Ker Gilchrist reflects on his first year at Patrizia
"To be successful within property investment is ultimately about people, as much as buildings," says Ker Gilchrist, head of investment management UK at global real asset investment manager Patrizia.
A year after joining the firm from BGO, where he led the investment strategy for Welput, Gilchrist talks to CoStar News' Top CREdentials podcast about his career and how strong relationships with colleagues and clients have formed his business and leadership approach.
In the episode, Gilchrist, who had ambitions of becoming a fighter pilot in this youth, discusses cutting his teeth at some of the world's largest real estate consultancies, before deciding to move "client side" more than a decade ago.
He also reflects on his time leading London’s largest unlisted office fund, explaining why he thinks the period before the COVID-19 pandemic was a "game changer", and runs us through the responsibilities of his current role, where he is "spending a lot of time" looking at risk.
JLL names head of living for UK and EMEA
JLL has expanded Gemma Kendall’s role as head of living to include the UK as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa. She joined the firm 19 years ago and has led its EMEA living business since 2020. Over that time Kendall has worked alongside JLL’s European living leaders to grow the service transacting nearly €14 billion (£11.99 billion).
She will now lead the firm's UK living team, as well as the strategy across the region, "bringing singular vision and drive to the sector" across its EMEA platform. Simon Scott, the lead director living capital markets (UK) will focus on spearheading his specialist expertise within the residential segment of the UK living strategy, the business added.
Former recruiter launches platform to match SMEs with surveyors
Former recruiter Lukas Turner has created an AI-free real estate career platform, Proper Job, to help match SMEs with surveyors. Having worked in the property recruitment business for the last six years, Turner launched the platform in June, with the ambition of "shaking up" how SME property businesses recruit surveyors and other professionals. Proper Job uses technology to match professionals and businesses based on factors including location, sector, specialism and seniority. Turner says the platform's approach aims to help to create more relevant connections between professionals and employees. The platform covers six regions, and will soon cover East Anglia.
Jo McNamara begins role at British Land CEO
Jo McNamara started her role as British Land CEO this week. She was announced as Simon Carter's successor In June, with the latter taking up the reins at European warehouse developer P3 Logistics Park last week. McNamara was executive vice-president of Europe at Oxford Properties in her previous role.
British Land's new CEO said in a post on her LinkedIn page: "Today, I start my new role as chief executive of British Land, a business with exceptional assets, a best-in-class platform and a team of hugely talented people. I want to build on these strengths, delivering long term value for our shareholders while creating exceptional spaces for our customers."
Graham and Sibbald hires senior director in Birmingham
Graham and Sibbald has hired Richard Durkin as senior director to lead the growth of its Birmingham office. The consultancy said Durkin's appointment strengthens its UK capital markets team and reinforces the city as a key market for future growth. His LinkedIn profile shows that he was most recently director and head of Midlands capital markets at Lambert Smith Hampton. He joined ES Group in 2007, which was acquired by LSH in March 2015. Graham and Sibbald said he has been involved in transactions across the Midlands and wider UK market and brings an "established network of relationships across the investment, development, lending and advisory communities".
Bourne steps down as Martin’s Properties chief executive
Richard Bourne has stepped down as chief executive of Martin’s Properties after around a decade. Bourne announced in a LinkedIn post on 9 September that he had left his role at the company after “an organised transition". His final day at the firm was 4 September. He added: “…it felt like the right moment to recharge before committing my energy to new opportunities over the next decade.”
Polly Troughton has been named as his successor, having joined the business in January 2025 as main board director and CEO of Obsidian Strategic, Martin’s Properties’ strategic land business. Before this, she was managing director at housing developer St Modwen Properties.
STR's Maurer completes Manchester charity cycle
Dominic Maurer, a client relations adviser at CoStar's hotel benchmarking and analytics business STR, completed a charity bike ride from London to Manchester last weekend. Riding as part of a group of 13 for this year's Neil Bowler Hotel Bike Ride to the Annual Hotel Conference, Maurer helped to raise awareness for men's mental health and the ongoing work of charity Cameron's Companions. He raised more than £2,000 for the charity and said: "Neither rain nor headwinds or punctures stopped us from reaching the destination and as every year the beautiful scenery of the Peak District made us almost forget about the tough hills." Donate to his JustGiving page here.