Speakers & Panelists in 2020 Include

Rob is Managing Director of DevComms and has specialised in engagement and communications in property for more than 20 years. He has worked for landowners and developers on a wide range of complex planning applications and allocations including large urban extensions, retail, sports stadia, large-scale distribution and minerals and waste schemes.

His core work involves developing strategies for effective engagement, building relationships and working with local communities and their representatives to build trust and deliver successful development. Rob works across the South of England but is based in Buckinghamshire and is familiar with the local political landscape and the issues that tend to arise.

From leaving Ireland at the age of 17 to becoming Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Business First, Philippa has steadily worked towards a role that suits her down to the ground.  An accountant by profession, with more than 30 years’ experience of working within varied accounting environments in both the public and private sector, Philippa became Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Business First in April 2012. Under Philippa’s leadership, Buckinghamshire Business First has seen the business community it engages with grow to almost 11,000 organisations with almost 70% of the county’s private sector workforce employed within that community.  These businesses all benefit from support that facilitates growth in the local Buckinghamshire economy.

Matthew is the Founder and Managing Director of UK Property Forums. Established in 2004, UKPF enables conferences, events and networking opportunities across the Greater Thames Valley region including Oxford, Reading and Aylesbury. As part of the range of events which UKPF have created, he leads UK Prop Social, a networking club for 150+ members and also the Thames Valley offer at MIPIM UK and MIPIM Cannes, France. Having lived and studied in the Thames Valley, he is very informed about the region and passionate about the development of a group for all those involved in the Thames Valley property markets. 

Michael joined the firm in 2004 as a Director having previously been a Partner with Hicks Baker in Reading and prior to that a Director with Rogers Chapman in Bracknell. He is Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Buckinghamshire Business First, a Board Member of the Buckinghamshire (Thames Valley) Local Enterprise Partnership, A Director of Buckinghamshire Advantage, Joint Chair of the Connected Counties broadband delivery board and sits on various committees related to infrastructure in Buckinghamshire. Michael undertakes pro bono work for a number of charities is a regular contributor to the national and regional property press and a conference and business speaker, at venues including the Houses of Parliament and the European Parliament in Brussels.

Sarah has worked with Homes England for 14 years and is currently Head of Strategic Growth, responsible for coordinating the agency’s input into major projects in areas of high growth. She is the agency’s lead on OxCam and sits on the Arc’s Cross-Whitehall oversight board. An architect by profession, she has previously worked on significant housing development in both the public and private sector and has a keen interest in the role that housing can play in expediting economic growth.

Richard has lead responsibility for a business led Local Enterprise Partnership at the Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain – with an economic output worth over £16 billion – including the development and implementation of a Bucks plan to align public and private sector investment and secure and invest European and UK Government funding to build the conditions for sustainable economic growth across Buckinghamshire and by collaborating with neighboring areas. He is currently leading the delivery of one of only three trailblazer Regional Industrial Strategies, overseeing impressive growth across the strategically important Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Zone, which includes the Aylesbury Woodlands mixed use development, securing funding to invest in incubation and innovation centres, development of a Skills Strategy for Buckinghamshire, and supporting Growth Hub activity to grow local business and attract inward investment. 

Andy has been in property since 1983, working for various surveying practices before forming a commercial agency, Jansons and Partners, in the ’90s. After selling out to Colliers CRE, Andy formed Jansons Property in 2003 as a joint venture development company with the William Pears Group.Andy has a formidable reputation from years of experience and brings his tenacity, initiative and drive to getting positive results.

Eman was born in Qatar and studied Electrical Engineering at Paderborn University in Germany and also Medical Equipment Engineering at the University of Ulm in Germany. She joined Bosch in 1999 as an SW engineer to work on the common rail diesel engine, where she developed the SW and HWQ for the Electronic Diesel (EDC) during the first 4 years of her employment. In 2004, she moved to the automotive division responsible for Hyundai customer services to become a team leader for the change management activities. Three years later she took on responsibility for Healthcare Telemedicine in the UK. From 2013, she was appointed Head of Political Affairs and Government Relations at Bosch.

David has over 37 years’ experience as an expert in commercial and residential property transactions for UK and off-shore companies across many sectors.  His work includes property finance, commercial and residential development projects, building construction, landlord and tenant issues, remortgages, planning, licensing, housing associations and selling/buying companies whose only major asset is real estate.  He is also renowned as a specialist in acting for dental practices.

He is known for working to tight time constraints and works well under pressure.  He has a no-nonsense and straightforward approach to the work in hand, combined with a friendly and amiable personality.

Rod Mordey is a Director of Patrizia, a leading firm of European Real Estate Fund Managers. He has over 30 years’ experience with the development, refurbishment and management of commercial property in the UK and Europe having previously worked for Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP, Citigroup Property Investors and CBRE Global Investors.

He leads a team of UK asset managers and is responsible for driving forward Patrizia’s reputation for active asset management by managing the delivery of larger development and refurbishment projects, mentoring colleagues on other capital initiatives, overseeing delivery of day to day property management and setting the underlying policies, procedures and controls to ensure specific risks are effectively mitigated.

Rod has overseen the transformation of Westcott over the last 11 years from a former WWII airfield used as an industrial estate, through numerous development, refurbishment and infrastructure projects towards becoming a leading regional business and technology park.

Andrew joined Pinewood Studios in June 2008 as Corporate Affairs Director. Prior to this, Andrew was Managing Partner of The Policy Partnership. He is also a non-Executive Director of Bucks Business First and Chairman of the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.