Following our article on 10 pieces of advice for future property leaders, the series continues with insights from people who play a role in shaping the industry, from both the public and private sector, to investments, sustainability and pop up retail.
Speaking at EG’s Connecting Tomorrow’s Leaders event, they explained their own routes into property and the role they now play.
Anthony Mansfield
Managing director, Strategic Land (north), Taylor Wimpey
“I left school at 15 (actually, I was asked to leave), went to the railways as an apprentice electrical engineer and that’s where I became aware of the world of property. One day, over a pint and a Jameson in the pub, my father-in-law convinced me to help grow his construction company. I did that for 10 years then joined the Taylor Wimpey leadership programme, first as a sales director, then development director, then in strategic land. There are so many parts of Taylor Wimpey for young people to make their mark. We don’t just build houses.”
Kirsten Durie
Principal development manager, Network Rail
“Railways is a really exciting place to be at the moment. Train stations have a more pivotal role in the cities they are in. They are economic generators and key to placemaking. Plus, Network Rail has a department with a very big remit to release land for housing. This also brings cash into the business for the regeneration of stations such as King’s Cross, Bristol Temple Meads, and Cardiff. Our development team needs staff.”
Laura Wotton
Operations manager, Environment Agency
“Around 120 people work in the estates team at the Environment Agency, supporting a capital programme worth £3bn. We look after nationally significant flood risk projects like Thames Estuary 2100, building flood defenses to protect people and property. Alongside that we look after our estate, which covers 25,000 hectares of land, with an income of £2m per annum, and that incorporates offices, houses and infrastructure projects. Our target is to be income-focused and not process-driven and so we encourage our employees to challenge processes to achieve the right outcome.”
Nick Dolezal
Chair – planning committee, Southwark Council
“I’m not an office worker, I’m not a professional, I’m a politician. A lot of people only go to one planning committee in their life and it’s usually to object, but it’s my job to make sure they feel comfortable about participating. It’s also my job to make sure the benefits of a new scheme outweigh the qualms.”
Harry Badham
UK head of development, AXA IM
The only reason deals happen is because people speak to each other. They meet, they talk, they gossip and it creates links that a computer cannot replicate. It’s the lifeblood of this industry – be it for a letting or an acquisition deal – pointing to a consultant, or knowing someone who has done this before. Don’t just sit behind a spreadsheet.
Carissa Kilgour
Workplace director, Landsec
“My role is entirely about technology and how it is impacting businesses and people. Occupiers want to be able to adapt as quickly as technology is disrupting them, and my job is then to learn how about how they are thinking about property amongst all of that, figure out what the future of work looks like, and then use that to help us prepare for the next stage of development.”
Matthew McMillan
Development director, Boxpark
“I did a degree in psychology, then set up a business improvement district, set up a tech hub as part of that, worked in investment in shopping centre spaces in Ealing, then was a commercial adviser for a local authority, and came into property in that very roundabout way.
“Boxpark is an incubator for the leading new food brands. There are so many interesting, talented micro entrepreneurs held down by costs. Our model reduces cost by using space as intensely as possible, with kitchens inside the units and seating outside, and guaranteeing footfall.”
Etienne Castedin
Managing director, Longevity Partners
“I studied international relations and trade, specialising in urbanisation and development and got my dream job right away as a consultant for the United Nations environmental programme. After two years there I moved to the dark side, working for JLL and night Frank, before raising half a million pounds to start my own business.
“There’s a green revolution happening now, with pension funds phasing out CO2-heavy investments, and allowing responsible investment to take a much bigger role.”
Barry Cullen
Future talent director, RICS
“We are keen to be a professional body of the 21st century, so trying to be dynamic, diverse, progressive, and in the area of future talent we’re trying to present an industry that’s innovative, exciting and has a huge career path involved. Ensuring we’re reaching an audience we’ve never reached before is key to successfully remaining relevant.”
Sam Brown
Graduate surveyor, CBRE/founder, student surveyor
“When I was on a placement at McDonalds, working client side, the company had put on a big drinks night, which left me worse for wear the next morning. I’d gone into work, got breakfast from the café and a man standing next to me was trying to make small talk even though I was clearly hungover and didn’t feel like it. I ended up telling him I’d been on a heavy night out and hadn’t showered and hadn’t shaved. Logging on to my computer back at my desk, the first email was from HR asking us to give a warm welcome to the new managing director of McDonald’s, with a big picture of the man’s face I had just been talking to. The moral is, always be good and kind to people you meet in the office or networking. They could be important.”
