AREF Vision Event in Jersey

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.

Alexandra Notay is Placemaking and Investment Director at Thriving Investments, the fund and asset management arm of Places for People Group, overseeing a UK-wide residential investment strategy. She is an internationally-recognised expert on build to rent, placemaking and sustainable urban development, with 16 years’ strategic advisory and investment experience to private sector, government and third sector organisations across four continents.

Alex is a published author and editor of over 30 books and reports on real estate including the renowned ULI UK Best Practice Guide on Build to Rent (2014, 2016). Alex is vice-chair of the ULI UK Residential Council, chair of the BPF working group on residential ESG, serves on BPF’s Build to Rent Committee, AREF’s ESG / Impact Investing committee and is a Member of CREFC Europe. She is also a non-executive director of Essensys plc, Co-Chair of the Creative Land Trust, SouthWest Board Member for LandAid and trustee of the SunScreenIT Foundation.

Paul is the CEO of AREF.  Before joining AREF in 2020, Paul was Head of the European Real Estate Boutique within Mercer’s investment consulting business for almost 10 years, previously he was Head of Indirect Real Estate Investment and Global Managed Accounts at LaSalle Investment Management, where he was responsible for managing global portfolios of unlisted real estate funds for clients from Europe and Asia Pacific.

He has over 25 years of real estate experience in investment, corporate finance and research, and has advised investors, occupiers and venture capital companies on property portfolio strategy and on financial structuring, including PFI, senior and mezzanine debt and joint venture arrangements. His employers have included LaSalle Investment Management, Cushman & Wakefield and Henderson Investors.

Before coming into the world of real estate, Paul worked in marketing and market research. He originally studied Physiological Sciences at Lincoln College, Oxford and has a Master of Science in Real Estate from City University Business School, London, now Cass Business School.

Ben Robins is a partner at Mourant Ozannes in Jersey with extensive experience in investment funds, offshore capital markets, real estate and structured finance.  Having qualified as an English solicitor with Speechly Bircham in London, he returned to Jersey to join Mourant Ozannes in 1997. He became a partner in 2002 and has headed its global funds practice area since 2008.  Ben has been a frequent participant in local industry working groups looking at key regulatory changes, including the implementation of the EU Alternative Investment Manager's Directive (AIFMD).  He was appointed Chairman of the Jersey Funds Association in July 2013.

Simon provides non-executive director services to real estate funds and investment groups domiciled in Jersey which invest into UK real estate.
He has more than 20 years’ experience within financial services, including being Global Head of Real Assets at Sanne Group Plc, a role which continued under the new ownership of Apex Group before making the change to providing governance services as a NED, licenced by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.
Simon is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and a Fellow of the Association of Accounting Technicians.  He started his career in the Audit & Advisory business of Ernst & Young.