FEBRUARY 2011 |
www.opp.org.uk
Charlie Acworth Chief Operating Offi cer at Al Wa’ab City, Doha, Qatar
Charlie has more than 10 years’ senior experience of the middle eastern and African property markets.
Eric Kuhne Founder, Civic Arts
Award-winning architect, researcher and designer, Eric is a tireless advocate of well-planned and inspiring cities.
Miguel Ruano The Hotel Solutions Partnership
Architect and planner, Miguel is a former project developer for Marriott Vacation Club International.
Yannis Kavounis Director of Insight & Innovation
Yannis is Director of Insight & Innovation at The Futures Company, leading their work on consumer culture.
Margaret Wylde President & chief executive, ProMatura Group LLP
Margaret specialises in the important and growing market of property provision for the 55+ and “care” sectors.
Charles Weston Baker Director of the International Residential and Resorts Department of Savills Plc
Charles is a research expert experienced in selling property in Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Claude Attala Proprietor, NorthCourse Advisory Services, Group RCI
Head of leisure consultancy at Northcourse, Claude was previously with the Qatar Tourism Authority.
Bill Clover President and Chairman, Panorama International, Inc.
An experienced board member of US fi rms involved in real estate development, marketing, fi nance and consulting.
OPP EXECUTIVE PANEL COMMENT Insight | 7
The Panel L
ast year I decided to set a broad theme for the OPP International Executive Panel
to work within, which I headlined: “The opportunities offered by reinvention.” As a group, we proposed a scenario that said setbacks and perceived business ‘failures’ are often the driving force behind innovation and reinvention. And when you consider the scale of the global fi nancial crisis that surrounded us last year, a crisis that formed the background to our market and its setbacks, you were forced to conclude that there must be a large number of great opportunities lurking out there somewhere.
After all … “necessity is the mother of invention,” as they say. The panel recruited outstanding
people and a world-leading consumer research organisation to help set new directions for the industry and to help identify some of these potential opportunities. But, in the end, 2010 was (for me at least) a very challenging and interesting
“Life is not about waiting until the storm passes, it is about dancing in the eye of the storm”
year. I don’t want another one like it for a while! I had to try and make sense of
what was going on in this global business which consists mostly of cottage industries, forecast which business areas had real opportunities for the future, and then reinvent
Leadership and vision: The industry needs to start implementing a bold new vision Let’s make 2011 the way we want it to be
myself and identify and enrol a team capable of being a real force in those sectors.
At the same time, I had to keep my existing business interests alive without the luxury of an extended overdraft (unlike the organisations that were the main drivers of the crash!). This year will be different. The theme for The OPP International Executive Panel this year is: “Creation – implementing the rebirth of the overseas property industry”.
Mark Jeff ery Commercial Director, Flamingo Lakes Resort. Co-chair OPP IEP.
Mark is a marketeer and a founding shareholder in resort developments in Crete, Cyprus and Mexico. As a founder and co-chairman of the OPP International Executive Panel, Mark likes to discover and debate new ideas which he hopes will stimulate the industry and spark new openings.
through a number of recessions and have international reputations forged in the heat of battle, to state the business opportunities they are committed to for 2011.
In my company, the Origen Group,
we have three business units targeting areas of pain and areas of huge
The theme this year is “Implementing the rebirth of the overseas property industry”
demographic change (a storm that we must all learn to dance through).
1. We are teaming up with ProMatura, one of the world’s leading authorities on what is erroneously labelled the +55/care market, and aim to become a market leader in Europe. By understanding exactly what these people want and what they are willing to pay for an extraordinary life, we can help fi nanciers, developers and agents profi t from providing it.
To be honest, this might well turn out to be something of a ‘stretch target’, but it is one we are committed to. The key word is ‘implementation’. Courage is key to success this year. As Goethe said: “Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it.” Life is not about waiting until the storm passes, it is about learning to dance in the eye of the storm. With that in mind, I have asked my fellow panel members, who have been
What is the OPP International Executive Panel? For me,” says OPP group editor Geoff Hadwick, “the executive panel is all about thought
leadership and mentoring. OPP has assembled a formidable line-up of industry experts with a vast wealth of experience and knowledge behind them, and their careers encompass a wide range of property roles at the highest possible level. If anyone can help you work out where the overseas property sector is going next, and give you a sense of inside track expertise ... it will be the OPP executive panel.
2. We are recruiting world class people with proven track records for a Brazil Housing and Community Infrastructure Fund to play a small part in providing some of the 8-10 million homes that are needed, and giving people their fi rst home, and their families a real start in life.
3. We are creating a fund with a number of ‘cells’ to provide 3 to 9 months of bridge finance for developers who are starved of bank finance, but have very viable projects.
Geoff Hadwick Group editor
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