Al served for 20 years as an Engineer Officer in the Royal Air Force, leaving in 2009 to work as a Programme Manager and Business Development Lead in the Aerospace and Defence Industry. Having moved into project management functional leadership Al moved into the Transport sector leading both project and bid management functions. Three years ago Al joined the Advance Consultancy as Managing Director, following his passion for driving effective teams and leadership across complex and major projects to deliver better outcomes and benefits.

At Advance Al works with leaders and teams at all levels in many of the largest and most complex projects in the UK and overseas, focusing on effective collaboration.

Toby is the co-founder of Candour. A developer of workspace and work-space led developments

across London and the UK. Candour was co-created in 2019, is based in London and is underway

with a market-defining new amenity-rich office development in central Bristol; the Welcome

Building.

Prior to co-founding Candour, Toby started his career with Colliers International and Montagu Evans

where he became a Chartered Surveyor in 2008. In 2012 he moved to Quadrant Estates as a partner

where he acquired a deep understanding of the UK office development market gaining experience

from leading various cradle-to-grave development projects through joint ventures with private

equity or institutional capital partners.

In 2017 Toby became Head of Development before leaving Quadrant Estates in 2018 to co-create

Candour.

Toby is committed to better understanding communities and social mobility, and has been working

with educational charity, The Access Project, as a mentor to disadvantaged school-age children to

enhance the lives of UK families confronted by social barriers.

Matthew is a Director at Burges Salmon. He is passionate about the built environment, with a focus on construction, working on major development and regeneration schemes across the UK and beyond. Matthew works across multiple sectors, from ‘beds’ to offices, via logistics and retail, as well as being involved in significant transport and infrastructure projects.

Matthew is passionate about the industry, in particular, the role of modern methods of construction as a catalyst to increase collaboration

Alison heads up Constructing Excellence, a platform from which to stimulate, debate and drive much needed change in the construction sector. Alison is passionate about improving the construction industry and has 18 years’ experience delivering knowledge transfer and industry change in the built environment sector.

Mike is considered in his views and draws on his extensive experience in providing the leadership for our construction and development teams. His solid knowledge, deep networks and generosity in sharing both have positioned us strongly as we commence on site across our projects. Mike oversees a multidisciplinary team – managing large budgets, complex activities and risks. He’s highly organised when bringing people together around challenges and opportunities.

Mike Maxwell leads the team responsible for delivery of our construction projects at Guild Living. Mike’s spent 30 years working in development, contracting and construction consultancy.

He graduated in 1990 with a BSc in Construction Management, working for the first 12 years of his career with a UK top 10 construction contractor gathering practical knowledge and skills relating to the delivery of complex residential and mixed-use and other sector developments.

A move in 2002 to one of the UK’s largest FTSE 100 consultancy firms led to a 15-year period where Mike delivered construction and project management services, becoming the business unit and sector led for Construction Management within the company. Mike’s last role before joining Guild Living was Regional Operations Director at Lovell Partnerships Ltd, where he was responsible for operational matters relating to the delivery of contracting and development projects throughout London and the Northern Home Counties.

Peter has over 30 years’ experience in real estate planning and development previously working directly for major blue chip property developers Lend Lease, Friends Provident/Foreign & Colonial and London Capital Holdings.

Peter is a Chartered Surveyor and has a proven track record in delivering successful property developments within major regeneration, commercial and retail property funds. Prior to founding aspireDM Peters’ directorship roles have included Director of Lend Lease Projects and main board Director of Bovis Lend Lease responsible for the Development Project Management discipline for Lend Lease Retail & Communities (EMEA).