Has anyone led the charge on quite as many blockbuster transactions as James Seppala, the chairman of Blackstone Europe and the head of real estate Europe? Mileway, Indurent, Bourne Leisure, Fora, Sage Homes, Village Hotels and HIP — that is about £35B in acquisitions and sales for those transactions alone, with many more on the list, too. 

While several large U.S. real estate private equity firms have struggled to build European businesses to match their strength on home turf, on Seppala’s watch, Blackstone has become the biggest investor in the UK and Europe, picking the asset classes and businesses it backs wisely.  

He joined Blackstone in 2010, prior to which he spent 10 years at Goldman Sachs, focused on real estate equity and debt investment opportunities in Europe and the United States.

Seppala serves as chairman of BEPIF, the firm’s European fund for individual investors. He also serves on the Imperial College Council, the Imperial College Endowment Board, the advisory board of the Academy of Real Assets, the European Advisory Board of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School, and as a governor of John Lyon's Foundation. 

Outside of work, Seppala enjoys swimming, skiing, reading and spending time with his family.

Martin is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the business which has AUM of c.$50bn across 26 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. He has more than 20 years’ experience in real estate investment management, including 15 years at M&G in various fund and business management positions. Prior to joining M&G Martin worked for Close Brothers investment bank, responsible for establishing and managing a series of property funds in the UK and Europe. Martin started his career at Jones Lang LaSalle/LaSalle Investment Management. Martin has a BLE (Hons) in Land Economy from the University of Aberdeen and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Jess has more than 20 years’ experience in real estate and housing, gained in banking, private equity and law firms.

Jess joined Lloyds Bank in August 2024 as Managing Director, Head of Real Estate & Housing. The team is fundamental to Lloyds’s purpose of Helping Britain Prosper and covers a broad range of clients and segments, from leading housebuilders, hotels and many of the UK’s social housing associations through to regional property developers and listed real estate multinationals and investors.

Prior to Lloyds Jess spent 10 years with Barclays in a range of real estate leadership roles and latterly as Head of Public Sector. Before Barclays Jess worked at Blackstone, RBS and Allen and Overy.

Outside of work Jess is mum to two boys 13 and 10 so her life outside work is spent hanging out with them and doing as much exercise as she can squeeze in.

When AXA Investment Management, as it was then, pushed the button on the 1.3M SF 22 Bishopsgate office development just a month after the UK voted to leave the EU, it may have been the gutsiest decision in UK real estate in the last 10 years. 

But the call has been spectacularly vindicated — the building is now one of the most valuable in the UK.

And since then, under the leadership of Global Real Estate co-Head John O’Driscoll, the company, now renamed BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, has become one of the preeminent forces in UK and European real estate. 

Since joining the firm in 2018, O’Driscoll has played a leading role in bringing forward landmark projects, including its latest big office bet, 50 Fenchurch Street, a net-zero office development scheduled for completion in 2028. 

His track record also includes the acquisition of Kadans Science Partner, establishing a major European life sciences platform, and its subsequent joint venture with Canary Wharf Group to develop One North Quay, an 823K SF life sciences research and development building. 

More recently, he oversaw the acquisitions of Elstree Studios and Bry-sur-Marne Studios in Paris, expanding the platform into new growth sectors, as well as Dolphin Square, one of the UK’s largest private residential schemes, ahead of a major refurbishment and brown-to-green modernisation.

Outside work, O’Driscoll is married with three children and supports several charitable causes, with a particular focus on elderly care, children living in poverty and conservation. He has a broad interest in the arts, particularly theatre and live music, and enjoys a variety of sports, fitness, travel, good food and wine.

As CEO, Stafford is focussed on Delancey’s overall fund and asset level strategies and is responsible for overall management of the Firm. He joined Delancey in 2000 having previously been a Partner at Cushman & Wakefield.

He has led a range of Delancey's commercial, residential, mixed use and alternative sector investments in equity and credit strategies. He has also held leadership positions across Delancey's operating platforms including our pioneering moves into residential build to rent (Get Living plc), education (Alpha Plus Group) and mixed used development (Earls Court Development Company).

Alongside client funds, he manages Delancey's relationships with major co-investment partners including APG, Oxford Properties and Aware Super. He sits on the Board of our Delancey Aware Real Estate UK initiative (DARE).

Outside Delancey, Stafford contributes to wider industry initiatives in education, research and access - he is past Chair of the Investment Property Forum (IPF) and a Trustee of the Reading Real Estate Foundation at Henley Business School.

Based in London, Richard has over 30 years' experience as a real estate lawyer and is experienced in all aspects of property development, investment and financing. He heads the development practice within the London real estate group and has developed close relationships with many of the firm's key clients. He is recognised as a leading individual in the Legal 500 and Chambers directories.

Richard advises major institutions from all around the world, including new market entrants. He advises on major multi phased development projects in the UK and internationally, as well as the larger investment deals and joint ventures.