ULI unveils UK leadership awards at gala event

This year's winners are Jim Eyre, OBE, co-founder and director of architects WilkinsonEyre, who has won the outstanding contribution to real estate award. Adina David, executive director at MGT Investment Management, has won the emerging talent award.

The awards were announced during a gala ceremony at the Imperial War Museum in London, held in support of ULI’s UrbanPlan initiative, a schools-based educational programme.

Mark Collins, ULI UK chair and executive director and chairman of residential at CBRE, said: 'Huge congratulations to our two remarkable Leadership Awards winners, whose impactful contributions to the built environment in the UK are remarkable.

'They are also both true exemplars for everything that ULI represents in its mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformational impact.'

Outstanding contribution award
Jim Eyre has led on many of Wilkinson Eyre’s celebrated projects, including the Riba Stirling Prize winning Millennium Bridge at Gateshead, the redevelopment of the Grade II listed Weston Library in Oxford, and most recently the restoration and repurposing of the Grade II listed Battersea Power Station and the new Compton and Edrich stands at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

He was awarded an OBE for services to architecture in 2003 and was made Honorary Doctor of Laws at Liverpool University in 2009. He is currently a commissioner to the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 and a chair of the Architectural Association Foundation.

Eyre said: 'I am fortunate to have been involved in so many extraordinary projects in my professional life and am humbled by the recognition given by this award, really only possible because of the great team we have at Wilkinson Eyre.'

Emerging talent award
Winner of the emerging talent award, which celebrates someone with 15 years or less of industry experience, David was described as a 'stalwart of the UK’s build-to-rent sector', with prior roles including director of urban living at Greystar, and vice president of investments at The Collective.

David is part of the team responsible for MGT Investment Management’s £1.4 bn residential portfolio, leading the business’s rental living strategy.

During her career, she has had extensive experience working across different living real estate asset classes including on their financing, design, development, and operation.

She is also a champion of diversity and inclusion and founder of the networking and mentorship group Ladies in Real Estate.

Said David: 'I first joined the ULI in New York while I was studying for my master’s degree at NYU and working on the sell side, over 10 years ago. I immediately saw value in the ability to connect with so many impressive professionals in the built environment.

'Membership was invaluable when I relocated to London in 2016 and was able to meet peers, find mentors, and start to share best practices via the Residential Council. Over the last decade as a member, I’ve enjoyed supporting and organising various programmes across the living space.

'To receive the Emerging Talent award from the ULI is a real honour and I hope I can continue to add value to the organisation and the wider industry as I continue my career journey.'

Nominations for the awards were received from ULI members including from the ULI UK Executive Committee and ULI UK Young Leaders Committee. The ULI UK Leadership Awards judging panel determined the winners following an exhaustive evaluation process.

Yohance Harper, ULI UK Leadership Awards chair, said: 'I am immensely proud of this year's winners, whose extraordinary contributions continue to inspire and shape our industry.

'This awards ceremony is not just a celebration of individual achievements but a testament to the collaborative spirit and forward-thinking ethos we strive for in the real estate sector. It reflects the shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community that drives us at ULI.'