Montagu Evans retail and leisure partner Rob Asbury has left the agency to take up a degree in zoology.
Asbury has now become a full-time student at the University of Roehampton to pursue his passion for animals, especially big cats.
He leaves behind a 28-year career that began as a surveyor at King Sturge & Co. He became a partner at Cushman & Wakefield in 1996, before he joined Savills as a director in 2003.
Specialising in out-of-town retail, Asbury worked at Montagu Evans for more than 13 years, latterly as a commercial transactions board member and chair of the salary committee. His clients included Aberdeen Standard, CBRE Global Investors, Quadrant Estates, Knight Frank Investors, Legal & General and Schroders.
Asbury became head of retail and leisure in London and a board member at Montagu Evans in 2012, having joined as a retail partner in 2008.
“Change creates opportunities as well as adversity and the chance to evolve should never be far from our thoughts,” said Asbury.
“For me personally, that means a career change. So it’s time to leave the world of retail and property, with the full support and understanding of some exceptionally talented and wonderful people in the partnership, to pursue my passion for animals and undertake a degree in zoology – and the chance to think about evolution from an entirely different angle.
“I move on with some valued memories of great projects, teams and friends and for those I haven’t spoken to already, thank you for the last 25-plus years – it has been a blast.”
Rob Bower, managing partner at Montagu Evans, said: “During his 13 years as a partner, Rob has made an immeasurable contribution to our business. His knowledge of out-of-town retail and ability to help occupier and landlord clients continues to stand out, and he is a very well-respected team leader.
“But anyone who knows him also knows about his passion for big cats and protecting their natural habitats, so we completely support his decision to take up a zoology degree and further this interest. We wish him all the very best in this next chapter.”
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