Dublin State of the Market 2019

Despina Katsikakis is an industry leader with an international reputation for thought leadership and innovation, on the impact of the workplace, on people and business performance. As Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of Occupier Business Performance, she provides input across the firm’s global business on the rapidly-changing context of work and its impact on employee engagement, productivity and wellbeing. Over her 35 year career, Despina has advised some of the world’s biggest companies, including Google, Unilever, BP, GSK, Morgan Stanley and Microsoft, on how to best achieve tangible business outcomes through their workplaces. She has also been instrumental in developing the vision to future proof major commercial developments around the world, most recently London’s TwentyTwo, the progressive 1.3m sq ft office development currently under construction in the City of London and Europe’s first major WELL certified new-build project. Despina regularly lectures, writes and contributes to research on the future of the workplace.

Ned is a co-founder and managing director of SW3 Capital. Ned has been involved in all stages of the property investment management process but specialises in equity capital raising, 3rd party finance, fund structuring, acquisition, disposals and asset management. In 2009, Ned co-founded Hiberno Saxon, a London based property investment management business. Prior to this, he was an investment surveyor in the City of London and West End office markets for Catella UK and later Gresham Downs Capital Partners (now Savills). Ned is a qualified Chartered Surveyor and also holds a CFA Society Investment Management Certificate (IMC). Ned graduated from Bristol University with a Theology BA Honours and has also obtained a Masters in Property Valuation and Law from Cass Business School in London.

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Gary is Development Director with RGRE and was previously General Manager, Investment and Development with QIC/ GPT Australia, having worked there since 2014. Gary is currently guiding the Development Team of RGRE to realise; Salesforce Tower, a 530,000 sqft – 9 level Commercial office mega-campus for Salesforce plc, and 204 bed Hotel for Dalata plc. Spencer Place Residential (394 Unit PRS scheme and 100 bed Apart-Hotel) in Spencer Dock, Dublin 1. Facebook Mega Campus - Fibonacci Square, a 350,000 sq. ft. commercial office development, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Waterfront CB9 – Dublin Dockland’s mixed use development lands within the Dublin Docklands, North Lotts SDZ. The gross development value of projects actively in development is in excess of €2.0B. Gary is a Chartered Surveyor and holds an Honors Degree in Quantity Surveying, Deakin University (AUS) and from Cambridge University (UK), the Investment Property Forum Cert (FSA 2 Accreditation), specialising in Global Property Investment.

Andrew is Co-founder and COO at Huckletree, one of Europe's most iconic, technology-focused workplace accelerators - where members include the likes of Silicon Valley Bank, Tech Ireland, Felix Capital, Accenture Digital, Kontainers, and Butternut Box. Whilst leading Huckletree's commercial, financial and investment activities, Andrew is tasked with expanding their member-base across the UK, Ireland and continental Europe, where the business now operates eight locations with over 3,000 members. He also advises early-stage businesses across a wide range of sectors, helping them with fundraising, finance and strategy. Prior to Huckletree, Andrew was a private equity executive at global investment management firm Cambridge Associates, where he advised corporate pension and sovereign wealth funds on over $5.0 billion of private equity, venture and real estate fund investments. Andrew began his career as an analyst at Parkmaster Investments and JP Morgan, where focused on property acquisitions and asset management. He holds a BSc in Construction Economics from Waterford Institute of Technology, a BSc in Quantity Surveying from Liverpool John Moores University, and an MSc in Real Estate Investment from Cass Business School, London.

Mark Allnutt is a Senior Managing Director and a member of the Greystar Executive Committee, where he leads Greystar’s vertically integrated platform in Europe. He is responsible for overseeing investment, development, and operations in seven markets – Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands, and The United Kingdom – working with the country leaders to grow Greystar’s presence across the region in both multifamily and student housing. Mark has a wealth of experience in the management of multidisciplinary teams to deliver successful residential ventures. Prior to joining Greystar in 2014, Mark was Group Executive Commercial Director of Thames Valley Housing (TVH) where he was responsible for originating and managing the company’s joint venture vehicles. He was also a founding Director of Fizzy Living, the sovereign wealth fund-backed multifamily subsidiary of TVH.

Margaret Sweeney is the Chief Executive Officer and a Board Director of Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc (I-RES). I-RES is the leading provider of quality private residential rental accommodation in Ireland with almost 4,000 homes in communities across Dublin and Cork. I-RES’s vision is to be provider of choice for the Irish living sector, known for excellent service and for operating responsibly, minimising its environmental impact and maximising its contribution to the community. I-RES shares are listed on the Main Securities Market of Euronext Dublin. Margaret has wide-ranging board experience, having been a Non-Executive Director of several regulated entities and listed companies, most recently Dalata Hotel Group Plc. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and a Chartered Director, she is also the Chair of the Industry Advisory Board and an Adjunct Professor at Dublin City University (DCU) Business School. Margaret is a Past President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce and previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer of daa Plc (Dublin Airport Authority) and Postbank Ireland Ltd. Margaret has a wide range of personal and professional interests, particularly relating to sustainability and the development of women leaders.

