Bywater SFC has appointed former CBRE UK chairman Stephen Hubbard as a board adviser.
Bywater’s leadership team includes chairman Richard Walker, who is also executive chairman of Iceland Food Groups, chief executive Patrick O’Gorman and chief operating officer Theo Michell.
Hubbard spent the majority of his career at CBRE where he held various senior roles, including head of EMEA and UK chairman, before his retirement in 2019. Hubbard was also appointed non-executive director of the Canada Water masterplan by Australia’s largest superannuation fund, AustralianSuper, earlier this year. He stepped down as chairman of Workspace in July this year.
The developer said it has appointed Hubbard at an “exciting period of growth”. Earlier this year, it formed a £1bn partnership with Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry, focusing on timber-led, retrofit and new-build commercial and residential projects across the UK and Europe.
Bywater and Sumitomo Forestry’s first joint enterprise, Paradise, a six-storey office building in Vauxhall, SW8, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, is under construction and expected to be completed in autumn 2024.
The timber used for the project comes from sustainable forests and is expected to remove around 1,884 tonnes of carbon from the environment, helping to minimise the environmental impact of the building. Bywater also expects to invest in three new timber-led projects in 2023.
Walker said: “Stephen brings an insurmountable amount of knowledge and experience to Bywater’s leadership team. I have no doubt he will play a critical role in helping support our ambitious development pipeline with Sumitomo Forestry, as we look to build low-carbon projects across the UK and Europe.”
Hubbard said: “The Bywater team, together with Sumitomo Forestry, is helping set a new standard for the industry when it comes to sustainable development. I look forward to contributing to the wider pipeline and investment strategy and helping deliver on the company’s clear sense of purpose.”
On Nakagawa, president of Sumitomo Forestry Europe, said: “Stephen Hubbard’s appointment comes at a great time for Bywater. We are growing our pipeline of projects across the UK and wider Europe, and his expertise will be invaluable in ensuring these are a good fit for our brand, and delivering for the communities they serve.”
To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@eg.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @EGPropertyNews
