#133 Dean Harrison, Founder of Harleyford Capital

Dean Harrison, Founder of Harleyford Capital, joins me on the People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ this week. We explore his journey from a motocross-obsessed upbringing to building Harleyford Capital, a best-in-class institutional operating platform in one of the toughest real estate markets of the last decade. Dean breaks down the discipline, grit, and mindset needed to build something from scratch. If you’re thinking about launching your own platform, raising capital, or understanding how Dean and his partners got the platform off the ground, this one’s worth your time.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: How a year driving mid-box developer Jeff Penman of Tungsten Properties shaped his early ambitions Deans early career moves, and skills acquired to break into real estate private equity His 10-year career at InfraRed Capital Partners - its unique culture, approach and how it gave him outsized responsibility Honest reflections on the brutal challenges of launching the business Building a platform that institutional investors want to work with, and the Harleyford USP Getting up at 4:30am, cutting out alcohol, and the personal productivity shifts needed to go through the gears, building the business Going from standing start to putting £250m+ to work in 18 months What is New Economy Real Estate and what is the investment angle? What he looks for in institutional partners - and the three traits every hire at Harleyford must have And finally... With £500m to invest – which People, what Property, and which Place would Dean choose? Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne – Giving Real Estate Investors a difficult choice of who to hire. If you're serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.

Revisiting: How Developers Are Becoming City Builders – with Morwenna Hall, COO, Related Argent In this special recap episode, we revisit one of our most thought-provoking conversations — with Morwenna Hall, Chief Operating Officer at Related Argent. As we reflect on the highlights from this episode, we explore how Morwenna redefines the role of the modern developer — far beyond bricks, leases, and rent reviews. From rebuilding schools and delivering healthcare infrastructure to cultural placemaking and tenant matchmaking, her insights challenge outdated models of real estate and asset management. 💡 Key themes in this recap: • Why developers now have civic responsibilities • The rise of cross-disciplinary teams in real estate • How to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry • Why curiosity and flexibility matter more than qualifications • What makes someone indispensable in modern placemaking If you missed the full conversation, this recap will give you a powerful snapshot. And if you’ve heard it before, this is your chance to revisit the big ideas — and reflect on how much the industry has already shifted.   Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Feel free to share them in the comments, I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you’ll never miss out on the next podcast.   🎧 Listen On: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oCDnwWSTP685l6sn8F0a6 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/people-property-place/id1652694140   The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. You can also connect with me on social media, I’d love to hear from you there too. Thanks again for hanging out with me!   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE ►Rockbourne Website: www.rockbourne.com ►PPP Podcast LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/people-property-place-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true ►Matthew Watts LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-watts-51575a57/ ►Business Enquiries: [email protected] #RealEstate #Placemaking #UrbanDevelopment #Leadership #RelatedArgent #MorwennaHall #Proptech #PodcastRecap #CityBuilding #ModernDeveloper

Natan Lempert, Co-Founder and CEO of Built AI, joins me on the People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ this week. We unpack his journey from investment banking in New York and London to real estate private equity, and ultimately founding Built AI - a platform using AI to streamline underwriting and asset management for institutional real estate investors and brokers. Having been a practitioner, Natan brings deep technical knowledge and has a strong entrepreneurial mindset. If you’re a leader currently looking at your business, working out how you can utilise AI products to streamline decision making this one’s for you.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ·    His origin story, growing up in the 90 ·    His early career moves, in investment banking at Baupost, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup ·    Transitioning into real estate, principal investment gaining value add & opportunistic deal experience across Europe ·    The “1-minute on a Friday” story that inspired Built AI’s creation ·    What is Built AI, what does it do, and who uses it? ·    How Built AI enables Investors to screen deals rapidly, removing the inefficiencies and grind of manual underwriting at scale ·    Advise to investors looking at tech adoption & why you shouldn’t build products in-house ·    The future of AI agents in real estate and autonomous task management ·    His vision for Built AI as the operating system for real estate professionals ·    What the investment manager of the future might look like   And finally… With £500m to invest - which People, what Property, and which Place would he choose? Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - Giving Real Estate Investors a difficult choice of who to hire. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.

