Sir George Iacobescu is one of the UK's foremost developers, with a career spanning

five decades and three continents. After leading construction of the World Financial

Center in Manhattan and a series of landmark projects across North America in Boston

and Chicago for Olympia & York, he came to the UK in 1987 to oversee Canary Wharf –

Europe's largest urban regeneration scheme and the development that redefined

London's skyline. Comprising more than 40 buildings, Canary Wharf helped establish,

together with the City, London as one of the world's leading financial centres.

Over his 35-year tenure at Canary Wharf Group, Sir George directed more than 30

million square feet of development across East London, the City, and the South Bank

Shell Centre, shaping the physical and economic geography of modern London.

He is Executive Chairman of St John's Wood Square. He also advises the Qatar

Investment Authority (QIA) one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds and among

the most significant investors in UK real estate and Qatar National Bank (QNB) through

the Redprop UK Board,

Sir George's advisory reach extends across the Gulf, where he has supported

governments and institutions on large-scale urban regeneration and economic

development. His experience in building globally significant financial and mixed-use

districts has made him a trusted advisor on landmark developments across the GCC. In

Saudi Arabia, he served for five years on the Advisory Board of the Royal Commission

for AlUla, guiding its transformation into a global destination for heritage, tourism, and

sustainable development under Saudi Vision 2030. He has also served on the Advisory

Board of Diriyah in Riyadh, one of the world’s most significant heritage-led regeneration

projects.

Sir George is also currently advising JP Morgan on the future development of its Canary

Wharf Headquarters – one of the most significant corporate real estate projects in

London and Europe.

Beyond real estate, Sir George plays an active role in the UK's charitable and cultural

life, alongside a long-standing record of public and business appointments:

Charities and the Arts

 Former Council Member of the Royal College of Music

 Vice Patron of the Royal British Society of Sculptors

 Former member of the Board of Trustees of the British Museum

 Founding contributor and former joint Chairman of Teach First

 Member of the Development Board of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

 Former Member of the British Museum Major Projects Delivery Committee

Former Public and Business Appointments

 2018 - Adviser to Chancellor of the Exchequer on proposals for new

Development Corporations

 Appointed by the Secretary of State to the Defence Reform Unit in charge of the

reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence

 Member of the UK-China CEO Council

 Member of Brexit Advisory Group for the Mayor of London

 Commissioner of UK Government Thames Estuary Growth Commission

 Member of the Advisory Board of TheCityUK

 Member of the Advisory Board of the UK Academy of Finance

 Member of the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange Advisory Board

 Director of London First

 Member of the Advisory Board of Al-‘Ula Development, Saudi Arabia

 Appointed member of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

 Companion of the Chartered Management Institute

 Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from the University of East London

In recognition of his contributions to regeneration and inward investment, Sir George

was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2003, and was

Knighted in 2011 for services to charity, community, and the financial services industry.

Mike is UK editor of Bisnow. Before this, alongside three friends he bought pan-European property mag EuroProperty out of non-existence and re established it before selling the business to PropertyEU. Prior to that he was editor of Property Week, and has also worked for Estates Gazette.

Nick Leslau, 57, BSc (Hons) Est Man, FRICS, is Chairman of Prestbury Investments LLP, Investment Adviser to the Group. He is a Chartered Surveyor who has been Chairman and Chief Executive of Prestbury Investment Holdings Limited since it commenced business in 2000 and Chairman of Prestbury Investments LLP since its establishment in 2006. He was Chief Executive of Burford Holdings Plc for approximately ten years up to 1997 and Group Chairman and Chief Executive of Prestbury Group Plc from 2008. He has sat on many quoted and unquoted company boards including, most recently, Max Property Group Plc, and is a Member of the Bank of England Property Forum.

Andrew Jones is Chief Executive and co-founder of LondonMetric Property Plc, a FTSE 100 company and the UK’s leading Triple Net Lease (NNN) REIT. He has held the role since the merger of Metric Property Investments plc and London & Stamford Property plc in 2013.

Since the merger, Andrew has overseen a sixfold increase in LondonMetric’s portfolio to c. £7.5 billion of assets across the logistics, convenience retail, entertainment and leisure sectors. He has established LondonMetric as the leading consolidator in UK listed real estate with five M&A transactions since 2019, including the takeovers of LXi REIT, Urban Logistics plc and A&J Mucklow plc, propelling LondonMetric’s market capitalisation to over £4.5 billion.

