Sebastian Abigail, principal, VTS
Abigail leads the European roll-out of VTS Rise, the world’s leading tenant engagement platform that provides landlords real-time, data-driven insights on how tenants are utilising space and amenities. Abigail re-joined VTS, having spent four years at the company until 2019 and more recently spent two years at premium workplace and meetings venue operator Convene, where as vice president for business development he collaborated with leading landlords and blue-chip occupiers on amenity-rich flexible workplace solutions. Abigail’s experience of working with commercial real estate owners – and their consultants – across the capital stack has earned him a position as a trusted technology-growth and operations-focused real estate leader.
Tripty Arya, founder & chief executive, TRAVTUS
Arya founded Travtus in 2008 as a general contractor and later developed and acquired residential properties in India, Singapore, Malaysia & UK. Today, Travtus focuses on machine learning and data-driven solutions for automating Property operations.
She is also an active angel investor in female-founded ventures and early stage industry platforms based on machine learning.
Michael Beckerman, chief executive, CREtech
Beckerman is the CEO of CREtech, the largest global consulting, media and conference company devoted to technological innovation in the real estate sector.
CREtech’s mission is to help the industry embrace, adopt and future-proof their businesses. CREtech’s intelligence and event platform inspires the next generation of ideas, processes and people to champion the world’s largest asset class.
He previously spent 25 years in the public relations industry, having built Beckerman Public Relations into the largest firm in the industry, specialising in the commercial real estate industry.
Lee Butz, nonbinary founder & chief executive, District Technologies
Butz is passionate about shaping the future of cities to improve everyone’s work and life experience. Working at the intersection of cities and technology, they founded District Technologies, the workplace platform that helps office spaces reduce friction for people using them.
Prior to District, having written their masters thesis at Oxford University on Understanding the DNA of Strong Entrepreneurial Hubs, they then put their theory into practice by building large co-working technology campuses (Factory Berlin and Interchange London for Market-Tech).
They are very active in the queer community in Berlin, London and New York. Butz is an activist for the planet, organising regular Future City events to connect entrepreneurs, corporates and government around climate change solutions.
Joyeeta Das, chief executive & co-founder, Gyana
Das is a serial entrepreneur focused on bringing value to deep tech entrepreneurial pursuits by thinking outside of the box, identifying market gaps and rapidly scaling to commercial goals.
Customer success and employee welfare are the cornerstones of her entrepreneurial philosophy and building long-term, sustainable, resilient technology-based value propositions are her speciality.
In 2014, she pursued an MBA at Oxford University and was awarded the Said Scholarship. She also received a Fellowship for Entrepreneurship Centre and holds a degree in electronics engineering and physics.
Das is a mentor at Oxford University foundry and also chairs two global women’s groups. She has been selected to be a diplomatic representative at the highest levels of international co-operation such as UK-Brazil, UK-India, UK-Canada and UK-USA trade delegations.
She is a FT 100 BAME leader, top 100 in UK tech, ambassador for Innovate UK, EG Tech Rising Star and has won many other awards.
Gregory Dewerpe, founder, A/O PropTech
Dewerpe is the founder of A/O PropTech, where he focuses on sourcing, investments and roll-outs.
He is a seasoned real estate and technology investor with more than 15 years’ experience, a deep understanding of market dynamics and eco-systems and a multibillion-pound deal-making history.
He chairs AMD Capital, a specialist real estate investment firm that he founded prior to A/O, focusing on investing in the most thriving segments of the real estate industry across both private and public markets, building strong convictions on the back of deep analytics of micro situations, macro megatrends/dislocations as well pricing asymmetry.
Dewerpe started his career in ibanking, where he spent nine years at Credit Suisse and Citigroup, looking after sourcing, structuring and financing of new investments (in both public and private markets) for sovereign and semi-sovereign institutions globally, with more than $30bn of transactions executed.
Angelica Donati, head of business development, Donati S.p.A, chief executive, Donati Immobiliare Group
Donati is head of business development at Donati S.p.A, an established Italian construction company that has been working in civil construction, infrastructure and historical building restoration for more than 40 years.
Prior to joining Donati S.p.A., Donati started her career on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs. She graduated from the London School of Economics with a BSc in management and holds an MBA from Oxford University’s business school in the United Kingdom.
In 2012, she founded Donati Immobiliare Group, an international property development firm operating in Italy, the UK and the US. She is vice-president of ANCE Giovani and president of ANCE Giovani Lazio, an association that represents the construction industry in Italy.
