UKREiiF, the group behind the Leeds-based property conference, has appointed Lord Richard Harrington as its advisory group chair.
The UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum said Lord Harrington will help with its growth strategy after it was bought by French information services firm Infopro Digital in July.
Alongside his role in chairing the UKREiiF Advisory Group, the group said he will "help advise around key growth areas for the business".
Lord Harrington is described as having 30 years’ experience in the real estate business across leisure, residential, and commercial. He is also chair of Regal, one of London’s leading residential-led, mixed-use developers.
Nathan Spencer, managing director at UKREiiF, said in a statement: "With his vast experience in business prior to his time in Parliament, and the work he’s done in more recent years, such as the review into foreign direct investment, there’s a clear alignment of interest that has seen him attend UKREiiF over the past couple of years.
"But having met Richard, there’s also much more than that; his versatile and pro-active nature, alongside his experience of running a successful global business, is going to be a real enabler in helping advise the business in crucial areas as we move to the next part of our journey. The fact both UKREiiF and Richard are Leeds born and bred is the cherry on top."
Lord Harrington’s political career began after being elected in 2019 as the MP for Watford. As a government minister he was responsible for the construction industry and recently carried out a review on foreign direct investment, the recommendations of which were supported by the government. He became a life peer in 2022.
He added: "I am delighted to be taking up this role at an exciting time for UKREiiF. Having attended and spoken in previous years, I am excited to be helping the organisation cement its role as the leading investment and infrastructure group. I look forward to working with UKREiiF and partners over the coming months and, of course, meeting you all in my hometown of Leeds again next year."
Last year, close to 13,000 build environment professionals attended the conference in Leeds. Infopro Digital’s portfolio includes SIMI, a French trade show that attracts 26,000 attendees.