Paul Mitchell is a professional member of the SCSI and is Director and co-Founder of Mitchell McDermott Construction Consultants. Paul has over 20 years’ experience working as a construction consultant, both in Ireland and the US and is Chair of the SCSI Residential Committee. Paul co-authored the SCSI report on Apartment Viability and sat on the Department of Housing Liaison Committee that led to the revised regulations for Apartments being published in March 2018 that led to the new wave of BTR and Shared Accommodation schemes in planning and development. Mitchell McDermott are currently involved in over 10,000 residential units, c.7,000 of which are apartments in either BTS, BTR or Shared Accommodation format. In our Market Overview InfoCard, we see the undersupply of residential units fuelling significant construction activity over the next number of years.

John is currently European Head of Transactions at AXA IM – Real Assets. His responsibilities include overseeing the sourcing, selection and execution of the acquisitions undertaken each year on behalf of clients. As part of his role, John will contribute to the investment strategies and will be a member of the Investment Committee. John joined AXA IM - Real Assets from global real estate advisory services firm JLL, where he has been CEO of Corporate Finance and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for the EMEA region since 2014. Prior to JLL, John spent eight years at Deutsche Bank where, having joined as an Associate in 2006, he was promoted through to EMEA Head of Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging M&A. John joined Deutsche after four years in the EMEA Real Estate Investment Banking team at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. John has over 15 years of experience in the international real estate investment banking and advisory.

Mary Birmingham is responsible for leading the investment strategy for Glenveagh Living and has over 30 years’ experience in the investment and development property sectors. Mary has previously held senior positions at Irish Life Investment Managers and NAMA. Mary is a Chartered Surveyor and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.

Mary is the Executive Director and also member of the Executive Leadership Team at IDA Ireland – the state agency with responsibility for attracting foreign investment into Ireland. Mary has held senior leadership positions in the organisation over the past 14 years, operating in Ireland and in North America. In October 2015, Mary was appointed Executive Director with responsibility for the implementation of IDA Ireland’s Corporate Strategy, Winning FDI 2015 - 2019. Prior to that, she was Divisional Manager covering Regional Development, Property and Corporate Operations overseeing the implementation of IDA Ireland’s Regional Development and Property strategies. In this role she was also Head of Human Resources and Organisation Development and oversaw the Finance and Corporate Governance functions of the organisation. From 2006 to 2010 Mary was Director of IDA Ireland’s North American operations, leading the team in winning investments across all business sectors. Prior to her relocation to New York, Mary was Director of the South Region based in Cork. Mary is based in IDA Ireland’s Head Office in Wilton Place, Dublin 2.

Mike has over 15 years of experience in property having been Finance Director of Ireland’s 3rd largest construction contractor (+€500m turnover) and a director of one of Ireland’s largest development entities with over €3 billion of assets in development in all property sectors from residential, commercial and PPPs. From 2012 to 2015 Mike held the position of Chief Operations Officer of the CIE Group. CIE owns all of Ireland’s public transport services (rail and bus) with a Balance Sheet of over €3 billion and 10,000 employees. In the 3 years Mike was with CIE, in addition to refinancing the group and overseeing a €120m improvement in operating profit performance, Mike had direct responsibility for the management of the CIE property portfolio. CIE’s property holdings are the 2nd largest in Ireland after the Office of Public Works. His recent experience in the public sector gives Mike an invaluable insight into how the Irish government works and the longer term strategic issues that affect public infrastructure investment in Ireland. Mike’s past experience includes corporate finance, investment banking and aircraft leasing in a Chartered Accountant’s career spanning 20+ years.

Karen is a Partner in William Fry’s Real Estate Department. She specialises in all types of property development and investment transactions (both loan and asset based) including syndicate investments using corporate, funds and other structures. She has extensive experience in the site assembly, financing, structuring, letting and disposal of retail developments and mixed schemes on behalf of landlords and developers including multi-family and private rented sector 'PRS' development. She advises tenants taking space in all types of commercial property including the retail, office and industrial sectors. Karen is a frequent speaker and writer on commercial property and tax related issues. She is consistently ranked as a leading lawyer by legal directories. She is a leading practitioner in Who's Who Legal:Real Estate 2018. In Legal 500 EMEA 2017, Karen is ‘highly rated’ having advised Hammerson and Allianz Real Estate on the €1.85bn acquisition of the Project Jewel loan portfolio from NAMA. According to Chambers Europe 2019, sources comment that "You can rely on her support. She's very hard working, her advice is good and insightful, commercial and pragmatic." In Chambers Europe 2018 clients appreciate that Karen is "very friendly and approachable, so I can talk the transaction through with her and she will go through it in a systematic way." Sources say "She gives you the pros, the cons, and a recommendation. Her level of knowledge is superb." - Chambers Europe 2016.

Aidan Gavin, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield Ireland. Over the past 6 years Aidan has led Cushman & Wakefield Ireland into one of the top 3 commercial advisory firms in Ireland, and recently concluded he sale of the business to Cushman & Wakefield Global.