Global Placemaking

Mr. Lee serves as the Managing Partner of the firm, leading the firm's investment strategy, with responsibility for the firm's major Acquisitions and Asset Management. Mr. Lee has over 20 years’ experience in real estate principal investing and advisory. He has been involved in real estate acquisitions and asset management across the US, UK, Europe as well as India and Latin America. Mr. Lee has been active in the European markets since 2001. Most recently, Mr. Lee oversaw European real estate private equity at Marathon Asset Management, a multi-billion global investment fund. In addition to managing a number of Marathon’s real estate investments across Europe, India and Latin America, Mr. Lee was responsible for Marathon’s European real estate strategy and relationships. Prior to Marathon, Mr. Lee worked at Starwood Capital for 9 years, where he served as Managing Director of Starwood Capital Europe in London and where he opened the firm’s office. Previously, Mr. Lee worked in the Real Estate Advisory Group at Ernst & Young in New York and worked on numerous transactions advising opportunity funds, mezzanine lenders and distressed debt buyers.

Felicity Black-Roberts was appointed Vice President of Development at Hyatt in 2016 and leads a team of five members responsible for the development of Hyatt’s family of brands across Western Europe. Since joining Hyatt, Felicity’s team has secured market entry for Hyatt in Dublin, Madrid, Biarritz and Barcelona along with brand debuts in London, Paris and Frankfurt. Felicity has significant experience, working for over 25 years within the hospitality industry at Forte, Le Méridien and Starman. Prior to joining Hyatt, Felicity was responsible for acquisitions and development in Western Europe at Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Sir Howard Panter is a prominent theatre owner /producer and one of the key figures in the arts and entertainment industry with over 40 years’ experience gained in organisations such as The Royal Court Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael Codron Ltd. Howard’s latest venture with his wife Dame Rosemary Squire, is Trafalgar Entertainment, a live entertainment business and home to Trafalgar Releasing (formerly Picturehouse Entertainment), Stagecoach Performing Arts, Trafalgar Studios and Trafalgar Theatre Productions. In 2017 the company acquired the market leader Trafalgar Releasing who broadcast productions live worldwide, from The RSC, Glyndebourne, Met Opera, Bolshoi Ballet to David Gilmour, Muse, Coldplay, BTS and more. In 2018 Trafalgar Entertainment went on to acquire Stagecoach Performing Arts, the UK market leader in extra-curricular Performing Arts tuition with nearly 700 schools and over 46,000 students in the UK and worldwide. The largest shareholder of Trafalgar Entertainment is Barings Alternative Investment, which operates as a subsidiary of MassMutual Holding LLC, with assets under management of US$771 billion. Other shareholders include Sir Richard Branson and Griffon Corporation, Greg Dyke, James Tanner and NWH Consulting Ltd. The production arm of the company, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, is producing a group in London and internationally including the Lincoln Center’s award-winning production of The King and I at the London Palladium and now worldwide, The Rocky Horror Show worldwide, the acclaimed award-winning hit comedy Admissions starring Alex Kingston, new British musical Tom Morris’ The Grinning Man, Apologia starring Stockard Channing and Killer Joe starring Orlando Bloom. Other co- productions have included the two sell-out ground breaking new British productions: the Bush Theatre’s Misty and National Theatre’s Nine Night. Other co-productions include The Starry Messenger starring Matthew Broderick and Elizabeth McGovern at Wyndham’s Theatre, Mary Stuart starring Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams at the Duke of York’s, Jersey Boys UK Tour, the UK Tour and London season of The Messiah starring Hugh Dennis, John Marquez and Lesley Garrett and The Height of The Storm at Wyndham’s Theatre starring Jonathan Pryce and Dame Eileen Atkins. Prior to Trafalgar Entertainment, Howard was co-founder, Joint CEO and Creative Director for the Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG), the world’s number one live-theatre company with almost 50 venues in Britain, the US and Europe. He and Rosemary remain the second largest shareholder of ATG. Under his leadership, ATG became from scratch one of the most prolific, broad-based theatre producers in the world with productions in the West End and on Broadway including touring productions in the UK, North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

David Hawkins has been a partner in the real estate team at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP for over 10 years specialising in investment and development transactions across all sectors. Projects David has been involved with include the joint venture funding of the extension to the Westfield London Shopping Centre, the development of a 36 story mixed use tower opposite the Barbican and the development of Europe’s largest newly opened deep water port at London Gateway in Essex. David is involved with a number of industry bodies and sits on the City of London Law Society Land Law committee.

