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Jack is Fund Manager for the Octopus Affordable Housing Fund. He has spent over 15 years in real estate, working for housebuilders, developers, and housing associations. He is a member of the CISI and the RICS.

Having spent 9 years as a retail and leisure agent acting on behalf of both landlords and tenants, I made the decision to move into asset management in 2021. I started at Grainger PLC looking after their commercial units before moving to Waypoint Asset Management where I am responsible for the Local Retail Fund comprising 61 convenience retail assets across the UK. I am responsible for driving the value of the Fund through asset management initiatives including capex / development projects as well as any acquisitions or disposals. I also drive the sustainability programme for the Fund and sit on Waypoint’s Sustainability Committee.

Clare the Chair of the Association of Real Estate Funds’ FutureGen Committee and sits on the AREF Management Committee.

Clare is an Associate Director for GRE Finance, a principal real estate lender operating across the residential, commercial and development space. Clare heads up deal origination for the business.

Prior to this Clare worked at Octopus Real Estate for seven years playing a key role for the firms’ commercial real estate debt fund.

Clare graduated in 2016 from Loughborough University with a BSc in Sociology and then graduated in 2021 from Henley Business School with a MSc in Real Estate Investment & Finance. She also holds a Diploma in Property Investment from the Investment Property Forum. She is chartered surveyor, holding the MRICS qualification.

• • Graduate Asset Manager for Legal & General’s Real Assets division. I joined L&G’s graduate scheme in September 2022 as their first and only property graduate. I have a BSc in Property Finance & Investment. My role involves managing and improving the financial performance for a number of  commercial and residential properties across the UK for our Property Funds.

Ann joined CBRE Investment Management in 2016 and is the Portfolio Manager for the CBRE UK Affordable Housing Fund, responsible for portfolio management, overseeing the team and day-to-day running of the Fund. Ann has worked on the Fund since its inception and focuses on capital raise, Impact/sustainability strategy and implementation, and executing transactions. Ann also works on CBRE UK Property PAIF where her responsibilities include transactions, asset management and ESG. Prior to this, she trained as a graduate at Savills.

Ann previously sat on the AREF FutureGen Committee (2018-2023) and is currently on the AREF ESG/Impact Investing Committee. Ann is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is also FCA-approved, holding her Investment Management Certificate since 2019. She is a Certified Person under the FCA’s Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SMCR). Ann graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2014 where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Land Economy.

Charles was appointed Fiera’s Head of European Real Estate in 2022. He has
responsibility for managing the European Real Estate team and the successful
execution of its business strategy. As part of this remit, Charles’ team manages both
Real Estate Equity strategies across Core, Value Add and Opportunistic, as well as
Debt strategies, including Senior and Mezzanine. He is a global board member at
Fiera Real Estate and also chairs Fiera Real Estate’s European Investment Committee.
In addition, he sits on the board for nine individual leading UK property development
companies, providing strategic expertise and executive management to the growing
businesses.
Charles joined Fiera in 2013. Prior to this, he worked in the Corporate Finance team
at Ernst & Young, covering M&A, restructuring and capital raising. He also has
experience at BNP Paribas Real Estate.
Charles holds an MA from the University of Edinburgh and an MSC from Oxford
Brookes. He is a Qualified Chartered Surveyor.

Carlo is a Senior Quantitative Analyst working at AlphaReal, a leading investment fund operating in the commercial real estate capital space. Carlo obtained a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics combining sophisticated mathematical models with high performance computing in the Aerospace Department of City, University of London. Previously, he contributed to the development of live-trading, automated probabilistic models in the gaming industry. With his solid quantitative and technological background, he is supporting AlphaReal to develop in-house, cutting-edge models and to introduce data-driven solutions empowering multiple work functions. His best strength is the combination of an advanced analytical background with natural and wide audience communication skills.

Faye is Vice President of Client and Private Fund Services at Nuveen, leading a team of Client Services Associates based in the London office and supporting clients invested in private real assets funds. Prior to joining the firm in January 2023, Faye was a Director at PGIM Real Estate where she serviced a global book of clients invested across their UK equity and European value added platforms, consisting of 5 co-mingled funds and 6 segregated mandates with AUM totalling £4bn.
She has also previously held roles at TH Real Estate and Tishman Speyer where she spent 6 years in the Equity Capital Markets teams supporting capital raising efforts focused on European products and investors. In addition, Faye is a dedicated advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion, serving as committee member for Nuveen’s Achieve initiative for female associates and allies and Vice Chair of the Young Professionals committee, supporting associates young in their career or role. Furthermore, she is a proud member of an AREF DEI working group which aims to promote an environment that supports and reflects equality and inclusive behaviours and practices through the provision of guidelines and standards for adoption by the broader real estate industry.

