Members of the industry body are set to vote on a planned merger
British Land’s chief executive has become president of the British Property Federation as the organisation prepares for a merger.
The organisation’s members, along with those of the Association of Real Estate Funds and the Investment Property Forum, are set to vote on plans to merge and create a new representative body, which would be called Real Estate: UK (RE:UK).
Simon Carter, who has helmed British Land since 2020, succeeds Jessica Hardman, chief executive and co-founder of Aboria Capital, who has served as the British Property Federation’s (BPF) president since July 2024.
He has been a board member at the £454m-turnover developer since 2018, and has previously worked as chief financial officer at Logicor and finance director of Quintain.
Carter, who has been on the BPF’s board since 2023, said it was “a privilege to take on the role” and that the property industry “plays a vital role in shaping places and supporting communities across the country, and makes an enormous contribution to the UK economy in creating jobs, unlocking investment and enabling innovation”.
“I hope that our members will endorse our vision to build an even more powerful new industry body in RE:UK, and look forward to taking the baton from Jessica to oversee that transition during my Presidency,” he said.
>>See also: BPF urges Reeves to fund ‘new approach’ at Building Safety Regulator
Melanie Leech, chief executive at the BPF, said: “This is a critical time for our industry as we work with Government to deliver the homes, workspaces and infrastructure needed to reboot the economy and drive growth.
“Simon’s extensive experience and knowledge across finance and development will be invaluable as we manage the twin challenges of helping to shape policy that will unlock investment and accelerate delivery, and - if our members agree - transitioning to a new organisation building on the strengths of the BPF, AREF and IPF.
“I would also like to thank Jessica for her dedication and outstanding leadership over the past year as we have developed and refined our plans for a new body that will represent the full breadth of the real estate sector and amplify our voice.”
No comments yet