities across Scotland."

BNP Paribas Real Estate has bolstered its UK rating team by hiring a pair of directors, with Esther Howard joining in Sheffield and Andy Boal in Glasgow. Boal also becomes Scottish head of rating and joins from Shepherds Chartered Surveyors, where he was head of rating for a decade. Howard has extensive experience in rating and taxation, the firm said, having held senior roles at Newmark and CBRE. BNP Paribas Real Estate head of rating Bruce Wilson said: "Their appointments reflect both the strength of our ambition and the opportunities we see across regional markets as clients increasingly seek expert, commercially focused advice on business rates."

BTG Eddisons has strengthened its Sheffield valuations team with the hire of senior surveyor James Parkin. He joins from the valuation and advisory division at Cushman & Wakefield, where he worked across industrial, logistics, retail and office assets. Parkin is a chartered surveyor and RICS registered valuer, while he graduated from Sheffield Hallam University. The business said it continues to bolster its valuations team in response to "increasing client demand for valuation advice across sectors". Parkin said: "I’m thrilled to be returning to Sheffield, where I started my property career, and to be joining BTG Eddisons at such an exciting time for the business."

MAPP has recruited Kay Harvey as director, surveying in central London. The firm said she has more than 25 years of experience leading teams responsible for the management of complex, high-profile assets. Harvey arrives after spending a decade at Real Estate Management (UK), where she was head of property management. During that time she oversaw properties, including The Shard, The News Building, 48 Pall Mall and Park House on Oxford Street. Her career also includes senior roles as head of surveying at Ashdown Phillips and Estates Surveyor at Queen Mary’s University of London, alongside earlier positions at Atis Real, now BNP Paribas, and Chesterton.

Sabri Marsaoui, founder of Blackstar Real Estate, has confirmed the business has launched a hospitality operating platform, marking its expansion into the hotel and living sectors. The firm has been appointed by a private family office to oversee the management of Bacpac, a hostel in Hammersmith, west London. The platform will provide operational and asset management services aimed at improving commercial performance, improving guest experience and delivering long-term asset value. Blackstar said it intends to expand across the UK, working with institutional investors, family offices and private capital on hospitality and living assets.