Top female property professionals evaluate gender parity progress
"Over the last year, I’ve been genuinely surprised and delighted to see the progress amongst our member CEOs who, regardless of their gender, are stepping forward and taking action,” says Sue Brown, managing director of lobby group Real Estate Balance.
Brown is speaking to CoStar News following the close of Mipim, a global conference known often associated with a sea of blue suits, and International Women's Day earlier this month.
While Brown points says improvements have been made over the years, she suggests the property industry still has a way to go to ensure well-placed female talent is entering senior roles in the industry.
She says: "Our latest industry-wide survey showed that, despite the huge strides forward many real estate organisations are taking to address gender equality, it remains a stubborn and persistent issue – particularly at board and senior leadership level.
"At Real Estate Balance, we’ve long understood that people of all genders need to work together to truly shift the dial on equality, which is why we’ve always involved and included men."
Read the full version of CoStar News' coverage, including comments from leading female real estate figures in the UK, here.
Savills buys Eastdil in major real estate business deal
“I have wanted to tie up with for a number of years," Savills group chief executive Simon Shaw told CoStar News after his company bought the investment bank last week.
Following the $1,112.5 million (£827 million) deal, Roy March, currently chief executive of Eastdil Secured, has been appointed executive chairman. Michael Van Konynenburg, the president, has been appointed CEO Eastdil Secured, where he will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations.
James McCaffrey, currently managing director and head of Europe, has been appointed president of Eastdil Secured. Van Konynenburg and McCaffrey will both join the Savills group executive board and lead the enlarged group's REIB business which will operate as Eastdil Secured Savills, the global real estate investment bank.
Battersea Power Station appoints new CEO
Battersea Power Station Development Company has appointed James Saunders as its new chief executive. Saunders, who will start on 7 April, spent the last 18 years building and spearheading the mixed-use Wembley Park estate at Quintain, serving as commercial director, chief operating officer and, most recently, CEO, for six years. He replaces Sam Cotton who was interim CEO for the last nine months and leaves after a decade at BPSDC. Company chairman Datuk Zaini said: “[Saunders] brings outstanding regeneration, asset management, placemaking and marketing expertise, as well as a strong track record of leading complex, high-profile developments."
Colliers appoints portfolio and regional capital markets lead
Colliers has hired Andrew Dobson to create a new portfolio and regional capital markets team. Dobson joins the firm from BCM Real Estate, where he was a director for 20 years, advising institutional investors on their portfolio acquisition and disposal strategies. Transactions he worked on include the creation of a joint venture with Ares on a primary health portfolio of 17 properties and the funding of two portfolios of Starbucks and Costas with LondonMetric. He said: "My role will be crucial in identifying the best experts across the Colliers business to advise clients on their mixed-use portfolios, and provide all important local knowledge."
Former Instant boss takes on key GPA role
The Government Property Agency has appointed John Duckworth as chief investment officer. He is described as having extensive experience in strategic and operational leadership across the real estate industry. Most recently he was executive director at The Instant Group, while he also held senior roles at JLL. Mark Bourgeois, the GPA’s chief executive officer, said: "These are both challenging and exciting times, and in making this appointment we were looking for someone to have an immediate impact, who could work across the broad range of stakeholders, to evolve the system of strategic delivery for government and to support our department partners."
Muse adds senior developer from Vistry
Regeneration specialist Muse has appointed Grace Alderson as senior development manager in its Yorkshire and North East team. Alderson moves after eight years at Vistry Group, where she progressed from graduate trainee to head of development. In that time, she led the delivery of major mixed‑use regeneration schemes across London, including Pudding Mill Lane in Stratford, a 1,000-home joint venture development with London Legacy Development Corporation. Alderson will support the delivery of major placemaking projects in Gateshead and Bradford, including reworking of the Baltic Quarter as part of Gateshead Council's wider regeneration plans.
Ardian and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Adia team up
Ardian head of Real Estate Stéphanie Bensimon said it was perfect timing for its secondary team to expand after announcing at deal to set up a platform with Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Adia at Mipim. According to the French property group, the deal shows its "continued commitment to expanding its secondaries platform and reinforces its positioning as a leading global investor across alternative asset classes". Bensimon told CoStar News and sister title in Cannes: "So I think that [...] given the context, given the need for liquidity on the market, given the fact that we are very present in secondary in the US."