Before co-founding and listing Metric Property Investments plc in 2010, Andrew built his reputation at British Land, where he served as executive director and head of retail, joining in 2005 following its acquisition of Pillar Property plc, where he had also been a member of the executive board.

Beyond LondonMetric, Andrew also contributes his expertise as a Non-Executive Director at InstaVolt, the UK’s leading electric vehicle fast charging network.

Sandra Fives is Chief Strategy Officer at Catalyst, with over 15 years’ experience leading sustainability, energy and climate strategy across Europe. She advises investors, developers, operators and public bodies on how to turn sustainability frameworks into practical, investable strategies that protect long-term asset value.

Her work focuses on bridging the gap between policy, finance and real-world delivery, helping organisations navigate complex sustainability requirements while maintaining commercial viability.

Stacy Eden is Head of Real Estate at RSM. He is an experienced audit partner and advises a wide variety of real estate clients. Stacy has significant experience of working with real estate companies and partnerships with assets up to £2bn, assisting clients on the commercial, transactions and taxation aspects of real estate.

Prior to joining RSM, Stacy led a property and construction team for over 10 years in his previous role. He is also an ICAEW fellow (FCA).

Stacy speaks at a variety of real estate seminars and conferences and writes regularly in the trade press. He also attends a number of key real estate events including MIPIM and is a member of the Variety Props lunch committee, a member of the British Property Federation technical accounting group and a member of the ICAEW real estate and construction advisory group.

Stacy has also been a founder and governor of a free school as well as assisted charities in helping vulnerable children.

Jim is experienced in a wide range of real estate work, with a particular focus on development projects and investment transactions across residential/living, offices, and industrial/logistics sectors. His clients include The Berkeley Group and its various divisions, Kennedy Wilson and McLaren Living.

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).

Jon Neale is a Director of Research & Insight at Montagu Evans, providing market analysis, social and economic insight and strategic advice to support the full spectrum of the partnership’s clients.

With over 20 years of experience in real estate research and strategy, Jon applies his skills to a variety of challenges across the full range of real estate sectors and geographies. This ranges from working on questions around specific sites, buildings or portfolios to analysing wider socio-economic trends and their impacts on specific sectors.

Yash Dave, CEO of Unison Direct, is a finance and business leader with nearly three decades of experience across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, India and the US.

A qualified FCCA, ACA and MBA, he has held CEO, COO and CFO roles within FTSE 100 and multinational organisations.

Yash has raised more than £650 million in equity and debt financing and managed real estate transactions exceeding £1 billion. His experience spans property investment, Build-to-Rent fundraising, tax-efficient structuring, investor relations, corporate governance and strategic planning.

He specialises in transforming underperforming finance functions through stronger operating models, automation, AI and data-led decision-making. At Unison Direct, Yash leads the firm’s growth and helps businesses build scalable, well-controlled finance operations. He brings to the Bisnow panel a practical perspective on capital allocation, funding structures, operational performance and the financial discipline required to deliver sustainable returns across UK and European real estate markets.

Anna Cartwright has more than 20 years of experience advising clients on joint ventures, private and public M&A, and fund formations for private equity funds. Anna regularly works on complex transactions involving multiple jurisdictions and has broad experience across real assets. Anna co-leads Jones Day's Real Estate Practice worldwide.

Among London's leading lawyers on complex UK and European deals, Anna's notable recent transactions include advising funds managed by Ares Real Estate in the £400 million acquisition of a portfolio of hotels concentrated in London and other major UK cities from Landsec and the hotel operations from AccorInvest; MARK Capital in its €1.585 billion sale of Crossbay (by Crossbay SCSp RAIF), its specialized pan-European last-mile logistics platform, to Prologis European Logistics Fund; and Henderson Park Real Estate Fund I in its disposal of its stake in the iconic Westin Paris-Vendôme hotel to its joint venture partner, Dubai Holding.

Other clients with which Anna has worked in recent years include DV4 (advised by Delancey), Get Living PLC, Goldman Sachs, Oxford Properties, Morgan Stanley, and StepStone.

