Propertyshe Podcast

Michelle is responsible for the management of Shaftesbury Capital’s £5bn property portfolio, including asset management, investment, leasing, and marketing across Covent Garden, Soho, and Chinatown London, and is a member of the Executive Committee. Michelle was previously on the Board of Capco and has significant financial and real estate experience having joined Capco in 2014 undertaking a number of senior roles across the business.  Michelle is an experienced Corporate financier and was previously at UBS Investment Bank, advising companies across the UK listed real estate sector. 

Tom joined the former Argent business in 2012 and became a Partner in 2020.Between 2019-2022, Tom was Head of Residential for the Related Argent business and CEO of the Heart of Hale development, overseeing a pipeline of more than 8,000 new homes across London. Prior to this role, Tom was responsible for residential at King’s Cross, including the delivery of the Gasholders apartments.In 2023, Tom was appointed Chief Executive Director of Related Argent, leading the team of 175 property and urban regeneration professionals, working to improve urban life for everyone, every day. Today the business he leads has a UK property portfolio of c.£13bn, totalling in excess of 21 million sq ft.Before joining the business, Tom worked in project management consultancy and as a practising architect on numerous large-scale mixed-use schemes, including the Shard and the London 2012 Athlete’s Village.Tom is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and sits on its Housing Group.

Real Estate futurist Antony Slumbers is a globally recognised PropTech thought leader, speaker, adviser, and writer specialising in AI in real estate, real estate technology, and the future of work and workplaces. A serial entrepreneur, he has founded and successfully exited multiple commercial real estate innovation companies and now advises leading real estate boards on transformation, technology, and innovation strategies. A thought leader in the industry, Antony’s blog is widely regarded as an influential resource, offering insights on AI, PropTech, and Space-as-a-Service. His online course, #GenerativeAIforRealEstatePeople, helps professionals navigate how AI is reshaping the built environment. Antony frequently speaks at international conferences, covering topics such as ‘#SpaceasaService: The Trillion Dollar Hashtag’, the future of work and workplaces, and AI-driven transformation in real estate. Throughout his career, Antony has collaborated with major real estate technology firms, institutional investors, and property companies, including CBRE Global Investors, SEGRO, RICS, Fifth Wall Ventures, and MSCI, among many others. His expertise stems from decades of experience in the commercial real estate sector, having launched pioneering platforms such as Estates Today, Cityoffices.net, and Vicinitee. The latter, which he co-founded with British Land, was scaled to serve hundreds of properties and thousands of users before a successful exit. With a career dedicated to analysing and predicting the intersection of real estate and technology, Antony brings unparalleled insight into how innovation will continue to reshape the industry. For more insights from Antony Slumbers, visit his blog or explore his online course on Generative AI for Real Estate here. 

Keith Breslauer, Managing Director at Patron Capital and a committed philanthropist, shares insights on navigating financial challenges in the turbulent 1990s London. He reflects on his upbringing in New York and how it shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. Keith discusses the societal perceptions of real estate, addressing the 'greedy developer' myth, and advocates for improved housing availability. His passion for philanthropy stands out, detailing initiatives for veterans and community projects, while also touching on the transformative power of climbing adventures with family.

Rita-Rose Gagné is the CEO of Hammerson plc, an owner, operator and developer of prime, urban real estate in some of the fastest growing cities in the UK, Ireland and France.She joined the company in 2020 to develop and spearhead the strategic transformation of the business.She brings extensive experience in real estate investment - and global property markets - combined with strong strategic, operational leadership and financial management skills.Prior to joining Hammerson, Rita-Rose was President of Growth Markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge, responsible for over $8bn of real estate assets, platforms and a development pipeline across Asia Pacific and Latin America, covering logistics, retail, mixed use, office and residential.Rita-Rose holds a Bachelor of Law from Laval University as well as an MBA from McGill and HEC Montréal.

Harvey founded James Andrew International in 1974 following the first phase of his real estate career at Peachey Property Corporation and Guardian Properties Plc. James Andrew has been involved in many major commercial real estate developments, investment acquisitions, leasing and disposals in the UK, Europe and USA over the past 50 years.Harvey is Chairman of James Andrew RSW and James Andrew Residential, which are involved in the management of over 2 million sq ft of West End and City of London office buildings and commercial properties throughout the UK. James Andrew Residential manages over 8,000 luxury apartments across London.  He also Chairs Excellerate Services UK, which provides cleaning and security services to high-end retail, office buildings, shopping centres and luxury apartment blocks. In addition to his business activities, Harvey somehow finds the time to be involved in numerous charities. They are too many to mention but include The Natural History Museum, JCOSS, the RAF Museum London, The Chartered Surveyors’ Company, The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, Youth Aliyah Child Rescue, Chickenshed Theatre Trust and Community Security Trust.Harvey was the worthy recipient of this year's Property Week Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lynda is Chief Executive of Harworth Group, one of the UK’s leading land and property regeneration companies. She was previously Group Property Director and a Board Member at London Stock Exchange-listed Town Centre Securities plc where she led the management of its land and property and its development pipeline.

Sir Brandon Lewis was a businessman before he entered Parliament in 2010 and served in numerous Government and Cabinet roles for over 10 years, during his time as Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth from 2010 to 2024. During his decade as a member of the British Government, he held several Ministerial and Secretary of State positions under 4 Prime Ministers. His final role was as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, a role in which he was involved in the Accession Ceremony for King Charles III.Prior to that, he was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and  Minister of State at the Home Office. He has also served as Minister of State for Housing & Planning, Minister for Local Government and Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service. He was also Chairman of the Conservative Party.Having retired as an MP at the 2024 General Election, Brandon has since taken up strategic advisory roles including Chairing the Advisory Board of Letter One, a main board Director of Veon, Civitas Investment Management, FM Conway and Thakeham, providing high level strategic advice on digital strategy development and public and private sector engagement and advocacy.   He is also a qualified a Barrister.

Laurence is the award-winning founder and CEO of Pavegen, an innovative, clean technology company. Headquartered in London, with an R&D centre in Cambridge, Pavegen manufactures a floor system that instantly converts kinetic energy from footfall into off-grid electricity, data and rewards. His mission: to improve the world through the power of a footstep. Laurence and Pavegen have been recognised with numerous awards and accolades and Laurence is a renowned thought leader and worldwide speaker on entrepreneurship and innovation.Acclaimed by The Guardian for “shifting perceptions of renewable energy.” Laurence has spoken at more TED talks than any other technology company. His TEDxBerlin presentation was featured among TED’s top talks on envisioning cities of the future and changing attitudes to fossil fuels. Clients include Google, Cisco, Nike, Adidas and the Federal US government and technology has been adopted in over 200 sites around the globe.

Howard Dawber, appointed Deputy Mayor of London for Business, shares his insights on the capital's role in boosting the UK’s economy. He discusses the balance of tradition and innovation in architecture and the evolution of business support services in London. Howard highlights the launch of Grow London Local and the significance of public-private partnerships for urban projects like Crossrail. He emphasizes the need for revitalizing small businesses and high streets, advocating for community engagement and collaboration in driving economic growth.