Six well-known real estate investment and asset management specialists have joined to launch Akkord, a boutique firm focused on the UK and Europe.
Akkord plans to work with owners and lenders on specific assets, as well as undertaking standalone investment mandates from external capital.
It will focus on institutional and private wealth management, asset management, non-performing loan and debt recovery, development management, ESG, and leasing and commercialisation across all sectors and UK and European geographies. It says its initial focus will be on urban mixed-use which it believes offers strong opportunities for value creation.
Akkord is led by chief executive Mark Gamble, previously senior managing director at Mark Capital, the former Meyer Bergman. The company said its team has advised on a more than £10 billion in capital investments over the past 25 years.
The managing directors are: Peter Evans, also previously of Mark Capital; Simon Waugh, who was with Canary Wharf Group for 23 years; Graham Kilbane, whose experience includes senior roles at GE Capital and RBS.
Providing occupational advice is Michael Webb, co-founder at food and beverage consultancy Distrkt with experience of projects such as Battersea Power Station; and Oliver Wilson, partner at retail agency Orme Property, who has investment, development and asset management expertise.
Gamble, said in a statement that Akkord would bring a "level of analysis, understanding and strategy formation that exceeds what can be achieved by less experienced teams".
“Looking across the real estate sector we see many investors and lenders facing significant challenges with the assets they control, and there is a clear, under-served demand for senior expertise to help these schemes realise their potential value.”