As an advocate on the topics of digital transformation and proptech, Donati specialises in issues related to innovation in the real estate and construction industries.
Eden Dwek, director of expansion, WiredScore
Dwek is director of expansion at WiredScore – the international digital connectivity certification for real estate.
He started his career in KPMG’s consulting practice where he advised corporate clients around technology risk, before moving into its team that works with fast growing start-up and scale-up businesses, and then leading technology and innovation for KPMG’s real estate practice.
In 2019, he joined WiredScore to head up its expansion into new international markets. Since then, he has launched WiredScore certification in Australia with Lendlease as its launch client, and in the Netherlands in partnership with ING Real Estate Finance.
Dwek won the UK PropTech Association’s Young Leader award in 2019, and earlier this year was shortlisted as one of EG’s 2020 Rising Stars.
Alex Edds, director of innovation, JLL (UK)
As director of innovation, Edds advises the board and service line leaders on technological and systemic disruption facing the property industry.
He supports the development of new business strategies which seek to embrace and capitalise on market opportunities across the whole value chain of the property lifecycle.
Prior to this role, Edds served as head of sustainability at JLL, head of responsible property investment at TH Real Estate, and was director of the upstream sustainability team at JLL.
Olly Freedman, director – Europe, Retransform
Freedman has been providing technology to the real estate industry since 2006, where he was a director of valuation software company KEL . In 2014, he was headhunted by Datscha to orchestrate the launch and growth of its business in the UK.
In late 2019, he joined Retransform, a leading technology services provider and partner, to help grow its business in Europe. Freedman is fascinated with all things AI related and is looking forward to helping the real estate industry with its digital transformation journey.
He holds an urban estate management degree from the University of South Wales, as well as an information systems & technology master’s degree from City University of London, and he is a qualified chartered surveyor.
He is a PropSail committee member, co-founder of RERO (Real Estate Ride Out) and plays ice hockey (badly).
Chenai Gondo PhD, senior strategy executive, British Land
Gondo is an experienced strategy executive and ex-McKinsey consultant. She has worked with the top teams of some of the world’s largest organisations to successfully craft and execute their vision. She specialises in developing strategies for established companies to build incumbent resilience and capitalise on digital disruption.
Gondo is an emerging thought leader in real estate strategy, technology and innovation.
At British Land, she chairs the ethnic diversity committee, and sits on the technology council, the sustainability committee, and the task force for climate-related financial disclosure committee. Outside BL, she is a non-executive director of Y-Care International, YMCA’s aid & development charity that creates opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
She is am passionate about the link between diversity and innovation, and about increasing the representation of people from diverse and historically disenfranchised backgrounds in business leadership roles.
Fionnuala Hogan, head, early stage venture, Goldacre Ventures and creator & head RElab
Hogan heads early stage venture at Goldacre Ventures and is creator & head of Relab, Goldacre’s partner-led ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs to scale their businesses at an accelerated pace.
Her wide-ranging background encompasses more than 25 years’ experience of corporate advisory, investment, entrepreneurship and financing, with previous senior roles spanning larger corporates and start-up environments, including Kleinwort Benson, KPMG, ENBA and Hypo Real Estate.
Outside of venture, Hogan is a passionate advocate of the power of arts and education to change lives, and serves as a trustee of East London Dance, Brixton House and previously as a governor of the Southbank Centre and of Tomorrow’s Warriors.
Jamie Holmes, chief executive, VU.CITY
At the start of 2017, Holmes sat down to work out what his ideal next role would be. He wanted to work for a small company that had a vision for huge expansion; to work with people who shared his values of positivity, responsibility and authenticity and to feel like he was making a real difference.
At VU.CITY he leads a small, but beautifully formed team of experts with huge aspirations for growth and change and all focusing on creating a 3D platform to help people deliver the best possible city for all.
Bill Hughes, head of real assets, Legal & General
Hughes joined Legal & General in 2007 and is responsible for transforming its UK property fund management business into a global-reaching real assets platform.
Operating in both the direct investment and lending markets, today it actively invests and manages more than £35bn AUM, providing capabilities in real estate, infrastructure and corporate debt. Hughes previously held positions at RREEF, the Real Estate Fund Management business of Deutsche Bank and Schroder Property Investment Management.
He is currently chair of the Property Industry Alliance, bringing together the UK’s leading property bodies to give them a stronger collective voice on issues such as policy, research and best practice. He was a commissioner for the Lyons Review, is a past chairman of the Association of Real Estate Funds and a past president of the British Property Federation.
