Phyllis Agbo

Senior development manager, Stories

After retiring from her first career as a GB Heptathlete, Agbo entered the world of real estate, becoming a chartered surveyor in 2016. Her career started at CBRE, specialising in residential development post qualification. Agbo advised on many important London developments, including Barking Riverside, a 10,800-home riverbank masterplan in East London. After seven years at CBRE, she moved to Crest Nicholson, taking the role of land manager, managing large scale masterplans including Arborfield Green, a new 2,000 garden village near Wokingham. Now at Stories, an exciting socially responsible developer, she works as a senior development manager. Stories is bringing a fresh approach to development that balances the industry’s responsibility to economic, environmental, and social outcomes.  She a proud advocate for diversity in the workplace, having a strong involvement in CBRE’s REACH Network (race, equality and cultural heritage). She is currently a committee member for the Black Business Association within the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, charged with increasing visibility and bringing through grassroots talent. She also co-created the London Mixed Tag Rugby Property League and set up the women’s tag tournament at surveyors 7s, continuing her love of sport and sharing its benefits in industry.

Gafar Fashola

Chair, BPF Futures Advisory Board

Fashola is assistant development manager at Related Argent, where he is currently working on Google’s KGX1. He started out as an apprentice at British Land, where he developed a business case for the introduction of the next generation network. In 2024, Fashola became chair of the BPF Futures Advisory Board. He leads a network of more than 2,400 junior in-career professionals, ensuring high-quality opportunities are available to all. A proud thought leader and engaging speaker, Fashola has conducted many panel talks and keynote speaking engagements, including with the Mayor’s Fund for London.

Susan Freeman

Real estate partner, Mishcon de Reya

Freeman is a real estate partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya. An experienced real estate lawyer, her in-depth understanding of the property market, the emerging world of tech and her business training as a Sloan Masters MSc (London Business School) graduate, combined with a wide circle of contacts is an effective combination. In 2021, Freeman received an honorary doctorate from the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) in recognition of her contribution to the built environment. She is on the board of Central District Alliance, the Holborn and surrounding area’s Business Improvement District and chairs its Property Group and is on the advisory boards of real estate investment company Seaforth Land and of flexible working company Work.Life. She also chairs the London Chamber of Commerce Property and Construction Forum. Freeman hosts the popular Propertyshe podcast where she has now interviewed 100+ of the top influencers who define and make a difference to the real estate industry and built environment. The podcast series is recognised as #1 in the recent Top 25 Best London Real Estate Podcasts (FeedSpot).

Kathryn Jump

Partner and living sector co-head, Shoosmiths

Jump is a partner and co-head of Shoosmiths’ living sector, driving the team’s growth forward across the UK. She is also the joint head of the firm’s specialist planning practice – a role she job-shares with fellow partner and planning joint head, Lisa Tye. As an experienced planning lawyer, she acts on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious planning matters.

Laurence Kemball-Cook

Founder and chief executive, Pavegen

Kemball-Cook is the founder and chief executive of Pavegen, an innovative clean technology company which manufactures a flooring system that instantly converts kinetic energy from footfall into off-grid electricity and data. Kemball-Cook founded Pavegen in 2009 with the help of a £5,000 RSA Student Design Award and the company has scaled across the world, installing more than 200 permanent and experiential projects in 30 countries. He is a powerful communicator and thought leader on technology and entrepreneurship and his speaking credits also include TED talks in Germany, Brazil, the US and the UK and numerous appearances for organisations such as the government’s Department for International Trade.

Sarah Lloyd-Hughes

Founder & chief executive, Ginger Leadership Communications

Lloyd-Hughes is one of the country’s most authoritative and sought-after leadership communications experts. An award-winning coach, TEDx conference guest speaker and author of the best-selling book, How to be Brilliant at Public Speaking (Pearson), Lloyd- Hughes has worked with clients across the globe who have gone on to deliver speeches at parliament, Davos, and TEDx conferences; pick up prestigious awards; publish best-selling books; and become influential game-changers in their own right. Lloyd-Hughes set up Ginger Leadership Communications to inspire human brilliance; driving a new paradigm of bold, authentic and purpose-driven leadership. Lloyd-Hughes has a particular passion for championing women’s voices and strengthening female leadership. She’s determined to change the fact that women tend to be less vocal and visible than their male counterparts – despite being some of the most inspiring communicators on the planet.

