Propertyshe Podcast

Faisal Butt

Faisal Butt is the Founder & Managing Partner of Pi Labs, one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms focused on AI and technology transforming real estate and the built world. Since founding the firm in 2014, he has led investments in ~100 companies across 17+ countries, achieving 20+ exits, and backing founders redefining how real estate and real assets are designed, built and operated.He is also the Founder of Spire Ventures, his principal investment platform focused on scaling and aggregating real asset–backed operating businesses across sectors including property services, infrastructure and asset management.With a background spanning venture capital, private equity and entrepreneurship, Faisal has built, scaled and exited businesses while investing across both high-growth technology and traditional real assets. His work sits at the intersection of AI, infrastructure and real estate, with a focus on backing category-defining companies and platforms globally.He holds an MBA with Distinction from the University of Oxford and a degree in Business Economics and Computer Science from UCLA.

James Scott

James is the Group Director of Strategy and Planning at leading Master Developer, Urban & Civic.  The company was specifically created 15 years ago to disrupt the established approach to the promotion and delivery of large scale residential led Strategic Sites. James qualified as a barrister before advising the Government on planning issues and cross-qualifying as a solicitor.  Prior to being one of the founder members of Urban&Civic, James was part of the senior executive team of Lend Lease Europe with responsibility for town planning and risk management.  Within Urban&Civic, James heads up strategy, planning and communications.  Having previously served as a non-executive director of East Thames Housing association and sat on the Development Committee of L&Q, James is currently a senior advisor to Dorrington PLC and a non-executive of Natural England.

Jessica Hardman

Jessica has worked in real estate investment for over 20 years – starting out her career at BNP Paribas, before joining Deutsche Bank’s real estate funds business in 2004. She enjoyed a successful, varied career with Deutsche Bank and DWS; first leading transaction teams culminating in €12bn of transactions, and subsequently running European fund management for international investors.Jessica was a pioneer and trusted portfolio manager for the wave of inward capital flows from Asian institutional clients from 2011. She built a multi-billion assets under management (AuM) business for Deutsche Bank, utilising her skills in business building, leadership and investment solutions. In 2023, she became the CEO of DWS UK, overseeing 500 staff and over €200bn AuM across Global Alternatives and Passive public market strategies.As CEO and Co-Founder of Aboria Capital, her ambition is to create an innovative, leading vertically integrated partner for investors in the European Living sector market. In July 2024, Jessica became the President of the British Property Federation (BPF) and joined the board of INREV.

Marc Vlessing

Marc is co-founder of Pocket Living, where he was CEO for 20 years and is now Chair.  In 2017 Marc was awarded an OBE for services to housing delivery.  Pocket was London’s first private developer of affordable starter homes. The company has delivered some 2000 homes with another 1000+ in the pipeline. Pocket’s innovation lies in combining purposeful and affordable high-quality design for single and couple households with a policy and brand approach that allows it to tap into both public and private finance.  In 2016 the US real estate major Related Companies became its major shareholder. Prior to Pocket, Marc worked in the media and entertainment sectors as CEO of Crescent Entertainment, owners of theatres and cinemas. He also produced and wrote a number of award-winning feature films.  He started his career at County NatWest, where he became an assistant director in corporate finance with responsibility for corporate work in the Benelux and in the media sectors. Marc also chairs ProVen Growth & Income VCT, one of the UK’s largest VCTs and is Senior Partner at Namier Capital, a London-based advisory firm that leverages its investment and corporate finance expertise across businesses in Energy Transition, Healthcare and the Creative Industries. Marc maintains his sanity by playing the saxophone (jazz).

Gaby Hersham

Gabriela has been credited as a pioneering voice of flexible workspace in the UK and a champion of women in business. She founded Huckletree in 2014 to bring together London’s most innovative startups, entrepreneurs and businesses, after being inspired by the success of co‑working in New York. Huckletree is now one of the UK and Ireland’s fastest‑growing co‑working communities, with a presence in London, Manchester and Dublin. Gabriela has been actively involved in campaigning for diversity in the innovation ecosystem and passionately supports diverse entrepreneurs both within Huckletree’s community and beyond – demonstrated through the launch of Fairer Funding Now, Huckletree’s campaign to promote inclusivity in startup investment, and Huckletree Alpha, the pro‑bono accelerator programme for under‑represented founders that Huckletree has run since 2017. In 2017, Hersham gave a TEDx talk on the future of work and was named one of Tide Bank's Top 20 female entrepreneurs to watch in 2020. Gaby has been heralded as a strong example of feminine leadership in a traditionally masculine business world; leading with heart and soul while making decisions based on a deep understanding of their potential impact. Gaby is a mother of two boys aged six and two, and is married to Antoine Nussenbaum of Felix Capital.