Dan Hughes, chief executive, LIQUID Real Estate Innovation and Alpha Property Insight
Hughes is founder of Alpha Property Insight and LIQUID Real Estate Innovation which help the property sector to embrace and benefit from new ways of thinking and technology.
Before this, he spent his career working across the built environment and has held senior roles in some of the world’s leading data organisations.
He led the land and property sector strategy and commercial activity at Ordnance Survey, the world’s leading location data specialist. He also led the global marketing function at IPD, part of MSCI which is the leading global data, index and benchmarking company for property investment.
Hughes was also director of data and information products for RICS, which included BCIS, the world’s leading cost analysis data product and leading a data services team providing bespoke consultancy services.
Hughes also led the proptech transformation strategy at RICS. When he left, RICS was recognised as the world’s leading proptech brand.
He is on the BPF Technology and Innovation Working Group, the steering committee for MIPIM Proptech, on the RICS data handling professional statement working group and lead author for the BPF LIQUID report. Hughes was voted one of the Top 50 Data leaders in the UK in 2017, voted No.1 proptech influencer in the UK and the most influential global person online in proptech.
Linda Morant, chief digital officer, The Crown Estate
Morant is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years’ experience working with leading global companies to enable growth and transformation as a result of technology shifts.
She brings a broad range of expertise, having worked across a number of industries, with particular strengths in digital technologies, change and transformation, growth strategies, and sales and marketing leadership. With a wealth of international experience, Morant has a strong understanding of cultures and markets throughout Europe and North and South America.
In her current role as chief digital officer for The Crown Estate, Morant is accountable for the development and delivery of an organisation-wide digital strategy and agenda that will enable integrated digital development across all portfolios, products, customer interfaces, data insight processes and operating models.
In her spare time, Morant’s passion turns to advising innovative start-up companies focused on new technologies and growth in emerging markets. She equally enjoys mentoring women in technology, ensuring she supports the next generation of female leadership.
Sophy Moffat, head of research and insights, Cluttons
Moffat has a decade of experience working in leading research teams at global and national property consultancies.
As the world changes – technologically, environmentally, socially and economically – the behaviours and preferences of citizens change too. Cluttons’ research team is continually evaluating the opportunities and risks associated with these changes, challenging itself and its clients to proactively about the future.
In her role, Moffat advises investors and businesses on trends impacting commercial and residential real estate. She has worked on commissions for some of the UK’s largest REITs and her work has been quoted in the international, national and trade press.
She has appeared as a speaker and panellist at major industry events across Europe and in the UK.
James Morris-Manuel, managing director EMEA, Matterport
Morris-Manuel is managing director EMEA at Matterport, the world-leading provider of immersive 3D technology, and one of the world’s fastest-growing technology businesses.
He oversees Matterport’s operations in the EMEA region, including developing new market segments and expansion in core territories. Prior to joining Matterport, Morris-Manuel founded the UK’s leading virtual reality start-up Virtual Walkthrough, which was acquired by Matterport in July 2016.
He is a prominent commentator on proptech and in 2018 was named by Estates Gazette as one of the property industry’s rising stars.
Colin O’Reilly, sales director, MRI Software
With almost 30 years’ experience in real estate software, O’Reilly has held senior positions at many of the major providers in the sector. His particular area of expertise is in the owner and investor space, empowering real estate visionaries, from REITs to commercial agents, towards increased growth, efficiency and visibility through technology.
As well as heading up a significant business development and strategic account management team at MRI, O’Reilly’s knowledge and experience means he also takes a lead in developing and implementing overall strategy for the organisation in the investor market.
Hannah Prideaux, investment manager & head of operations, M7 Structurae
Prideaux brings 13-plus years of real estate advisory, transactional, start-up, operational and venture capital experience. She is a chartered surveyor by trade and specialised in commercial valuations at Savills, before joining PwC, where she advised on debt portfolio transactions and real estate corporate finance.
In 2017, she moved into proptech and joined a B2B2C residential platform, working with operations & product, before joining a tenant engagement platform. There, she created the business development team, before moving into venture capital and investing in property technology companies.
Mark Quigley, managing director, Beaufort Capital
Quigley is a highly experienced lender, having begun his career at Barclays in the mid-1980s. Starting out in branch banking, in the late 1990s he was transferred to the bank’s head office, where he worked in the specialist property finance team and was involved in some high-profile transactions.
During his career, Quigley has written more than £2bn of development and investment property deals, predominantly across the UK but also abroad. He was appointed managing director at Beaufort Capital at the start of 2018. He has an MBA from Sheffield Business School and is a member of the Association of Property Lenders.