Martin is a Senior Director within DTZ Investors and heads up the Fund Investment team.

Martin began his career with Deloitte in 2003, working in a corporate tax advisory and compliance role in the real estate tax team. Martin joined DTZ Investors in 2007, with main responsibilities for a pan-European fund of funds vehicle, which he managed all the way to wind-up in 2022. He is now responsible for the management of all client relationships and indirect investments globally on a discretionary and advisory basis within the Fund Investment team. Martin is a member of the DTZ Investors Governance Committee for UK risk analysis, Value Committee for pricing, and certain client Investment Committees.

Martin is a graduate of the University of Nottingham, holding a BA (Hons) in English. He is a Chartered Accountant, holds the Investment Management Certificate and is a Certified Person under the FCA.

Laura is an Associate Director, MRICS Chartered Surveyor and RICS APC Assessor within CBRE’s ESG Consultancy team. Laura’s background is in commercial property valuation and understanding the relationship between real estate values and sustainability. Laura previously worked as part of a small team at CBRE to launch the industry’s first dedicated sustainability in valuations offering, where she helped to deliver the 2023 AREF paper ‘Sustainable Value: a common approach to the commercial benefits of sustainability in UK commercial real estate’. Laura is experienced in providing advice to UK and international clients, delivering technical support to large and/or complex real estate portfolios. Laura splits her time between Edinburgh and London.

Laura is passionate about supporting the growth of young talent in the industry, having completed the CBRE Graduate Programme herself whilst completing her Masters in Real Estate. She has experience of working with individuals to develop confidence and improve public speaking/presentation skills. She enjoys travel, spending time in the countryside with her two cats and trying new foods.

Emma Williamson is the Net Zero Lead for M&G Real Estate and is responsible for setting and overseeing M&G Real Estate’s decarbonisation strategy globally across their £31.7 bn portfolio of assets (as at December 2023), supporting their corporate commitments to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative and BBP Climate Commitment.  She commenced this role in summer 2022.

Prior to this role, Emma was a fund manager for M&G Real Estate’s joint ventures and separate accounts business, overseeing investments for external discretionary clients.  She also spent 5 years at CBRE Investment Management as a portfolio manager in their indirect real estate strategies business. 

Emma is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a CFA charterholder.  She graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with dual Bachelor degrees in Property Economics and Accountancy.

 

Mark Clacy-Jones is Head of Real Estate Strategy at abrdn, responsible for a small team producing, guiding and facilitating optimal fund level strategy across the global suite of abrdn Real Estate funds. This role also focuses on understanding the performance drivers of funds and their risk levels. Prior to joining Standard Life Investments in January 2017, Mark spent 9 years at IPD, and subsequently MSCI, working in a range of global research roles including Head of Indices and ultimately Head of Applied Real Estate Research. Mark also had a brief spell setting up a Data & Analytics function for Knight Frank’s Research Team just prior to joining SLI.

 A former Chair of the Society of Property Researchers, Mark is currently Chair of the AREF Research Committee and Chair of the INREV ODCE Working Group.

 Mark holds a BA Economics from Leicester University and a MA Business & Management in Emerging Markets from Reading University.

Steven Devaney is a Director in the UK Research team at CBRE with a capital markets remit. He joined CBRE in August 2022 after a fifteen year career in higher education. Prior to working for CBRE, he was an Associate Professor at the University of Reading, teaching real estate valuation and investment, and he has also been a Senior Lecturer at City, University of London, and a Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. He holds a PhD from the University of Reading, awarded in 2010, and has researched widely on topics connected with the liquidity and pricing of private real estate investments. Before academia, he worked as a researcher at Investment Property Databank (IPD).

Sophie is a highly experienced investment funds and regulatory lawyer having practiced for over 15 years' in the funds industry. She is focussed on private equity and real estate structures. She is recognised as a "Rising Star" by IFLR1000 and regularly attends and speaks at conferences in Jersey and London. Sophie is the Diversity and Inclusion jurisdictional lead for Ogier in Jersey and believes that equality is better for everyone.

Sophie is an alumna of Bristol University and the University of the West of England.  She holds a Masters in Commercial Law and Human Rights.

