HSPG, L&G Affordable Homes, Yotel, Savills, JLL, Knight Frank, DTZ, Cain, British Land, P3 Logistics Parks, Sentinel Real Estate, Aviva Investors, Goodman Real Estate, Cohen & Steers, OMERS Infrastructure, Civitas Resources, Octopus Capital, Morrison, GI Partners, SC Capital, Lodgis Hospitality Holdings, GLP China, JLL
British Land – Chief executive Simon Carter is stepping down after five years in the role to join GIC-owned P3 Logistics Parks as CEO. Carter, who has served a total of 18 years at British Land across two stints, originally joined the UK commercial property company in 2004 before leaving in 2015 to serve as CFO at Quintain and later Logicor. He returned to British Land as CFO in 2018 and was appointed CEO in 2020; he will remain with the company during a 12-month notice period as the board seeks a successor.
OMERS Infrastructure – Jeff Kelly has been appointed managing director within the Americas team. Based in New York, Kelly oversees and contributes to a range of portfolio management and strategic initiatives across OMERS Infrastructure’s portfolio of ten assets in the US and Canada. He will report directly to Peter Gray, senior MD and head of the Americas, OMERS Infrastructure. Kelly joined OMERS most recently from Civitas Resources, where he was chief transformation officer and, immediately prior to that, he led a wide range of business transformations while he was a managing director at Blackstone for almost four years.
Morrison – Brendan Scollans has been appointed head of North America investment. Scollans will lead Morrison’s North American investment activity, working closely with teams across the firm’s global platform to advance its disciplined, long-term approach to infrastructure investing. He is based in New York and will report to William Smales, Morrison’s CIO. Morrison’s former head of North America investment, Perry Offutt, recently took on a role as the firm’s global head of capital formation. Previously, Scollans worked at GI Partners, serving as co-head of the firm’s data infrastructure business as well as a member of its investment committees. Before that, he was a partner at EQT, where he co-led its mid-market US fund, served on the fund’s investment committee. Earlier in his career, he was a partner and founding member of Avista Capital Partners.
Savills – Martin Szamfeber has been appointed director in the firm’s operational capital markets division, further strengthening the firm’s self storage capabilities across the UK and Europe. Szamfeber, who will lead and grow the dedicated self storage valuation business, joins from JLL, where he spent ten years within the valuation team, most recently as head of UK self storage - value and risk advisory.
Cain – Arvi Luoma has been appointed CIO and Joe Stelzer as chief risk officer. Both will serve on the firm’s global investment committee. Luoma joined Cain following its 2024 merger with Blackbrook Capital, the specialist real estate investment manager he co-founded and led as CEO. Stelzer will have responsibility for governance, risk management and capital discipline. Since joining Cain in 2024, he has overseen the firm’s private equity portfolio companies and special projects, including Trent Rockets, Prezzo Italian, Swingers and Maslow’s.
Sentinel Real Estate – Ben Sanderson has joined the firm as managing director, where he will lead the firm’s entry into the UK living sector. Based in Sentinel’s new London office, Sanderson will oversee the establishment of Sentinel’s fully integrated investment platform in the UK. Most recently, he served as managing director at Aviva Investors, where he was responsible for the global real estate and infrastructure businesses, overseeing strategic direction and managing implementation of real estate investments across multiple risk profiles, including the establishment and execution of new residential investment programs spanning the UK and Europe. Sanderson served as chair of the Investment Property Forum from 2020-2022 and continues as a board member.
Octopus Capital – Ed Clough has been promoted to the newly created role of head of real assets for Octopus Capital. Effective immediately, Clough will continue to have responsibility for the real estate business but now takes on leadership of the infrastructure business as well. Michael Toft in London and Cristina Perez Liz in Madrid, will together take on an additional leadership role as co-heads of real estate investment whilst continuing to manage their respective business areas, Toft as head of care homes, and Liz as head of Spain.
Goodman Real Estate – George Petrie has assumed the role of executive chairman, transitioning from his current CEO leadership position. Kelli Jo Norris, formerly president, has been appointed as CEO, overseeing all aspects of the company’s investments, operations and strategic direction. Norris has played a pivotal role in shaping Goodman Real Estate’s growth, culture, and investment strategy. As CEO, she will continue to drive disciplined capital allocation, portfolio performance and organisational excellence, while advancing the firm’s commitment to partnership, investors, and community stewardship. Johnny Goodman will continue in his role as president of capital investments, leading the firm’s family office and private wealth management division, while Don Fosseen as CIO oversees institutional equity growth.