Martin Quinn, senior project manager, Great Portland Estates
Quinn is a senior project manager for Great Portland Estates and for the past 13 years has been responsible for the delivery of some of its most significant developments.
Over the course of his career, Quinn has worked in the London commercial real estate sector in both a consultant role and in construction delivery, striving to exceed the high-quality benchmarks expected for this market; with a keen focus on bringing together a collaborative team, which he feels is key to the successful delivery of projects.
He recently completed GPE’s Hanover development, a complex scheme with close liaison with Crossrail, working above and around its Bond Street Elizabeth Line station.
GPE is a FTSE 250 REIT specialising in the investment and development of property in central London and are progressing one of the most ambitious development programmes, with circa 1.5m sq ft of new space in central London.
Tim Ryan, partner and head of TMT, DAC Beachcroft
Ryan is a partner and head of national technology, media and telecoms team of more than 50 lawyers.
He is an experienced commercial lawyer who advises across a variety of matters, with clients ranging from scale-ups to listed international businesses. In addition to TMT clients, he also supports clients in real estate, health, insurance and the public sector.
As well as leading on large technology transformation projects and transactions, Ryan is heavily involved in supporting his clients on a wide range of matters in digital business. This includes software development, hosting, licensing, data analytics and digital media.
Savannah de Savary, founder and chief executive, Built-ID
Savannah de Savary is the founder and chief executive of Built-ID. After graduating from the University of Oxford in 2013, she joined Thor Equities, where she managed NYC real estate development projects.
In 2015 she founded Built-ID, a proptech platform that showcases the built environment projects of today and transforms community engagement to better shape the projects of tomorrow.
She won Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Property Awards and was voted one of the Top 20 Proptech influencers in a poll by the UK Proptech Association. She sits on the Legacy Foundation Board of Trustees and the ULI Young Leaders and Urban Art Forums.
Built-ID enables residents to influence the built environment projects that matter to them, and be rewarded for their engagement with real donations to local charities within their community.
Stefan Schmidt, Symbiosy solutions manager, HB Reaveis
Schmidt joined the team as a Symbiosy solutions manager in early 2020, tasked with delivering HB Reavis’s own occupier-focused smart buildings solution, Symbiosy, which is designed to digitise user experience, support health and wellbeing, and improve in-company collaborative networks.
Previously, Schmidt worked in building performance engineering, delivering energy optimisation strategies for buildings around the UK – most notably with the Oxford University Campus and the National Portrait Gallery. A background in data analytics, gained from his time as a strategy analyst with Microsoft, then led him to explore a wider field of smart buildings, cumulating in the incubation of Hoare Lea’s indoor air-quality monitoring consultancy and qualification as a RESET AP.
A wider view of building performance, and in particular analytical frameworks for benchmarking projects against one another, increasingly led into design, where such frameworks had to be implemented at early project stages. Consequently, he supported the delivery of delivery of multiple landmark smart buildings, including Deloitte’s award-winning smart office 1 New Street Square in London and The Post in Vancouver, soon to be home to thousands of Amazon employees.
Now Schmidt is managing the design of building technology solutions within several of HB Reavis’s own projects, whilst actively supporting Symbiosy’s clients in realising their own smart building aspirations.
Charlie Wade, EMEA managing director, VTS
Wade is the EMEA managing director for VTS, the modern platform for commercial real estate and the fastest-growing technology company in commercial real estate history.
With more than 12bn sq ft of office, retail and industrial assets combined managed on its platform globally, VTS maximises portfolio performance, transforming the leasing and asset management process and unlocking real-time insights, enabling its customers to convert leads to leases 41% faster and build data-led strategies.
Prior to VTS, Wade spent almost 10 years at JLL, working in London, New York and Silicon Valley, leading business development for the West Coast hub of JLL’s international desk.
Bridget Wilkins, director of community engagement, Built-ID
Bridget Wilkins is director of community engagement at Built-ID, where she is responsible for leading the team to scale the Give-My-View community consultation platform.
She has 10 years of international real estate experience, having worked at CBRE in the UK development team and Asia Pacific Capital Markets, and is an expert in the global proptech sector through her previous role on the CBRE UK innovation board and as a founding member of the Urban Land Institute UK Tech Forum.
Wilkins is a passionate advocate for developing the next generation of real estate professionals across London, with a focus on skills evolution into the digital age, through her role as a steering member of the City Property Association Next Generation Committee and as a co-founder of the Peer 20 Networking & Social Impact Program.