Keith Breslauer, Managing Director & Senior Partner at Patron Capital Partners, joins me on the People Property Place Podcast this week.   Please note that this conversation was originally released on the 18th July 2024, and we have decided to re-release it given the recent news that Mitsubishi Estate Co. has acquired a majority stake in European private equity property fund manager Patron Capital.   In this conversation, we trace Keith’s journey from a self-funded entrepreneur in New York to building one of Europe’s leading opportunistic real estate investment firms - Patron Capital Partners, with over €5.4bn raised across 17 countries.   Keith is honest, reflective, and deeply driven by purpose. He doesn’t shy away from the challenges and lessons learned from nearly three decades in private equity real estate.   If you’re interested in real estate fund management, distressed investing, fundraising, or leadership driven by long-term thinking and values, this episode is jammed packed full of wisdom.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode:   •       Early career lessons and building a software business to fund his education •       How a career in secured credit at Lehman Brothers led him into European real estate •       Why he left Lehman to start Patron and how he raised his first fund •       What made Patron’s hybrid local partner model so effective across Europe •       Alignment between LPs, Patron’s internal team, and local operating partners •       Why discipline on leverage preserved Patron’s position through GFC and COVID •       What he learned from raising and deploying seven funds •       We discuss the most recently €860m raise for Fund VII •       The opportunity set today - distress, ESG, supply-demand mispricing •       Fund structure, deal sizing, and where specifically Patron deploys it capital •       The evolution of his investor base and the shift away from US LPs •       How political and macro uncertainty is affecting decision-making •       Reflections on legacy, purpose, and why charity work has become so central to him   And finally… With £500m to invest – which People, what Property, and which Place would he choose?   Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.   The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Giving Real Estate Investors a difficult choice of who to hire.   If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.   #realestate #privateequity #property #fundmanagement #podcast

In this episode, I chat with Kevin Aitchison, MBE and Managing Director – Head of Europe at Savills Investment Management, about his remarkable journey from building surveyor to being an accomplished CEO, having led firms such as ING Real Estate, Knight Frank Investment Management, and Savills Investment Management’s European platform. Kevin is unassuming, empathetic, honest, open, thoughtful, self-depreciating, humble and is not the stereo typical caricature of a CEO that immediately springs to mind. But boy oh boy does he speak with such authority, wisdom and perspective. If you're interested in leadership, real estate investment management, personal development, lessons learnt, or finding meaning beyond the bottom line, this episode is packed with gems.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ·    Early moves from building surveying into asset management and then leadership ·    Different skill sets needed to start something vs scale something ·    His take on leadership, the Peter Principle, and sticking to your values ·    The phone call he thought was a hoax that turned out to be an MBE for services to wheelchair rugby ·    Market views, structural shifts, and where he sees the opportunity ·    Therapy, mental health, and the regrets he lives with due to the family time he sacrificed ·    Fear of failure as a motivator, and how he’s learned to reframe it ·    Why he writes about leadership, musings, family and mental health on LinkedIn ·    Advice for people earlier on in their careers ·    And so much more – the above summary does this conversation a dis-service!   And finally... With £500m to invest – which People, what Property, and which Place would he choose?   Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne - Giving Real Estate Investors a difficult choice of who to hire. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.

In this episode, I sat down with the absolute powerhouse that is Zena Couppey, CEO of Altum Group, to unpack her extraordinary journey from leaving school at 16 to leading Altum, a rapidly scaling global fund administration business more than 200 people across six international offices. If you’re interested in business building, private markets, fund administration, or scaling a high-performance team, this one’s worth a listen.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: * Leaving school at 16 to join Ernst & Young full time * How she led a management buyout, and rebrand of Altum, raising PE money, and growing the business from 35 to 200+ people across six offices * Using tech to optimise, and drive efficiencies across the business * Her approach to client acquisition, retention, and why service trumps scale * Why culture beats strategy – and how she leads by example * Key trends in capital flows – including the rise of Middle Eastern family offices and JV structures * The growing focus on operational real estate, life sciences, and healthcare assets * How she balances motherhood, leadership, and a global travel schedule Advice for women returning to work and what true equity in the workplace looks like * What makes a great fund administration partner – and why most providers still get it wrong * Zena also shares what she would tell her younger self, and why being underestimated was her biggest motivator.   And finally... With £500m to invest – which People, what Property, and which Place would she choose?   Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.   The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne - Giving Real Estate Investors a difficult choice of who to hire.   If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.

