Propertyshe Podcast

Mark was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of The Government Property Agency in October 2024, heading up a 400-strong team that aims to transform how the civil service works and what its real estate portfolio looks like.He is an established corporate leader with over 30 years of strategic and operational real estate experience across asset management, investment, development and operations. Mark was previously Managing Director UK and Ireland at Hammerson plc, Executive Director at Capital & Regional plc and Interim Corporate Director City Development at Liverpool City Council. He studied Industrial Economics at Nottingham University and began his career in Audit at KPMG.

Allan Lockhart is Chief Executive of NewRiver REIT. He has over 35 years’ experience in the UK retail real estate market. Having started his career with Strutt & Parker in 1988 advising major property companies and institutions on retail leasing, investment and development, in 2002, Allan was appointed Retail Director of Halladale Plc focusing on acquiring value add opportunities in UK retail real estate.  Following the successful sale of Halladale Plc in early 2007, Allan co-founded NewRiver and served as Property Director from its IPO until being appointed CEO in 2018. 

Samantha McClary, former editor of Estates Gazette and Chief Executive of the British Council for Offices, shares her journey in the real estate sector. She discusses barriers to women's advancement and the necessity for initiatives that empower underrepresented groups. The transformative Future Leaders programme emerges as a game-changer, reshaping perceptions through storytelling. Sam also reflects on her emotional path through journalism, the challenges of diversity initiatives, and her new leadership role, emphasizing the importance of resilience and inclusivity in the industry.

CEO of HUB, Robert Sloss, has been an entrepreneur in property and development for over 25 years. During this time, Robert has created a series of real estate investment and development platforms, primarily in the residential and office sectors. Robert has a passion for vibrant urban living and the need for the built environment to reflect changing human demand. As a result, HUB was one of the first developers to recognise that changing UK work practices would drive the need to repurpose redundant office buildings, for living uses. Robert co-founded HUB in 2012, and over time it has become a leading UK BTR-led residential developer, with more than 9,600 homes completed or under development across the UK. A pioneer of both BTR and co-living in the UK, HUB continues to deliver industry-leading developments, including the award-winning Queen’s Quarter in Croydon; One Maidenhead, a major mixed-use regeneration scheme in Maidenhead town centre; and the Yardhouse co-living scheme at Wood Lane. HUB’s adaptive reuse strategy, in line with its commitment to urban regeneration and sustainability, continues to bear fruit. As well as Cornerstone in the Barbican, the first co-living planning consent in the City of London, HUB has Assemblies in Minories, which it hopes will be the City’s second co-living consent. HUB believes that co-living is particularly well suited to the City, with its long working hours and significant transitory, international workforce. 

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.