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 an internationally recognised expert on housing, placemaking and ESG. She has 20+ years’ strategic advisory and investment experience having worked extensively across four continents. In August 2024 Alex took over the chair of the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission from Dame Kate Barker and was the lead author on its first report.

Until July 2024 she was Placemaking and Investment Director at Thriving Investments (formerly PfP Capital), the fund and asset management arm of Places for People Group, overseeing a UK-wide residential strategy.

In October 2023 Alex won Residential Leader of the Year at the inaugural Property Week awards for Inspiring Women in Property.

Alex is Chair of the British Property Federation (BPF) working group on residential ESG, former Vice-Chair of the ULI UK Residential Council and currently serves on BPF’s Build to Rent and Sustainability Committees and AREF’s ESG / Impact Investing Committee

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.