Insider’s annual Property Power List shines a light on the personalities who are making their mark on the North West’s thriving property industry.
The list – sponsored by Fieldfisher and included in the July edition of North West Business Insider – profiles 100 key figures split across five categories: residential, industrial and logistics, placemakers, science and innovation, and dealmakers.
The Placemakers table looks at the individuals that are transforming our towns and cities through commercial and mixed-use development and is led by Bruntwood chief executive Chris Oglesby.
Oglesby was appointed Bruntwood’s chief executive in 1999 and in that time has overseen the growth of the business to one that owns more than £1bn of commercial property across Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds with a further £1bn development pipeline across the four cities.
Also in the Placemakers is Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s Caroline Simpson.
As chief executive of the local authority, Simpson is leading the regeneration of a 130-acre district, with 4,000 new homes set to be built alongside improved transport and amenities.
Several key projects that are part of the £1bn transformation programme have progressed in the past year.
The Innovation and Science table looks at the people helping to grow this key sector and make the North West a pioneering region for science and technology.
Kate Lawlor, the chief executive at Bruntwood Sci-Tech, takes the top spot.
In April 2023, Bruntwood Sci-Tech secured an additional £100m in green funding from HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Santander to enable the property platform to continue with its expansion plans.
Also included within the category is Simon Arnott, managing director for the North West at Morgan Sindall.
Morgan Sindall is Liverpool City Council’s contractor partner for Paddington Village in the Knowledge Quarter innovation district. The construction company delivered The Spine building, a £35m office designed to be one of the world’s healthiest workspaces.
Insider’s current Property Personality of the Year, Andrew Dickman of Tritax Symmetry, leads the Industrial and Logistics rankings.
Dickman’s appointment as MD of Tritax Symmetry in 2022 was the culmination of many years’ experience in the industrial and logistics market, having first established the Manchester office of db Symmetry in 2012.
Under his leadership, Tritax Symmetry continues to push the envelope across the UK in terms of large-scale logistics development, working with occupiers to help them achieve net zero carbon in operation.
Iftikhar Majid, chairman, Pin Property Consultancy, also features in the Industrial and Logistics ranking.
Based in Manchester, Pin Property manages a commercial property portfolio of office and industrial buildings, in excess of 2.5 million sq ft predominantly located in the North West of England.
Phil Mayall, managing director – North West, Muse and development director at English Cities Fund (ECF), heads the Dealmakers table, which names the individuals putting together the funding, finance and partnerships that drive development and regeneration and attract inward investment to the region.
In his roles at Muse and the English Cities Fund, Mayall helps to drive forward investment, regeneration and placemaking across the North West. In May 2023, ECF was announced as the joint venture partner for Stockport 8, which will see over £250m invested into the town centre.
Dan Crossley and Andrew Timms, directors at Edwards & Co, also feature.
In 2023, Edwards & Co, which has twice been named Insider’s Office Agency of the Year, underwent a significant restructure, which saw Dan Crossley and Oliver Rowe join as shareholders and two longstanding team members acquiring stakes in the business.
The Residential table looks at the people providing homes where they are needed most, and creating new types of communities to suit the needs of current and future generations.
Daren Whitaker, the founder and chairman of Renaker is in first place.
At the start of the year, Renaker unveiled plans for a building of more than 70 storeys, which would be Manchester’s tallest skyscraper.
Jennie Daly, the chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, is also included, as is Tom Bloxham, the founder of Urban Splash.
Source : InsiderMedia