Propertyshe Podcast

Founder and CEO of Hilltop Capital Partners. Paul has been at the forefront of starting successful real estate businesses; an investment professional with a core expertise and 30-year track record in property development, asset management and financial structuring; transacting as an independent over £1 billion in the UK and Continental European real estate markets.  Paul’s career spans working as a floor trader on Wall Street in the 1980s to building one of the preeminent fully integrated property firms across CEE. In 1991 he took a trip to Eastern Europe where he ended up building the credit department of a major eastern European bank. In 1993 he built his first apartment; that single transaction grew to be one the largest fully integrated real estate advisory and investment businesses in Central and Eastern Europe called Ober-Haus working across 7 countries with a team of 350 professionals. Until 2010, he was Chairman of Hauser-Oberschneider; a developer and operating partner working with international and private equity real estate firms building housing, grocery anchored retail centres and a boutique hotel chain across CEE. Paul was famously known for selling his real estate portfolios and business pre GFC in 2008. Coming out of retirement, Paul founded Hilltop Capital Partners in the UK four years ago, a private markets specialist residential development financing partner for established residential developers and house builders across the U.K. Paul has also recently founded Hilltop Property Partners with Michela Hancock, former Greystar MD to deliver new build attainable multifamily housing across the UK and Europe. 

Nick is Chief Executive of NLA, which he co-founded with Peter Murray in 2005. Nick leads the NLA’s culture and values; fostering key relationships; developing new business areas & partnerships. He leads on the annual London Real Estate Forum and is Co-chair of the Opportunity London Partnership.

Chief Executive Officer at Thriving Investments Team Cath joined in January 2023 to lead on increasing funds under management alongside the delivery of social impact, augmenting the existing fund management platform across high-quality affordable housing, private-rented residential and urban regeneration strategies. She was previously Executive Director for Strategy and Investment at property development and investment specialist Quintain. Cath has 30 years of real estate experience across private equity, fund management and investment banking. She has an MBA from INSEAD and is a Member of the BPF’s Living Council, a Member of the RICS and Trustee (and former Co-Chair) for the Creative Land Trust. 

Sherin has very recently become became the Ministry of Defence's first director of Growth and Missions, implementing the Government’s Plan for Change, ensuring the uplift in Defence spending is driving growth across the UK and setting the direction for investment in Defence. Prior to that she was the MOD's first Director of Infrastructure, responsible for the strategic oversight of both global and domestic infrastructure and the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio worth over £5bn.  She is also the MOD Race Champion, where her aim is to promote and champion ethnic diversity in the department, supporting colleagues from different backgrounds.  Sherin's previous roles include Head of Commercial Office business at Lendlease, where she was responsible for a range of regeneration projects, in Stratford, Silvertown and Euston, with a gross development value of over £5bn.  In Whitehall, she held the dual role of Head of Government Property Unit and Head of Property Profession and Function for the Civil Service.  She is an architect by background and has led large scale infrastructure and regeneration projects around the globe.  Sherin is also a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and won the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in the inaugural Real Estate, Infrastructure and Construction Category.  Recently she was awarded an honorary doctorate from UCEM for contributions to the built environment.  When she is not working in Defence she enjoys drawing. 

Ian Rickwood, Founder & CEO of Henley Group Ian Rickwood is a seasoned investor and serial entrepreneur with experience across geography and markets. He founded and became CEO of Henley in 2006 growing the business into the broad Investment business it is today creating many new successful ventures in that time. Prior to Henley he managed and grew two retail companies, one complete start up between 1996 and 2006 along with a private real estate company and a consultancy business, providing strategic advice and insight to large consumer good companies globally. Ian has a degree in economics and started life in the corporate world with Procter and Gamble, later moving to PepsiCo where he was the European Sales Marketing Director. 

Bishoy has been with Innovo from its inception and is the driving force behind Innovo’s core principle of harnessing the smartest technology and innovative sustainability practices to create positive disruption across the traditional construction and real estate sectors. 

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.