Developer Southern Grove has promoted Tarek Jumah to chief operating officer, as it prepares to ramp up its build-to-rent and co-living offers.
Jumah was previously the company’s head of purpose-built student accommodation development, where he oversaw its PBSA arm Future Generation. He will now take on day-to-day responsibility for all development activity across the business, as well as joint ventures and the operational aspects of the growing business.
He joined Southern Grove at the start of 2019 from consultancy Currie & Brown, where he advised banks, funds and investors on development finance, forward funding and acquisitions.
He takes up his new role a month after the developer launched its premium co-living brand, called Evolution, and a BTR offering called Mast. Both are set to account for much of the firm’s new project pipeline this year.
Andrew Southern, chairman of Southern Grove Group, said: “Tarek is a force to be reckoned with in property development and has proved his ability to lead a team time and again.
“Having helped lead Future Generation through a raft of challenges last year, there’s no doubt he has the experience and wisdom to guide the group’s activities in all these different areas.”
Jumah said the firm’s student housing arm is set for its “biggest year yet”.
He said: “The mood in the industry is still one of opportunity and, if anything, we are expecting Mast and Evolution to benefit from the emerging trends in the housing market caused by the pandemic.”
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