Niki Kyriacou

Sector Lead - BTR
NHBC

Niki is Sector Lead at NHBC focusing on client management of activity, with a focus on the BTR market. 

Niki was previously at leading property trade publication Property Week, specialising in partnerships, campaign strategy and cross-platform solutions and has over 20 years’ experience. She has a strong focus on the residential property sector, having driven the development of prestigious, large-scale events like RESI and the RESI Awards. 

Other career highlights during that time included launching and delivering high-profile initiatives like RESI Trailblazers - championing rising stars; and Joint Victories - celebrating the best of public-private partnerships.

Simon Scott

Lead Director, Living Capital Markets (UK)
JLL Europe

Simon has over 20 years’ experience in the field of residential investment and development, and was actively involved in the development of the student investment market in an advisory capacity, and led in a number of innovative funding structures working with both Housing Associations and Universities in making institutionally acceptable investment assets in the residential sector. Simon is now overseeing the residential investment team and will be focused on matching investor appetite for residential investment, whether off plan bespoke developments or existing portfolios of income producing or reversionary assets.

Lindsay Garratt

Partner
Winckworth Sherwood

Lindsay is a specialist planning and regeneration lawyer with almost 20 years’ experience advising the residential development sector (private sale, PRS and affordable providers) on the promotion of complex planning applications for residential led/mixed use sites particularly in London and the South East. She advises on the full range of planning and highways law, S106, CIL and policy matters – and has commented extensively on the “First Homes” affordable housing tenure. Lindsay is a key advisor to several FTSE 100 companies, including Barratt Developments PLC.

Jace Tyrrell

Chief Executive Officer
Opportunity London

Jace is Chief Executive of New West End Company, a leading business partnership for London’s West End, representing the people and organisations behind the world’s largest retail destination. It delivers management and marketing services to over 80 streets within London’s retail heartland including Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. Its aim is to drive the change to create a truly unique and sustainable West End experience, unlock the barriers for economic growth and further strengthen the commercial success of the area with its 150,000 employees and £2bn annual contribution to UK GDP. He leads the representation locally and globally of 600 businesses across retail, leisure and real estate in London’s West End with a property portfolio of £3.5bn and annual turnover of £10bn. He is a company spokesperson and member of the Board. London’s West End attracts millions of visitors from around the world each year, making it a valuable destination for both investors and brands. Over the past decade New West End Company has worked with its members, partners and stakeholders to invest over £60m into the area driving the transformation of London’s retail heartland, improving public spaces, promoting inward investment and working with Westminster City Council, The Mayor’s Office and Transport for London.

Colette McCormack

Partner
Winckworth Sherwood

Colette leads the national Winckworth Sherwood Planning team and has over 25 years’ experience specialising in complex housing led mixed use developments.  She is ranked band 1 and a leading individual in planning in the legal directories ( bites by clients and peers).She provides strategic planning advice and is known for her ability to lead on and deliver complex projects.  She is solutions driven and collaborative in her approach to unlocking obstacles to development.  She understands the development cycle but also the regulatory and public law paradigm that public bodies and housing associations work within.  Her work advising developers, local planning authorities, Government departments and housing associations gives her a unique insight and in depth knowledge of housing delivery including BtR .  Colette advises on some of the largest and complex developments across the country including the iconic Battersea Power Station for Wandsworth Council, Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters for Peel Holdings and Barking Riverside Limited acting for the joint venture between L&Q and the GLA (all of which deliver BtR) and BtR operators such as Moda Living .

Freya Richard

Director - Leasing & Operations
Vertus

Alastair Mullens

Managing Director
Vertus

Alastair joined Canary Wharf Group in 2018, to establish the Canary Wharf Group’s (CWG) Build-to-Rent platform, Vertus. He is currently overseeing the delivery of three seed assets totalling 1,137 units, all based on the Canary Wharf Estate. The first new residential tenants moved in in February 2020. He is now working closely with CWG’s development team to design and envision the future phases of private rental product for the Estate.

Over the last twelve years Alastair has gained a broad experience of the UK residential property market; initially in Residential Management before moving into Residential Development and then centring on the emerging Build-to-Rent market. He spent 9 years with Hamptons International & Countrywide Group based in London and Hong Kong. In 2015 he returned from Asia to focus on Build-to-Rent lease-up delivery for various clients across London. His final role at Countrywide was as National Director of Corporate PRS & Build to Rent, during this time he oversaw the delivery of the group’s operational management platform. This included the delivery of two Build-to-Rent assets in the north-west totalling 488 units for the Vista fund, The Cargo Building in Liverpool and Pomona Wharf in Manchester.

James Riddell

Chief Executive Officer
quintain

John Holley

Investment Director
Bywater Group

James Pargeter

Senior Advisor
GAA

James is a recognised advocate for the purpose-built operational Rented Living sector (incl. Build to Rent (BTR) and Single-Family Rent (SFR)) within the wider residential sector, with over 25 years’ varied delivery experience as a Project Manager and Advisor. He aims to help address the UK’s housing crisis through policy and practice, recognising that a full tenure spectrum is key to resolving this challenge. Through successive roles at Deloitte, Greystar and GAA, alongside sector roles including at the ARL, the BPF, and other representative bodies, he has a track record of making positive differences to sector and project outcomes.

