Welcome to 'Team Spotlight' where each month, we'll spotlight one of our amazing team members, sharing a glimpse into their role, passions, and what makes them an invaluable part of our journey.
This month we introduce Ed Protheroe, who is Strategy Consultant here at AREF.
What is your current role at AREF?
I am actually an independent consultant, helping my clients in the areas of communications, commercial/product strategy and business development. That’s what I do at AREF. While I have worked on a number of strategic initiatives over the last few years, my main area of responsibility now can broadly be described as business development. I work closely with the AREF team four or five days a month, with my hours spread across each week, as required. I look after member engagement, for both current and new memberships. The challenge currently is getting the numerous residential funds onboard. Working particularly closely with Clare, Head of Marketing and Paul, CEO, we aim to make AREF the hub for institutional investment in the UK residential sector.
What is your background?
Having worked in the City for forty years now (scary thought!), my background is fairly broad. But I’m a fund manager, by trade. I ran European Special Opportunities and Technology equity funds at Aberdeen. A white knuckle ride at the turn of the millennium! Then at M&G I was more on the commercial and business management side, with teams of client portfolio managers reporting into me. It was there that I spent a number of years managing the real estate franchise – my introduction to commercial real estate. I set up my own consultancy in early 2017, pretty much offering the same as I was in M&G: comms, strategy, BD. A gun for hire! Since then I’ve worked with numerous clients on various projects and strategic initiatives. I thrive on the variety. I’ve been working with a solar developer for the last three/four years. Steep learning curve and lots of fun.
Tell us something about yourself that we don’t know.
When I was working as a fund manager at Aberdeen one day, I got a call from a close friend of mine who did the marketing for the Orchard Theatre, Dartford. The theatre was in a bind because the Moldovan State Opera were performing Carmen that night and they needed some extras (the local operatic society had their own performance on, so couldn’t help out). Knowing I enjoy playing to a crowd (his words), he asked if I could help. So instead of going home to Brighton, I went to Dartford. The Moldovans couldn’t speak English but knew some French, so we managed somehow to figure stage instructions from our schoolboy French. Later that evening my friend and I appeared in three different scenes of Carmen, non-singing roles of course, in front of a capacity audience of around 1,000. It was more nerve-wracking than the markets! Great fun though.
What do you enjoy most about working for AREF?
It has to be the people. The AREF team are fantastic to work with. But also, the membership too. In the last forty years, I have worked with people in bonds, equities and property. I can honestly say, the property lot, as a whole, are the nicest folks to work with. Just don’t tell my former colleagues in the other areas that!