James Saunders, Battersea Power Station Development Company

James, you have a huge amount of experience leading on high-profile developments that bring regeneration to areas, with masterplans that emphasise community and connection. How have you seen the challenges to regeneration change over the last decade and how is BPSDC adapting its delivery model to manage it?

• Last 20 years -What has changed, what is the same?

• Need Long-term view/vision

• Control of land, Flexible masterplan

• Need to invest in place

• Business model/Recycling capital

• New challenges of viability, regulation, levies

• Battersea v Wembley – similarities and differences

Thomasin Renshaw is a Managing Director and leads the UK Development and Construction teams.

Thomasin leads the development strategy and execution of all BTR and PBSA developments across the UK. This includes Pearl Yard in Bermondsey and One Medlock Street in Manchester.

Before joining Greystar, Thomasin served as Chief Development Officer at Pocket Living, Director of Development (Head of South Molton Triangle) at Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and Development Director at Muse. She has over 20 years of experience leading complex residential and mixed-use regeneration projects across London and the UK.

Thomasin holds a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from University College London and a Master of Science in Surveying from the University of Reading. She is a Fellow of RICS (Planning and Development).

Nabeel Khan, Chief Executive, Oxford Street Development Corporation

Nabeel is a civic urbanist leading large-scale urban change,

bringing together public and private partners to unlock

investment, drive economic growth and shape better places.

Nabeel’s experience spans the full lifecycle of regeneration and

development — from strategy, land assembly and commercial

negotiation through to design and delivery. Nabeel currently

leads the Oxford Street Development Corporation, responsible

for securing the long-term success of Oxford Street as one of

the UK’s most significant economic assets and a globally

recognised visitor destination.

Barbara brings more than 20 years of experience across consultancy, client and contractor organisations, underpinned by a background in civil engineering and a Doctorate in Engineering and Health and Safety.

As Development Director for Keltbray’s London Commercial business, Barbara is responsible for developing and strengthening strategic client relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring Keltbray remains a trusted partner for some of the capital’s most complex construction and engineering projects.

Passionate about delivering better outcomes for clients, Barbara combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of the commercial environment. She is committed to promoting innovation, collaboration and best practice across the industry, helping clients navigate increasingly challenging project requirements with confidence.

Barbara plays a key role in championing Keltbray’s specialist engineering capabilities, building long-term partnerships and supporting the delivery of safe, sustainable and successful project outcomes.

Mark Cunningham is a Partner at Blick Rothenberg, advising many of the UK's and Europe's leading real estate investors and property businesses. His clients include commercial and residential property groups, funds and international investors with UK property interests. Mark specialises in helping clients navigate the financial, tax and regulatory challenges associated with investing in and operating real estate businesses.

Joanna is a partner in the construction team and has significant experience advising a wide range of clients on large development schemes, acquisitions and disposals, lettings and financings. She is a specialist in non-contentious construction documents, with significant experience across the full suite of construction documents. She has experience in major redevelopments and full refurbishments and construction aspects of investment transactions, across all real estate investment sectors and is equally comfortable advising clients with less experience throughout the whole development process.

Jo has a detailed knowledge of working and liaising with clients and understanding their commercial requirements having completed a number of legal secondments to her clients throughout her career.

Jo helps to lead the Maples Teesdale’s ESG Committee and has been participating in workshops looking at climate clauses run by The Chancery Lane Project, a group that brings lawyers from around the world together to collaborate to develop new contracts and model laws to help fight climate change in the built environment.

Nick is responsible for leading Nuveen Real Estate’s office investment activity across Europe. He coordinates the firm’s specialist teams across the pan-European network to ensure it is best equipped to identify emerging trends in the office market and align the strategy accordingly. He is also heavily involved in managing mandates for Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Madison International Realty, PFA and AustralianSuper.

Prior to his current role, Nick was director of Central London offices, where he was involved with high-profile London transactions and projects, including 40 Leadenhall Street and King’s Cross Central. Nick joined the firm in 2004 to assist with the launch of the Central London office strategy. He has been highly involved in the growth of the business’ London office portfolio. Nick started his career as a graduate at Weatherall Green & Smith before moving to Slade & Co. He later joined DTZ as an Associate Director in the Investment Agency. He began working in the office market industry in 2000

Joined the Group and appointed to the Board in 2002. Formerly with MEPC from 1991 to 2002. Member of the British Property Federation Board and Policy Committee, Director of the New West End Company and Non-Executive Director of Liv-Ex Limited, Member of Imperial College London Council.

