After a 30-year army career, including postings to war zones such as Sierra Leone, Major General Bill Moore was perhaps not the most obvious choice to become the new chief executive of one of London’s historic landed estates.
Having worked his way up through the ranks to become master general of the ordnance on the Army Board, Moore’s previous property experience comprised leading a team to build schools and wells in the war-hit West African country.
But the 54-year-old brings to Viscount Portman’s 110-acre, £1.2bn Marylebone estate a set of leadership and people skills that would arguably be difficult to match in the property world.
“I was used to developing key relationships around the world in quite challenging circumstances,” the Falklands and Iraq veteran says, modestly. “I bring leadership, experience of strategic planning and liaising with government and have been fortunate to work with a wide range of people.”
For Richard Lay, chairman of the Portman Estate, bringing such skills on board was crucial after the loss of highly regarded chief executive Gareth Clutton in May 2011 following a short illness.
“We have a very strong office team, but one thing we lacked following the sad death of Gareth was a powerful leader. The one thing about army leaders is that they are known to be able to deal with the unexpected, and Bill brings immense management and organisational skills.”
Clutton came from one of property’s most established families, which had run the eponymous agency for seven generations since 1765. But Lay says: “It is not a problem that Bill has not always lived and breathed property. He has property director Oliver Fenn-Smith and finance director Mark Southern, who are doing excellent jobs to provide specialist knowledge, but what we needed was someone like Bill who could bring those two sides of the business together. I have no doubt we have chosen the best person for the job.”
Great leadership
Moore may be fully equipped with the skills of a major general, but there’s no military paraphernalia in his office to give away his background and he does not employ the bellowing tone one might associate with someone who reached the upper echelons of the army. His voice is quiet and friendly and the only tangible evidence of his interests is his Ipswich Town FC Post-it notes. He comes across as unassuming and humble.
Moore’s approach since joining the Portman Estate in December has already impressed one of his predecessors in the role, Hugh Seaborn, now chief executive of the Cadogan Estate.
“He has great leadership and people skills that are to be commended, and I think this is what is needed at the Portman Estate at a managing level,” says Seaborn. “Given the trust structure of the business, and therefore involvement with the Portman family, I think his communication skills will be of great use.”
The challenge will inevitably lie in getting to grips with a new working environment worlds away from Moore’s usual field of operations.
“One of the difficulties Moore may find is that he will not know the names and personalities in the real estate market straight away, and will have to build up these relationships,” adds Seaborn. But, like Lay, he stresses that the established Portman team will soon bring him up to speed.
In at the deep end
Moore is already grappling with the complexities of the Westminster planning system. Consultation ended on Friday (23 March) on Westminster’s draft City Management Plan, which includes the controversial CS1 policy designed to bring more mixed-use buildings – and more homes – to the borough. CS1 would require landlords to match increases in commercial floorspace of 200m2 (2,150 sq ft) or more with equivalent residential space on site.
All Moore will say for now is that he has been holding in-depth meetings with the council on how best to make the proposals “a productive plan for both parties”.
Like Clutton and Seaborn before him, Moore’s key strategy is to preserve capital and retain the steady flow of profits to the estate’s beneficiaries.
“What is unusual about the estate is that it is not all about short-term returns,” he explains. “You do need returns, but we are concentrating on regenerating the estate for the future. There are several things we need to continue to do, including attracting and retaining strong tenants that will encourage people to live and spend in Marylebone.”
To achieve this, Moore intends to see through some of the more innovative plans the Portman Estate already had in train in an attempt to bring the historic landholding, which spans 68 streets north of Oxford Street, firmly into the 21st century.
“We must carry on renovating,” says Moore. “The last two chief executives have done a great job and done extremely well in moving the estate into the future, but there is still a long way to go.”
During his tragically short stint as chief executive, Clutton trialled a new strategy at its Marble Arch House scheme, W1, to bring in joint venture partners to help finance and deliver large-scale projects. In January 2011, he signed an £18m deal to sell the 100,000 sq ft office, retail and leisure development to British Land.
The estate will take 10% of the commercial income and retain control over the 6,000 sq ft restaurant in the scheme, which sits at the gateway to its Portman Village retail project and is expected to complete mid-2013.
More joint ventures
Further joint ventures and redevelopments are in the pipeline. Last month, the estate submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of 28-30 Seymour Street, W1, with hotelier Zetter Group. The application is for a new hotel called Uncle Seymour’s Townhouse.
At the same time, the estate has completed its refurbishment of 5,769 sq ft of offices at 1 Duke’s Mews, W1, which Moore says he expects to capitalise on the shortage of prime space.
The team is also embarking on a five-year, £100m refurbishment plan, which includes sprucing up the facades of Georgian buildings including retail and office space, as well as listed residential properties and public realm. The programme will complete in about 2017.
And, sounding convincingly like a retail expert, Moore says he is committed to delivering on the Portman Estate’s strategy to offer shoppers a quirky alternative to Oxford Street. This has been most evident in recent years at Portman Village, which encompasses New Quebec Street and Seymour Place, and is billed as a “little black book destination”.
“We want our retail offering to be there for the long term,” he explains. “We will continue to try to secure specialist retailers, such as boutiques and wedding dress companies, as tenants. We are not as interested in a big chain store coming in; we would rather something quirky.”
Central to attracting retail and business occupiers to the area is the Portman Estate-led Baker Street Quarter consortium. Made up of eight stakeholders, including Great Portland Estates, Derwent London and the council, the parties hope to achieve BID status by spring 2013.
Moore says the group’s proposals are progressing well, from plans to widen pavements through to a more lighthearted planning consent for bunting during the London Olympics this summer.
Further stakeholders have signed up, including Cushman & Wakefield, London & Regional, and the University of Westminster.
Moore is clearly enjoying his role overseeing such a prime slice of the capital. But, with an eye on what threats may lie over the horizon, the major general says economic growth is vital to its continued success.
“The economy must continue to grow and London must retain its status as the key financial hub,” says Moore. “This is crucial to delivering the mixed-use estate we require to attract and retain occupiers and visitors to what is a stunning and vibrant part of central London.”
CV: the very model of a modern major general
24 January 1958 Born in Pembroke, south-west Wales. His father’s career in the army means much of his childhood is spent living in different parts of the world.
1976-1979 Studies politics and industrial history at Salford University.
1980-2011 Joins the army, where he serves in Northern Ireland, the Falklands campaign in 1982, Belize, Sierra Leone (twice) and Iraq (twice); he also serves with the United Nations. Attains the rank of major general, serving in his last position as master general of the ordnance on the Army Board.
December 2011 Appointed chief executive of the Portman Estate. Becomes a chartered manager.
Lifestyle Moore spends five days a week in London and the remainder with his wife Jane at home in Tockenham, near Royal Wootton Bassett. He has two sons, both studying at King’s College London. A lifelong Ipswich Town FC fan, his hobbies include cycling, skiing and cricket. Moore was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in 2001 for his efforts in Sierra Leone; the Czech Cross of Merit and a CBE for work in Iraq in 2003; and in 2009 received the US Legion of Merit for service in Iraq. In 2008, he canoed from Devizes to Westminster, raising £173,000 for wounded soldiers, and cycled from London to Paris in 2011 on behalf of the Royal British Legion.
