Propertyshe Podcast

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.

Katherine is an accomplished leader in the Build-to-Rent sector, with almost two decades of real estate experience. As a founding member of John Lewis Partnership’s BTR strategy, she has been instrumental in developing and operating 10,000 homes and securing a pivotal joint venture with abrdn. Her career spans diverse roles in retail, mixed-use development, and asset management, including her tenure as Group Head of Real Estate for John Lewis Partnership. Committed to social value and wellbeing, Katherine also serves on the boards of ULI UK and NWEC, and the development committee of Dolphin Living, actively contributing to the community.

Lloyd Lee is the Managing Partner of YOO Capital, a privately held real estate investment company based in London.Born and raised in New York, Lloyd is a visionary with an unwavering dedication to uncovering the hidden gems of real estate.Lloyd graduated from Harvard University with a BA in, Fine Arts and History of Architecture, and soon joined the world of Private Investment via Starwood Capital Europe in the late nineties – not before completing his masters in real estate and finance at Cornell University.With over 25 years’ experience at the top level, Lloyd’s enduring love for the thrill of discovery and transformation has seen him involved in £12 billion of real estate acquisitions, public and private corporate opportunities, and asset management turnarounds across the UK, EU, US and emerging markets.Lloyd also sits on the Yoo Capital Investment Committee, combining 'bulge bracket' private equity experience with a granular knowledge of all major real estate asset classes.Lloyd has been a value investor in real estate on behalf of major institutional public and private investors since 1998.He is the key point person for restructuring at YOO Capital’s most ambitious project to date: the redevelopment of London’s iconic Olympia.

Damien Webb is Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Head of International for Aware Super, one of Australia’s top performing super funds managing A$170 billion on behalf of its 1.1 million members.Based in London since October 2023, Damien oversees the Fund’s international expansion strategy which aims to originate a UK, European and Global deal flow for the global portfolio’s projected A$250 billion FUM milestone. He leads a team of 14 who have an initial focus on international Property, Infrastructure and Private Equity assets.Damien has over 25 years’ experience in funds management he joined Aware Super as Head of the Real Assets team in January 2014, having previously worked at Perpetual Investments and ING Investment Management.Damien has a Bachelor of Economics degree from Sydney University and is an Associate of the Securities Institute of Australia having completed his Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment. In 2006, Damien completed his Master’s in Applied Finance with Macquarie University.

Ted Schama, Joint Managing Partner of Shelley Sandzer, shares insights on challenges faced by the hospitality industry, evolution of the sector, navigating crises, and adapting strategies during the pandemic. Exploring intersections of property, hospitality, finance, and London's restaurant scene.