SC Capital – Christopher Hur has joined as managing director, investments, to lead hospitality activities and hospitality platform strategies across the region. He will be responsible for origination, execution and portfolio growth across the firm’s hospitality and living sector investments. Prior to joining the firm, he was chief executive officer of Lodgis Hospitality Holdings. He previously held senior investment positions in the Asia Pacific and the US at Host Hotels & Resorts. Hur began his career in investment banking and real estate private equity at Lehman Brothers, with postings in New York and Hong Kong.
GLP China – Angela Zhao has been appointed chief executive officer in a newly created role, reporting to Ming Mei, who continues as global CEO of the group. Until her appointment, Zhao was held the position of co-president, China logistics and industrial real estate. A founding member and GLP executive, she joined GLP in 2003, and has served in key leadership positions. Between 2018 and 2025, she was also responsible for incubating new growth engines such as intelligent industrial parks. Teresa Zhuge, immediate past executive vice chairwoman of GLP China, moves into expanded global leadership role while remaining on GLP China board of directors.
Cohen & Steers – Diana Shieh has been appointed COO and head of asset management for Cohen & Steers’ private real estate group. Shieh will oversee the strategic asset management of Cohen & Steers’ private real estate portfolio, driving value creation and performance optimisation, while serving as COO of the private real estate platform to align operations across key functions and enhance scalability. Shieh reports to James S Corl, head of the private real estate group. Shieh joins Cohen & Steers with over 20 years of real estate investment and operational experience. She most recently served as SVP, head of US asset management at Oxford Properties. Prior to Oxford Properties, she served as global co-head of portfolio and asset management at Madison International Realty.
HSPG – Chris Hewitt has been appointed chief financial officer. Hewitt will play a key role in helping HSPG deliver more homes for the most vulnerable people across the UK. Hewitt has joined from L&G Affordable Homes, where he spent over three years as CIO and finance director. Previously, Hewitt co-founded UK shared ownership providers Heylo in 2014. As CFO at HSPG, Hewitt will oversee funding, financial and investor reporting, and help shape the strategic direction of the social impact business alongside co-founders Guy Horne and David Searle.
JLL Australia – Tim O’Connors has become head of leasing advisory for Australia and New Zealand with JLL. He will lead transaction teams across the office, logistics and industrial sectors to assist both landlords and tenants. O’Connors will continue to serve on JLL’s global office leasing board. Since joining JLL in 2011 as head of NSW leasing, he had leased several iconic projects in Australkian capital cities. His career began with FPD Raine and Horne Sydney in 1995, and has worked in Hong Kong and Shanghai with other groups before returning to Australia in late 2010. Andrew Ballantyne, who served as acting head of leasing advisory for the past four months, will return to his role as managing director NSW and head of research Australasia. O’Connors’ appointment will be complemented by several key appointments within the Australian leasing advisory operations team: James Montague as head of office leasing Australia; Bianca Docker as head of growth for leasing advisory for Australia and New Zealand; Antonia Foweraker as head of office leasing NSW, and Ben Turner as head of office leasing Sydney CBD.
Knight Frank – James Maddock has been appointed partner in its global occupier strategy and solutions team. At Knight Frank, Maddock will be based in London and will join the global occupier board. Maddock joins from Cushman & Wakefield, where he spent his entire career, beginning at DTZ in 1990 and later joining the European board following the firm’s 2015 merger. Most recently, he served as EMEA head of occupier services. His experience spans all areas of corporate real estate strategy and delivery, including integrated service delivery models, portfolio optimisation, and workplace innovation. He also previously served as chair of CoreNet UK, the principal occupier association, for a two-year term.
Yotel — The firm has announced an expansion of its leadership team, headlined by Rohan Thakkar moving into an elevated role as chief development and strategy officer. While continuing to head global growth, development pipelines and construction, Thakkar’s remit now includes enterprise-wide strategy as a key partner to the CEO and board. His focus will shift toward aligning PR, marketing and new ventures to build a scalable, globally consistent platform. Mark Henderson has been named SVP of design and construction, adding capital expenditure and renovations to his portfolio. Since joining in 2018, Henderson has been instrumental in consolidating the firm’s global development efforts. Additionally, Olivia Donnan, SVP of brand, culture and growth, will take on a deeper role in evolving the guest experience and ensuring that brand perception and company performance advance in lockstep.