Katie Whipp is a recognised leader in real estate innovation, operating at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and commercial performance. As Chief Business Officer at re:sustain—an award-winning energy optimisation platform—she leads commercial growth, go-to-market execution, and operational delivery, ensuring science-led innovation delivers measurable impact across global property portfolios.

With 15+ years in proptech, ESG, and commercial real estate, Katie combines startup agility with deep corporate insight, having held senior roles at CBRE and Cluttons. At Deepki, she built and led the UK business from inception—scaling to 4,000+ assets, growing a 45-person team, and securing the company’s first global partnership with CBRE, inc. expansion to the US and APAC. Under her leadership, Deepki UK won Proptech of the Year 2023 at the Property Week Awards.

Driven by a belief that technology should solve real problems—not create new ones—Katie focuses on innovation that delivers tangible, enduring value for the people and systems shaping the built world.

Alongside her role at re:sustain, she is a Non-Executive Director at Trustek and Board Advisor to MeterZ, mentors emerging leaders at City, University of London, and is completing an Executive MBA at Imperial College London, where she was awarded the Inspiring Women Scholarship for leadership and industry impact.

Laura is currently leading asset management at Hines for all new acquisitions and existing assets across product types in France, the UK and Ireland, including third‑party management. Hines’ portfolio in the three markets spans built-to-rent and student living, industrial/logistics and datacentres, self‑storage, office and retail.

Laura is also passionate about cities, having lived in New York and now London, and developing places within them for people to thrive. She has led repositioning projects such as Angel Central (a retail destination in Islington), 10 Brindley Place (the largest office refurbishment in Birmingham to complete in 2022) and Atlantic House (a City of London office refurbishment). Wellbeing, creativity, technology, adaptability and long term sustainability are at the heart of her projects.

As a mother of two young children, Laura has always been a strong advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as wider initiatives that provide a more inclusive environment for teams to work, learn and grow.

David has been at the forefront of customer experience innovation within commercial real estate for the past 19 years, establishing himself as a recognised leader in the UK market. Throughout his career, he has partnered with some of the UK's most prominent commercial real estate investors, including M&G, Royal London, Hammerson, and The Crown Estate, delivering transformative customer-centric solutions.

As co-founder of the Customer Experience division at Bewonder*, David leads the development of insight-driven CX strategic solutions that implement impactful, customer-led operating models across diverse industry sectors. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between real estate operations and exceptional customer experiences, helping organisations unlock value through strategic customer experience transformation.

Vijay is responsible for executing the sales and business development activities for WIG’s

Indoor Networks business working in partnership with the UK’s leading real estate owners, developers and operators.

WIG is an independent wireless infrastructure operator that has pioneered the neutral host model in the UK. The company builds and operates communication towers (masts) in rural and suburban areas together with 5G capable small cells, and indoor networks to improve mobile coverage inside office buildings, hotels, shopping centres, stadiums and on city streets. WIG’s neutral host networks already provide coverage in venues with over 1.6bn of annual footfall and is backed by Brookfield Infrastructure a leading global infrastructure investment fund.

Vijay has spent over 25 years in the technology, media and telecoms industries having held senior executive roles with leading organisations such as News Corporation, Sky and Video Networks. Vijay holds an Engineering honours degree from University of London and an MBA from London Business School.

Luke Armstrong is the Regional President for the UK, Ireland, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific at WeWork. In this role, he leads the region’s overall performance, with a focus on driving sustainable business growth and delivering exceptional customer experience. Luke has played a pivotal role in WeWork’s global expansion and has successfully managed complex business restructuring to solidify the company’s position as a category leader, delivering scalable and innovative real estate solutions to a growing portfolio of companies, from scaling startups to Fortune 100 Companies.

Prior to joining WeWork, Luke was Senior Director at VTS, Inc., the leading asset management and leasing platform, where he led the company’s expansion across the UK and European markets. Earlier in his career, Luke qualified as a Chartered Surveyor at CBRE and went on to serve as Director of London Markets, working with a diverse range of clients, including global institutions, REITs, and prestigious landed estates.Throughout his career, Luke’s extensive expertise has enabled him to navigate intricate real estate markets, while driving efficiency and innovation in the industry through technology and workplace optimisation.