In this episode, I sat down with Jermaine Browne - co-founder of Re:shape Living Group and Ark Co-Living - to unpack his journey from urban sociology student to becoming one of the UK’s leading voices in co-living, regeneration and alternative living. If you’re interested in planning, entrepreneurial grit, urban renewal or the business of building places where people actually want to live, this is essential listening. Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ·    How early exposure to regeneration shaped his purpose ·    Breaking into the real estate industry ·    Lessons from a decade in public sector planning roles ·    Co-founding Re:shape Living, during Covid and how he financed the business ·    How he leveraged partnerships with trusted consultants ·    How Ark Wembley became their proof of concept in co-living ·    Building a team, and moving from a founder-led to an institutional-ready business ·    Why he has such a clear focus on delivering policy-compliant affordable housing ·    Practical advice for breaking into real estate from non-traditional backgrounds And finally… With £500m to invest – which People, what Property, and which Place would he choose? Jermaine shares his answer, focused on housing delivery, backing next-gen founders, and building the homes people need today. Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Giving Real Estate Investors, a difficult choice who to hire. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently, DM me on LinkedIn.

In this episode, I sit down with Sir David Michels (the first Sir on the pod!) – former CEO of Hilton, Deputy Chairman of Marks & Spencer, and Non-Executive Director at British Land and EasyJet – to explore his stellar corporate and non-executive career. If you’re interested in leadership, decision-making and the realities of running capital-intensive businesses, this conversation offers direct insight from someone who’s done it at the highest level.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ·   From school dropout, waiting tables to building one of the most impressive corporate CV’s ·   Brilliant basics - why asking questions, listening and understanding people has shaped his approach to leadership ·   International Growth - Taking UK hotels to the US market ·   Turning Around Stakis - Navigating a multi-bank restructure involing 27 parties ·   Hilton & Ladbrokes - Managing global brands, major acquisitions and the shift from owner to flag ·   Real Estate vs. Operations - Why hotel ownership carries more risk than many investors realise ·   Life as a Non-Exec - The role of the board, the CEO relationship, and where governance adds value ·   Michels & Taylor - Building a hotel advisory and management business ·   Career Perspective - On luck, pressure, regrets, and how success evolves over time   And finally... With £500m to invest - which People, what Property, and which Place would he choose? Sir David shares his answer, shaped by decades in hospitality and a long-term view on real estate value. Enjoying the show? Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers.

Sue Clayton - Senior Independent Advisor & Non Exec How do you stay at the top of your game across four decades in commercial real estate? In this episode, I sit down with Sue Clayton, former Managing Director of Capital Markets at CBRE, board member, investor, adviser, and Co-Founder of Real Estate Balance - to break down a career built on trust, consistency, and integrity. We cover how Sue rose through the ranks in a male-dominated industry, her approach to building long-term client relationships, and how she transitioned into a successful portfolio career after leaving CBRE. Sue shares what it was like advising on billions of pounds of transactions, her board experience with companies like SEGRO, Blue Coast Capital and Helical, and why she’s passionate about driving greater inclusion across the industry. If you care about leadership, longevity, and building trust this episode is for you. Key Topics Covered In This Episode: * A 40-Year Career In Commercial Real Estate – From graduate at Richard Ellis to international CBRE board member. * Building Trust in Brokerage – How she built a reputation through discretion, detail, and doing the right thing. * Building CBRE Capital Markets – What it took to lead during mergers, acquisitions, and global expansion. * Leadership Lessons – How to manage people, politics, and priorities Why saying “no” to a deal can build more credibility than chasing fees. * Transitioning to Board Roles – The skills and mindset shift needed to go from operator to advisor. * What makes an effective Non-Exec in today’s market. * Supporting the Next Generation – The story behind Real Estate Balance and Pathways to Property. Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? Don’t miss Sue’s answer - especially if you’re interested in long-term value and social impact. Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re enjoying the show, hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #property #nonexec #advisory

Alastair Mullens is Managing Director - Residential at Canary Wharf Group. He joined the business in 2018  to establish the group’s Build-to-Rent platform, Vertus. He now oversees all the residential functions at Canary Wharf.  Prior to this he spent nine years with Hamptons International & Countrywide Group based in London and Hong Kong, working across residential management, leasing, and development.  I sat down with Alastair  to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: Alistair’s entry into real estate and early career steps, including his move to Hong Kong What drew him to Canary Wharf Group and the scale of the challenge Do people REALLY want to live and work in Canary Wharf? How CWG is evolving into a live, work play, fully mixed-use, 24/7 neighbourhood Rethinking residential: his views on product design, amenity relevance, and market alignment Why ‘Vertus’ and vertical integration matters - and how it shapes delivery, operations, and brand experience Plus candid takes on culture, service, execution, and so much more Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Alistair would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️is powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently - DM me on Linkedin. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate