Birmingham State of the Market 2019

Laura Shoaf is the Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) which is the transport arm of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Laura has more than 25 years international experience in delivering integrated economic and spatial regeneration and is the first woman in England to lead a strategic transport authority. Laura is also a Board member of EMTA and member of UITP both internationally renowned transport organisations sharing good practice.

David Thame started writing for Property Week (then called CSW) in 1988, and he hasn't stopped writing about property since. He's appeared regularly in titles ranging from Retail Week, Estates Gazette and Investors Chronicle to the Manchester Evening News and The Grocer. Today he writes for half a dozen titles, and is proud to include Bisnow among them. He has a PhD from the University of Manchester.

Bek has worked in a range of environments including outsourcing and public services, engineering and construction, before her role at Lendlease. In undertaking both commercial and wider business roles, Bek has a strong track record in delivering cultural change and business growth. In her role at Lendlease Bek is responsible for the commercial operations and overall growth of the Lendlease Development business, including New Business opportunities. Her previous experience in regeneration, change and partnership working enable her to build on the strong foundations that Lendlease has to further grow and innovate the Lendlease business.

An avid collector and skier, James has spent more than 20 years working in commercial real estate. Following time with Weatherall Green and Smith (now BNP Paribas), Bellhammer, Anglesea Capital and Kenmore, James set up Oval with Nick in 2013 and oversees deal origination and asset management.

Rachel is UK Head of Transport and an Executive Director of WSP, and a Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), where she leads the Public Voice portfolio. She is a chartered engineer, an ICE Fellow and Trustee. She is also a Patron of Women in Transport, having been one of its founding board members. Rachel was named as one of The Telegraph’s inaugural Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering in 2016 and in 2017 she was named as the Most Distinguished Winner and Best Woman Civil Engineer at the Women in Civil Engineering Awards. She is involved with major projects for clients across the public and private sectors, including leadership of a growing portfolio of future mobility projects in the UK and overseas. She has authored and co-authored various publications on topics including autonomous vehicles and future place-making, and before that about digital technology and its potential for infrastructure, industry innovation and collaboration.

Rob Groves, is the Regional Director of Argent and has over 30 years of planning, design, construction and commercial experience. Prior to joining Argent in 2007 he was an Equity Partner at a large multi-disciplinary consulting engineer practice. His development experience includes mixed use, residential, commercial, industrial schemes as well as major public sector infrastructure. Rob has led schemes from feasibility through to planning, compulsory purchase, which includes expert witness work, detailed design, funding both private and public sector, construction and commercial legals and lettings. He is head of Argents’ Birmingham office and is leading the Paradise project in Birmingham, which is a joint venture with Birmingham City Council for a new commercial led mixed use development of 2 million sq/ft in the City centre, which is one of the biggest city centre projects in the regions. The project was one of the first in England to secure Enterprise Zone funding, delivering major site wide infrastructure changes to the city centre, the first phase of which is close to completion. Rob is also the chair of the Midlands British Council of Offices.

Chris Sullivan is a Chartered Building Surveyor with twenty years’ experience. His main focus and expertise lies in the fields of Building Pathology and Landlord and Tenant disputes; particularly Dilapidations, 54 Act Contested Lease Renewals and Service Charge matters. Chris also has considerable experience in acting as an Expert Witness having most recently acted for the defendant on the leading ground f case Franses v Cavendish, which is now set for the Supreme Court. He regularly represents clients in Mediation meetings. He is on the RICS President's Panel for Expert Determination in Dilapidations and a member of ARBRIX. Chris has been a Partner at Malcolm Hollis since 2006, Chris now splits his time between London and Birmingham. He is head of Malcolm Hollis' Dispute Resolution Service and for a number of years led the company’s operations across the Midlands. He regularly lectures on Dilapidations and Building Pathology for Malcolm Hollis and the RICS and is an active member of Birmingham’s property industry. He is a member of the RICS Dilapidations Forum Steering Group, co-author of the RICS Dilapidations Guidance Note 7th edition and chairs an RICS working group on ADR in Dilapidations.

Charlie founded The Office Group (TOG) with Olly Olsen in 2003. Previously he worked as a Chartered Surveyor and for MWB Group on development work in the serviced office sector. TOG grew from the desire to challenge the serviced office industry, to make it a transparent, flexible and brilliantly designed workspace option instead of a temporary solution. TOG’s buildings are designed in response to the ever-changing attitudes towards how we work.

James Howarth has over 20 years’ experience in land and property, specialising in the planning, remediation and development of complex development sites. Prior to Sterling PV James co-founded Abstract Land Limited in 2004, which was responsible for various developments such as Colmore Plaza, Birmingham and a number of complex land assembly deals in the south east. He leads the Sterling team managing their current development exposure to the regional office market (103 Colmore Row and B3.3N, MK), PRS (Great Charles Place) and student sectors (Exeter), liaising with funding counterparties and the full professional team.

Education BSc (Hons) Estate Management Kingston University 1995 Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the British Council for Offices. Career Highlights Completed the repositioning, refurbishment and re leasing of Broadgate Quarter in the City as well as restructuring leases with key tenants at Brindleyplace, Birmingham. Mr Rajput is jointly responsible for the coordination of asset management activities across Hines European platform. Summary Mr.Rajput joined Hines in January 2013. Mr Rajput is a Managing Director of Hines UK with responsibility for its growing UK portfolio under management, both in London and in key regional cities. The company’s London portfolio of assets under management includes 60 Holborn Viaduct, 1 Bartholomew Lane, 1 Westferry Circus and 25 Cabot Square. Outside the capital, Hines is asset manager at Brindleyplace in Birmingham on behalf of the HSBC Private Bank. Before joining Hines, Mr.Rajput was Head of Acquisitions and Disposals at property outsourcing company Mapeley, responsible for the HMRC, Santander and Direct Investment portfolios vacant estate and estate strategy. September 2017

John is Head of the Development team in Birmingham with particular focus on mixed use development and the office sector. He has been involved in many of the key central Birmingham office-led regeneration projects and has had considerable experience of mixed use urban regeneration as a result of this role. He advises land owners, developers, funds as well as the public sector.

Matt Walker is a partner in the real estate team at international law firm Gowling WLG. Matt has a wide variety of experience having acted for developers, institutional investors, funders, tenants and even Gowling WLG on its new Birmingham offices at Two Snowhill.