Sophie features in the Citywealth Leaders List and is recognised as a "Rising Star" by IFLR1000 and has also been recognised in Legal 500.  Prior to joining Ogier at the beginning of 2018, Sophie trained and worked at another leading offshore firm, both in Jersey and in Hong Kong.   

Senior Lawyer with over 20 years’ international experience in asset management and financial markets at top tier private practice (Norton Rose Fulbright LLP) and in house for leading investment managers (most recently with Columbia Threadneedle Investments) as well as with AREF, the Real Estate Funds’ industry standards body, promoting best practice in corporate governance and transparency. Possesses detailed knowledge of all aspects of the law as it applies to RE funds, international regulation, debt and equity transactions with particular expertise in board advisory and shaping strategic solutions

Cathryn has over 30 years of experience as a tax lawyer. She has been involved in the structuring of residential transactions, funds, financing and joint ventures, acting for a wide range of clients including local authorities, developers, managers, REITs, property companies, banks and institutional investors.

Cathryn has been involved with AREF for many years already, on the tax committee and otherwise participating in popular training sessions and successful lobbying.

She is recognised by Chambers and Legal 500.

Tom joined the Real Estate division of Langham Hall in July 2019.  He works primarily with UK Real Estate managers in the setup and ongoing administration of various investment structures.

Prior to this, Tom worked at global fund administration firm Vistra.

Tom has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Cardiff University, graduating in 2013, and is currently studying towards becoming a CAIA charterholder.

Having worked in the industry since I was 17, I have a broad range of experience from different companies. I have worked in small practice, and large middle size companies. Over the last three years, I have worked in private equity. My clients range from renewable infrastructure to real estate. Over my career I have managed people, once co-leading a team of fifteen personnel. I have mentored employees at all companies I have worked at, including mentoring three as a part qualified accountant

Alasdair joined Tritax in November 2019 and became an equity partner in February 2021. Alasdair’s current role as CFO means he is responsible for all finance, accounting and tax matters for the Group. Alasdair began his career at PwC and has held a number of finance roles, including as Finance Director of residential developer United House; Finance Director of IPD, the real estate industry index and benchmark provider; Chief Operating Officer of Hermes Real Estate, including fund manager of the X-Leisure Fund; and Finance Director of Trillium, the outsourcing property provider. Prior to joining Tritax, Alasdair advised an overseas family office on mixed-use development, and Get Living, the UK’s leading Private Rented Sector operator.

Laura is the head of Real Estate Sector and has established and leads the Real Estate Finance practice which combines the skills of being a finance solicitor and an experienced real estate lawyer.  Laura has a broad range of clients ranging from banks and debt funds lending into the Real Estate investment and development market, corporate investors and developers raising finance and public bodies providing infrastructure and development finance.

 Laura is also on the British Property Federation – Finance Committee

Sadish Kumar is a Senior Director in CBRE Investment Management and the Head of Financial Operations for CBRE Investment Management’s UK Direct Real Estate Strategies. Based in London, Sadish is responsible for the overall financial strategy of the UK direct real estate, ensuring best practice and overseeing liquidity management,  external debt arrangement, fund reporting, Investor relations, performance analytics and regulatory requirements. Sadish also conducts financial structuring and tax due diligence on potential investments.

Before joining the firm in 2010, Sadish worked at Phoenix Group as a Fund Controller. He began his career in the industry in 2008. 
Sadish holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from London Guildhall University and is a Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Elena has over 20 years’ experience in Banking, Finance and Risk Management.

Elena started her financial career in Auckland (NZ) with PwC. Her clients included Colliers Jardine, Auckland City Council, and other organizations where she worked in senior finance roles. After moving to London in 2005 she worked as Head of Hedge Fund Accounting at JP Morgan, Finance Director at UBS, JP Morgan Private Bank Controller and Head of UK Real Estate business at BNY Mellon where she was awarded Best in Class distinction in 2020.

During her career Elena worked on number of strategic initiatives and projects such as implementation of SAP in JP Morgan; development of Global Transfer Pricing model in UBS, implementation of Yardi in BNY Mellon and others.

Elena joined Lothbury Investment Management in June 2021 bringing a wealth of international and corporate knowledge and experience.
 

Ed consults for and acts on behalf of AREF on several Board initiatives around communications, strategy and business development. Before founding consulting firm Parkview Capital Ltd in Feb 2017, he had senior franchise and business management roles at M&G Investments and M&G Real Estate. He has also been Head of Research at a boutique broker and, previously, was an award-winning pan-European equities fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management.