Tom Sleigh

Tom Sleigh is Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, overseeing one of the most dynamic and densely developed planning jurisdictions in the country. An elected independent Member representing the ward of Bishopsgate since 2013, Tom has long been at the forefront of shaping the City’s built environment and cultural life.He previously chaired the City’s Barbican Centre Board, one of Europe’s largest performing arts centres where he launched Barbican Renewal, securing £191 million to renovate the iconic centre. He chaired the Investment committee, overseeing a £4 billion real estate portfolio including over 20% of the Square Mile’s freehold estate and many of its iconic heritage sites.In addition to his Corporation roles, Tom is Chair of Goldsmiths, University of London, a board member of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal’s Delivery Authority and Chair of the South Bank Employers Group which manages the Southbank BID, where he champions place-making and cultural-led regeneration across central London. He also co-chairs the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board.Tom’s professional background includes senior roles at The Bank of London and Amazon UK, and earlier work with Lloyds Banking Group, the BBC, and Booz Allen Hamilton. A Fulbright Scholar and Cambridge graduate, he combines strategic rigour with a deep understanding of how great cities evolve.

David Camp

David joined Stanhope in 1987, was appointed a Director in 1990, Managing Director in 1995 and became Chief Executive in 2002.  He has spent his entire career in the property development and investment industry, either acting on behalf of clients, or as a principal in relation to commercial and mixed use assets throughout the South East of England. David spent nine years at Donaldsons (now part of Cushman & Wakefield - five years as a Partner). David’s activities at Stanhope have primarily been in relation to the identification, acquisition and funding of new projects and assets and in leading the strategy of the company.  Under David’s leadership, Stanhope has delivered some of London’s most iconic developments, including Paternoster Square, the Royal Opera House, Chiswick Park, the Bloomberg Headquarters, Central St Giles and White City Place.   David is also a Governor of the Museum of London, chairing their New Museum Board.

Harry Hyman

Harry Hyman is a British property entrepreneur.He achieved a degree in Geography from Christ's College, Cambridge graduating with a double first in 1978. He trained as an accountant with Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and qualified in 1982.In 1995 he founded Primary Health Properties PLC, a company based on the idea of purchasing primary health care premises and leasing them back to NHS General Practitioners through property investment.  The company listed in March 1996 on AIM and progressed to the main market in 1998. In 2007 PHP was one of the first 7 entities to enter the new UK REIT regime. In April 2018 PHP was promoted to the FTSE 250. In 2019 the company merged with Medicx to create the largest private owner of primary accommodation in the UK and Ireland. In April 2024, he stood down as CEO to become the non-executive Chair.  In 2025 PHP purchased Assura its competitor in a competitive bid.  PHP now has a portfolio of over £6bn and a market cap of £2.5bn.Until early 2021 PHP was managed externally by Nexus Tradeco but is now internally managed with Harry as the CEO.  Nexus Group includes a publishing business, Nexus Media Group.Investor Publishing publishes HealthInvestor, EducationInvestor, NutritionInvestor, Caring Times, Nursery Management Today and Independent School Management.In 2012 he founded The International Opera Awards and the Opera Awards Foundation which has three primary aims, to raise the profile of opera as an art form; to recognise and reward success from those involved in opera; and, through the Opera Awards Foundation, to generate funds to provide bursaries for aspiring talent in opera from around the worldWhen not at the opera or indulging his passion of wine, Harry might be at Saracens Rugby Club or supporting the England Rugby or the England Cricket Team or the British and Irish Lions.

The edge of what's possible

Anna Moore

Anna Moore is Founder and CEO of Domna, a housing asset management and retrofit platform helping social and private landlords keep homes safe, healthy, and compliant. Domna combines data, strategy and delivery support, using its proprietary stock assessment tool, Ara, alongside end-to-end technical and project expertise. Domna serves over 10,000 homes a year today. Anna holds senior board and advisory roles across housing and infrastructure including the Built Environment Trust, Rooftop Housing Association, the National Retrofit Hub and the City of London’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Task Force.Previously, Anna was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she led the firm’s UK Construction and Materials practice, co-led its European Sustainability practice, and stood up its Net Zero Built Environment practice and Sustainable Materials Hub.