Samantha McClary

Editor, EG

McClary has almost 20 years’ experience in real estate and business journalism, covering a wide range of topics. Alongside making sure EG delivers the best, most helpful, most accurate and, of course, most interesting content to EG’s readership across all platforms – print, online and audio – she also plays a leading role in enabling and delivering a more diverse environment for the real estate community through EG’s REWIRE and tech initiatives. A keen chair and regular wearer of too bright trousers, she seeks to help keep panel discussions and events lively with audience participation and insightful questioning

Andrew O’Donnell

UK head of operations, JLL

O’Donnell is the UK head of operations for JLL.. He joined JLL in 2019 as the head of real estate, spearheading the estate strategy and the firm’s move to its new UK headquarters at 1 Broadgate. O’Donnell has spent time across various business teams in operational roles, from managing JLL’s Covid response to running the operations of its agency business. Prior to 2019, O’Donnell was the EMEA head of real estate for EY.

Vanessa Simms

Chief financial officer, Landsec

Simms brings extensive financial experience to Landsec from the property sector, most recently as chief financial officer at Grainger. Simms has expertise in leading and implementing strategic change in businesses and of leadership roles in a listed environment. Prior to Grainger, Simms was deputy chief financial officer at Unite Group and UK finance director at SEGRO. Simms is a chartered certified accountant (FCCA) and has an executive MBA from Ashridge Business School. Simms was a non-executive director and audit chair of Drax Group until June 2024.

Manuela Apostol

Anaplan and BI solutions architect, Logicor

Apostol is a solution architect in Logicor’s business technology team, focusing on designing and building Anaplan models for budgeting and forecasting processes. Born in Romania and currently living in London, she holds a bachelor’s degree in cybernetics, statistics and informatics, and a master’s degree in strategic innovation management. She has lived in five countries and is fluent in three languages. Combining her international experience with a background in software implementation of performance management solutions, she has brought core skills such as technical acumen, flexibility, adaptability and quick problem-solving to the real estate sector.

Michael De Los Santos Samson

Apprentice surveyor, CBRE

De Los Santos Samson enrolled on the CBRE’s five-year degree apprenticeship scheme in September 2022 and is based in the headquarters in London. Along with work, he has pursued a BSc in real estate management with the University College of Estate Management, where he will also be sitting his APC and qualifying as a chartered surveyor in 2027. De Los Santos Samson spent his first year in residential build-to-rent lettings as a lettings negotiator then his second year in new homes sales as a sales negotiator. His third year will be spent in residential valuations. Over the past two years, he has won many residential stars awards within the company and has billed more than £100,000 in fees across lettings and sales as an apprentice.

Kitty Eyre

Senior project manager, London Borough of Ealing

Eyre is a senior project manager at Ealing Council. She is currently leading on a project to deliver a flagship leisure centre for the borough and accompanying residential development. Prior to this role, Eyre has worked as a local authority planning officer and on the delivery of regeneration projects. She is passionate about placemaking and can be found visiting development sites from King’s Cross to Cambridge and beyond on her weekends.

Avneeth Fernandes

Head of financial accounting, Landsec

Fernandes manages Landsec’s group and treasury reporting functions, while also leading on corporate transactions and external audit-related activities from a financial standpoint. Prior to joining Landsec, he worked with several professional services firms across the United Kingdom, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, adding a unique global perspective to his role. Fernandes is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and obtained his undergraduate degree in commerce (accounting and finance) from the University of Melbourne. Beyond the world of spreadsheets, Fernandes is passionate about diversity in the workplace, advocating for spaces that foster community and inclusivity.

Will Game

Asset manager, Nuveen

Game is an asset manager at Nuveen, specialising in industrial and logistics properties. He is responsible for identifying, analysing and leading asset management initiatives that enhance asset value, reposition properties and manage transactions, including acquisitions and disposals. A key aspect of his work involves close collaboration with external service providers such as property managers, valuers, lawyers, building surveyors and agents. Before joining Nuveen, Game spent more than six years in the strategic asset management team at JLL. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he participates in a mentoring programme at a local school, dedicated to improving accessibility to the real estate industry for young people.

Carolyn Morgan-Welker

Senior associate, planning and environment, Clyde & Co

Morgan-Welker is a senior associate solicitor in the planning and environmental law team. She specialises in major infrastructure development projects as well as contentious and non-contentious aspects of town and country planning and environmental law – ranging from commercial and housing development proposals, mineral and waste planning to nuisance, noise, pollution and land contamination. Morgan-Welker is currently working on a number of nationally significant infrastructure projects. She is a member of the National Infrastructure Planning Association and the Compulsory Purchase Association and represents the Clyde & Co wider real easte team as its diversity and inclusion champion. 

Victoria Whiteley

Project manager, Knight Frank

Whiteley is an associate at Knight Frank within the project and building consultancy team. With more than eight years’ experience as a project manager, she currently focuses on Cat A office refurbishments, delivering high-quality, commercially viable and forward-looking schemes to meet the requirements of landlords and tenants. She is passionate about providing a cohesive approach to project management with consideration for design, construction and the environment, as well as creating collaborative teams to deliver projects.