The development manager at KSP on Gogglebox, pathological stories and visiting the Big Apple.
How did you join the property industry?
My friend and I chose to study building surveying at university. We knew we’d be the only females on the course, so it was great to stick together. It quickly transpired that I thoroughly enjoyed the project-management-focused subjects. I specialised in project management for just over 12 years before joining KSP, a property development and asset management company specialising in the regeneration of urban sites in London.
What does your job entail?
I oversee development management within KSP, as well as on behalf of the GLi platform – our joint venture with PATRIZIA to develop a portfolio of next-generation logistics warehouses within the M25. I predominantly work alongside the transactions and consultant teams to identify and deliver schemes to meet our occupiers’ needs.
The market and overall approach to industrial and logistics is going through a design-and-demand evolution. As part of GLi’s occupier-centric approach, I ensure our developments are designed and constructed with flexibility to accommodate a variety of end users.
What do you like most about the property industry?
The culture, the people and the projects. No day or week are the same, and it certainly keeps me on my toes.
What barriers or challenges do you feel you have overcome?
Being at the forefront in a world that is led by innovation and technology. Property is built around great talent. I’m a self-confessed geek and spend a lot of my spare time talking to peers, not necessarily people in the property industry, and pick up ideas and turn them into value with my colleagues within KSP.
I’ve also been incredibly lucky to have had numerous mentors so far who have fully supported my career progression. In quite a traditional industry, this has been invaluable.
What’s your biggest career mistake or regret?
I don’t necessarily have or want regrets. I make mistakes all the time and I adapt and grow from them. I do wish I had taken a career break between university and work to travel abroad. Being so career-focused and driven to learn as much as possible was at the detriment of booking those flights.
What advice would you give someone starting a career in the property industry?
Just go for it. Property is great and you’ll have a blast. Try to make connections from the outset; it doesn’t have to be the typical networking events, but those contacts will really help throughout a career. I was once told to go to events where I’d be the only project manager in the room.
What TV show do you like watching?
Gogglebox, 100%. The concept of watching TV of people watching TV sounds absolutely bonkers on paper, but blimey, it’s gold. Pete and Sophie are my favourites.
What’s your favourite book?
Unnatural Causes by Richard Shepherd. It’s about a forensic pathologist who has worked on some of the most high-profile cases. It’s a must read.
What podcast do you listen to most?
I think this is on most people’s Spotify lists at the moment, but The Diary of a CEO. It’s a popular Monday morning commute listen.
What’s your favourite travel destination and why?
New York – I’ve visited it quite a few times now and I’m still not bored with it. The people, places and bars are really something else.
How would you spend a million pounds?
It sounds like a somewhat predictable response, but I’d probably buy a larger property than my one-bed flat in south-west London. Other than that, I’d rent a villa in Ibiza and make sure I relived my 20s!
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