Craig McWilliam, FRICS, was appointed to the Grosvenor Britain & Ireland Board in 2010. In 2013 he became the Executive Director responsible for the London estate, having previously had charge of all development activities off the London estate. In January 2017, Craig became CEO of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. Prior to joining Grosvenor he was a Managing Director at Fortress Investment Group. Craig is an Honorary Fellow of the RICS, a Trustee of LandAid and a Director of London First. He also sits on BPF's Policy Committee and is Vice-Chairman of the Westminster Property Association.

John provides strategic advice to TMT portfolios and specialised advice in telecommunications strategy, network roll-out and estate management. As a skilled international real estate manager, John has extensive experience in the development and implementation of real estate solutions at both a local and international level.

Bill joined Legal & General in 2007 and is responsible for transforming its UK property fund management business into a global real assets platform. Operating in both the direct investment and lending markets, today it actively invests and manages over £35bn of assets across real estate, infrastructure and corporate and alternative debt. Bill continues to play an active role in several influential government and industry committees around responsible investing, infrastructure, urban regeneration and housing. He is a Global Governing Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and is on the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS) Governance Board. Bill is also Chair of the Property Industry Alliance (PIA), which brings together the UK’s leading property bodies to give them a stronger collective voice on issues such as policy, research and best practice. Prior to joining Legal & General, Bill was CEO at RREEF UK (the Real Estate Fund Management business of DWS) and Head of Research and Deputy Managing Director at Schroder Property Investment Management.

Neil Alford is a Materials Scientist. He graduated from St Andrews University and spent 3 years working in SE Asia and S America in the Oil Exploration Industry on wildcat rigs and then worked for ICI for 13 years. His current position is Associate Provost (academic planning) and his current research work on functional materials led to the development of the first room temperature, earth’s field MASER (a Microwave laser). His role at Imperial involves the planning and development of the estate including the development of the new campus at White City. In 2013 he was awarded the MBE for services to Engineering.

An architect with nine years postgraduate experience working across public, cultural, historical renovation projects and masterplanning. Paul joined the studio in 2013 and is currently leading the development and construction of Pier55, a new public park and performance space in the Hudson River in New York City, due to complete in 2021. Paul is also leading on Olympia London and the transformation of the 14-acre site into a destination with restaurants, hotels, performance venues and office space, as well as creating 2.5 acres of new public space. He successfully led the retail interior of Shanghai Bund Finance Centre, a 400,000sqm mixed-use development in the heart of Shanghai. He was also instrumental on 1000 Trees, a 3 millionsqft mixed-use development in China including a 1 millionsqft shopping mall, 5,000sqft creative office space, cinema complex, supermarket, and a new public park. Prior to joining Heatherwick Studio, Paul worked at architectural practices in London, Sweden and New York. He contributed to the notable Stirling- Prize shortlisted regeneration of Park Hill, a Grade II listed residential complex in Sheffield, and Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge at Hawkins Brown. He also worked on the award-winning expansion of Queens Museum, New York at Grimshaw Architects LLP. Paul studied Architecture at the University of Sheffield and London Metropolitan University.

David is a property developer who has championed the synergy of creating great places while maximizing value. From 2008 to 2017 David worked as both Chief Development Officer and Head of Design and Placemaking at Battersea Power Station. David was instrumental in developing the concept strategy, masterplan, mix and activation at the Power Station. Prior to that he helped establish the largest western-owned development company in China and well as working in Ireland. In 2017, David became one of the founding partners at Wordsearch Place and is currently advising on over 75 million sqft development across the globe.

Sowmya is an architect and urban designer with over 20 years of global experience in the UK, US, and Asia. She is one of the Mayor of London’s 50 Design Advocates, selected to drive forward London’s ‘good growth by design’ programme. As a member of Arup’s Integrated City Planning group, she leads city-scale projects working across the disciplines of architecture, urban design, planning, engineering, transport, and sustainability. Her expertise lies in masterplanning and strategic planning for new development and regeneration in urban areas confronting significant growth and expansion. Sowmya has been a designer and advisor on projects in the public as well as private sector including London's 2012 Olympic Legacy Masterplan and sustainability vision and Imperial College London’s campus in the White City Opportunity Area.