Knysna Yacht Company
Personal Business Interests
- Owner/Shareholder/Investor
Real Estate Professional with local and international experience, working for listed multinational Property Funds, bringing significant expertise across a breadth of real estate projects including large-scale civil and building projects, high-density residential, logistics and warehousing, as well as significant retail developments both in Africa and Central Eastern Europe.
Brings a proven track record of successfully coordinating and managing multiple projects and project teams, both locally and abroad. A well-established network across listed property fund executives, developers, engineers, architects, and real estate professionals primarily in South Africa and CEE.
A well-developed understanding of property/development finance and structuring, asset management, property management, and facilities management.
SKILLS & EXPERTISE
CORE CAPABILITIES
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NEPI Rockcastle (Formed from the merger of NEPI - New Europe Property Investments, and Rockcastle Global Real Estate), is the premier owner and operator of shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with a presence in nine countries and an investment portfolio of €6.3 billion as at 31 December 2019.
Appointed as the Development Director for Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, based out of Warsaw, Poland and reporting directly into the London-based Rockcastle CEO, Spiro Noussis.
Key achievements:
Reason for Leaving:
Cultural concerns post the merger along with personal considerations led to my resigning from the Group and returning to South Africa.
Appointed as the Development Director for Rockcastle Poland Sp z.o.o, (A wholly-owned subsidiary of the retail-focused listed Property REIT Rockcastle Global Real Estate, based in Warsaw Poland), tasked with amongst other things the establishment of a new office which was established to spearhead and execute the company's growth ambitions and strategy into Central and Eastern Europe.
Career Highlight: Part of the core Rockcastle Poland Sp z.o.o team who in a period of 4 years successfully assembled and redeveloped a formidable Retail Portfolio of over 16 shopping centres across multiple countries in Central Eastern Europe.
Primary Responsibilities:
Reporting to the London-based CEO and as a member of the Executive Committee, my initial responsibility was that of establishing the new CEE Office based in Warsaw, Poland, including negotiating new office leases, designing and fit-out of the new offices, establishing a new team of staff including project managers, asset managers and financial staff to support and manage the day-to-day operations of the CEE head office and portfolio of CEE retail centres.
Aside from setting up and establishing the new CEE office in Warsaw, the core mandate of the Development Director was to extract value and ensure the ongoing growth and value proposition of all the assets being bought into the portfolio. This was achieved through various means including but not limited to the complete redevelopment of assets, expansion of assets to increase GLA and associated income, as well as re-looking the tenant mix with the asset managers in order to optimize tenant size and mix in each retail centre. The ongoing technical maintenance and management as well as the installation and relocation of key tenants within each asset also fell within the scope of the Development Director role.
Director Roles & Responsibilities:
Project Related Roles and Responsibilities:
Leading a development team of 8 people, the Development Director fulfilled an oversight role of all real estate projects in the portfolio. Additional responsibility for:
Reason for Leaving:
Promoted to Development Director for Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia following the merger between NEPI & Rockcastle Global.
Resilient is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) which has been listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange since December 2002. It owns a portfolio of dominant regional malls and shopping centres tenanted predominantly by national retailers.
I joined the group as one of four Project / Development Managers, responsible for:
Reason for Leaving:
Internal promotion. Opportunity to relocate from South Africa to Poland to take on the role as Development Director in the newly formed entity - Rockcastle Global.
Resposibilities:
Persons employed in a Project Management capacity were generally responsible for everything construction related from the site handover up to and including the handover of the completed units to the end-users/clients. Major responsibilities:
Reason for Leaving:
Retrenched due to the 2008 Economic Recession in SA.
Coega Deepwater Port(2003-2004)
Site Engineer on Marine Works - Container Quay wall
Marine Works Contract Value Approx. ZAR1,4 Billion
New Student Accommodation at UPE(2002)
Part-time work while completing my Honors Degree
Clerk of Works for University of Port Elizabeth
Contract Value Approx.ZARR18 Million
New Domestic Terminal at Johannesburg International Airport (2001)
Student Site Engineer
Contract Value Approx. ZARR350 Million
Spiro Noussis
Rockcastle Global Real Estate & Later NEPI Rockcastle CEO
Direct Report
Steve Brown
Current Fortress Property Fund CEO & Member of the board
Indirect Report
Andrew Texeira
Ex Fortress Property Fund CEO & Member of the Board.
Indirect Report
Mark Stevens
Ex Fortress Property Fund CEO & Member of the Board.
Direct Report
Desmond De Beer
Resilient Properties CEO & Member of the Board.
David Lewis
Resilient Properties Development Director & Member of the Board.
Direct Report