Real Estate Executive OF THE YEAR


SPONSORED BY Jelf WINNER University of Reading


Above: Colin Robbins (left), David Savage (centre) and Prof Tony Downes (second right) collected the award from Jeremy Wilson (second left) of sponsor Jelf and Jeremy Vine (right)


From companies to individuals, this final award before the dessert course was focused on judging and recognising top personal performances.


The award judges looked at the role of the in-house real estate executive, public sector employee or in-house adviser – to discover which nominee had demonstrated best practice and shown how decisive property strategies can affect main board decisions and ultimately improve productivity.


There were three shortlisted nominees: Michael Ansah of Dell; Jonathan Turner of Honeywell; and Professor Tony Downes, Colin Robbins and David Savage from the University of Reading.


Michael Ansah has a major role as technology specialist Dell Corporation’s executive director for real estate and facilities across the Europe, Middle East and Africa. Dell has a significant presence in the Thames Valley with offices in Bracknell.


Jonathan Turner is Honeywell’s equivalent of Michael Ansah – operating as real estate director across EMEA and also taking in India. His portfolio comprises 600 sites and involves £250 million annual operating costs. Turner joined Honeywell in 2006 and has been responsible for a transformation programme delivering productivity and enabling growth across his portfolio.


The trio from the University of Reading – www.businessmag.co.uk


deputy vice-chancellor Professor Tony Downes, director of estates and facilities Colin Robbins and chief operating officer David Savage – are the three principals driving the development of the university and its real-estate policies. The University has ambitious plans over the next decade for investment in its three campuses – Greenlands at Henley, London Road and Whiteknights in Reading.


This award was sponsored by Jelf, specialists in insurance and financial planning. Jeremy Wilson, regional managing director at Reading-based Jelf opened that all-important envelope and announced the winners as the University of Reading.


Afterwards, David Savage of UoR revealed that the university would not be viewed by most people as part of the property industry. Yet it is actually one of the largest property owners in Berkshire and actively working on development proposals, hence the need for a real estate executive team and their delight at their work being recognised by an award.


Its current activities involve sites for housing, a science park near the M4 junction 11, and a significant redevelopment programme on the main Reading campus.


“We don’t do it alone of course and work with property advisers, many of whom are represented here this evening, and


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2014


together I think we achieve something quite exceptional for an organisation that is not particularly well-known outside this forum.”


The work of UoR real estate team was also relatively unusual, explained Savage because “every penny we earn from our real estate work goes back into helping the university with its teaching, research and so on, keeping it at the forefront of higher education.”


The UoR itself is one of the top universities in the world, a major business in its own right, and “a hidden gem of the Thames Valley,” he added.


Before the break for dessert and coffee Jeremy Vine reminded everyone to dig deep and donate to the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service. Fiona Devine then gave a personal insight to the charity founded as the legacy of her son Alexander. He died, aged eight, after battling against a rare brain tumour – without a central point of expertise, respite and specialist palliative care in their home county of Berkshire.


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