James is a tireless campaigner for a much-needed cultural change around renting, including better appreciation of the benefits of purpose-built rental housing, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), and intermediate affordable homes. He was included in EG's 'BTR's 50 Most Influential’ list.

Emma Rosser

Associate Director – UK Living Research and Strategy
JLL

Emma leads JLL's pan-EMEA living research managing data, strategic advisory and insights. She has written and led a range of thought leadership pieces across the sectors, including global living, student and affordable housing. She is a former business analyst and journalist, with a decade specialising in the living sectors.

Stephanie Smith

Head of Residential
Muse

Damien Sharkey

Managing Director
HUB

Damien Sharkey is HUB’s Managing Director. Damien is keenly involved in all aspects of the HUB business, leading the development process of its current £2.7bn pipeline from acquisition and funding through design, consultation, planning, procurement, and delivery to completion. An architect by background, Damien completed his post-graduate diploma in architecture at the University of Westminster before beginning his career at Robin Partington Architects, now known as Apt. Having moved into development, Damien remains passionate about design and ensures maximum value through thoughtful design, technical accuracy, and efficient delivery for all of HUB’s portfolio. His agile thinking and proclivity for problem solving allow him to develop the HUB direction, structure deals and lead a fantastic team.

Leigh Natasha Salter

Managing Director
Movers & Shakers

Leigh Natasha Salter is Managing Director of Movers & Shakers, having formerly been the Business and Events Director. Leigh has been responsible for developing the brand over the last 14 years and was responsible for the launch of the Movers & Shakers UK Regional events programme. Previously she worked in marketing, communications and research, and also ran the Windsor & Maidenhead Borough’s Business to Community Partnership, facilitating CSR for businesses. She qualified at Oxford University with a BA Honours in Human Sciences, and a scholarship, and is also a member of the BPF, WPA and UK-GBC.

Tim Heatley

CEO
Capital & Centric

Tim is co-founder of Capital&Centric. In just five years since it started they’ve completed over 750,000 sq ft of development, they spend £1m a week on regeneration activity and have won 15 awards for design and regeneration. 

Some of their projects in Manchester include the £30m conversion of Crusader Mills in Piccadilly and the £200m Kampus Project and the recently completed Foundry a 50,000 sq ft creative workspace in Salford.

Having completed 5 developments last year alone the pipeline of projects Manchester stands at £330m. Projects in Liverpool include Littlewoods Film Studios, and the recently completed Bunker, Tempest and Hangar projects. The total development pipeline is in excess of £500m.

Natalia Kolotneva

Head of Living & Hospitality Europe
La Salle

Natalia oversees deployment and asset management into living and hospitality sectors for European equity at LaSalle with a further remit in supporting debt business and managing external asset management partnerships across wider sectors.

With over 20 years of real estate experience, her previous work includes leadership positions across public and private sectors with IHG Hotels, JLL/JLL Hotels, Legal & General, Asia Pacific Investment Partners and London Borough of Lewisham.

Natalia graduated from University of Surrey with BSc in International Hospitality Management, followed by receiving her MSc in Corporate Real Estate Finance from Bayes Business School London. She is a member of RICS and serves on several Advisory and Governing Boards.

Craig Carson

Regional Managing Director
Barratt London

Millie Dodd

Account Director
Shared Voice

Millie is passionate about improving how communities, councils and the development industry engage around new housing. A regular public speaker at events and conferences and a contributor to the media, Millie challenges the way the planning process often amplifies opposition, while leaving supportive voices unheard. She strives to change the way the industry approaches engagement, pushing for more representative engagement and positivity in planning.

Jake Hughes

Founding Partner & Chairman
Hunter

Jake is Founding Partner and Chairman of Hunter, bringing over three decades of experience shaping brands and places that put people first. He has played a leading role in building some of the UK’s most recognisable brands, including The White Company, Hotel Chocolat, and Berkeley Group, and continues to guide the studio’s creative and strategic vision. Driven by a passion for understanding what makes people connect with brands, places, and each other, Jake champions a human-centred approach to design and strategy. His focus on empathy, clarity, and collaboration ensures that every project Hunter delivers is both meaningful and commercially effective.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-hughes-b12a781b/

Russell Pedley

Director & Co-Founder
Assael Architecture

Russell is Director and Co-Founder of Assael Architecture. With over 30 years as an architect and 15 years in urban design, he has a strong passion for creating a sense of place with historical and cultural connections in all of his work.

Russell spent many years spearheading Assael’s skills in the design of professionally-managed Build to Rent communities in the private rented sector. Following years of research, including many study trips to the US, and producing design guides for the UK, Assael is now one of the leading architects in the sector, paving the way with key projects such as Union Wharf in Greenwich for Essential Living, Blackhorse Mills in Walthamstow for Legal & General, and Pontoon Dock in Newham for Linkcity. Russell also co-authored both editions of the Urban Land Institute’s Build to Rent: A Best Practice Guide, which was sponsored by the British Government, and he is now Chair of the ULI’s UK Residential Council and advises on MHCLG’s Build to Rent Joint Committee.