Unrivalled hands-on experience

Brian has over 20 years’ experience in the student accommodation market and is known as a thought-leader in the space. He has been responsible for the development and management of over 50,000 beds globally. Brian assumed the role of CEO of Nido Student in October 2017. Within this time, he oversaw the expansion of the portfolio from 2,000 to a pipeline of over 20,000 beds.

Prior to joining Nido, Brian was Head of Operational Management at Liberty Living plc and then assumed the role of COO of ThreeSixty Developments and The Student Housing Company, where he oversaw the acquisition and delivery of over 17,100 beds across Europe, breaking into new PRS markets which have since become established, in particular Ireland and Spain.

Andrew has over 28 years’ real estate experience with the last 19 years’ specialising in Acquisition and Development roles in the student accommodation market. He is known for his varied experience in platform creation and divestments, having worked with FTSE100 companies, private equity, institutions and entrepreneurs. He has been responsible for the acquisition and development of over 70,000 beds across the UK and Europe.

Andrew has had senior roles at companies such as Unite, Mansion, The Student Housing Company, Collegiate (Europe), Nido Student and Study Inn working directly with investors such as WP Carey, KKR, Starwood Capital, TPG, Nuveen and CPPIB.

Robin has over 20 years’ experience in real estate, leading and developing successful finance teams in private and listed multi-site companies.

Since 2013 he has been involved in the growth of some of the largest PBSA brands across the UK and Europe, holding senior roles at Threesixty Developments, The Student Housing Company, Nido, and Novel.

Robin is experienced throughout the real estate value chain in investment, acquisition, development, operation, asset management and disposal, working with boards and principals to develop and deliver business plans and financial strategies.

Suzanne Yoshikawa has over 20 years of experience in operational leadership and senior project management, with a strong track record in multimillion-pound organisations and the charity sector. She has held senior roles at leading PBSA organisations, including Scape UK and urbanest, where she was responsible for operations strategy, mobilisation, and the management of new assets.

Specialising in student accommodation operations, Suzanne led and developed accommodation services for international students across the UK and Ireland at Kaplan International Colleges. As a Senior Project Manager, she has successfully delivered large-scale projects, including refurbishments, new builds, office relocations, and branding initiatives across both commercial and charitable sectors.

Suzanne holds Masters in Project Management with Distinction from University of Westminster University and is a member of MAPM.

Stuart is a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) and has over 15 years’ experience in real estate. His career started in consultancy within the Savills and CBRE central London teams across Investment, Valuation, Leasing and Property Management. Since 2016, Stuart moved client side, overseeing Investment and Asset Management for large UK wide portfolios at Viridis Real Estate and LaSalle Investment Management.

In 2021 Stuart became Vice President at CA Ventures where he was responsible for Asset Management across their 4,000 bed European Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) portfolio, working on acquisitions, disposals and ensuring maximum efficiencies in the assets.

Chris has over 20 years’ experience in real estate and is responsible for building and scaling OPRE’s residential platforms across the UK living sector. He originates platform-level opportunities, structures partnerships with institutional investors and delivery partners, and aligns capital deployment with scalable, repeatable deal flow, from origination through to operational performance.

Chris has spent recent years developing UK living sector investment platforms and engaging institutional capital across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, including pension funds, private equity and insurers. He was Commercial Director of a UK residential investment and management group and supported institutional landlords to grow, lease and manage living sector portfolios nationally and prior to that he founded a land business acquiring residential land across the South East, South West, Midlands and North West.

Stuart has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership across the PBSA and BTR sectors. He has held central function positions at Unite Students, where he supported the design and implementation of the company’s operational blueprint.  He then went on to hold senior roles as Operational Director at Greystar and Operations Performance Director at iQ Student, overseeing the NOI performance of the operational business and working on projects such as building bespoke yield and performance management softwares.

Stuart was one of the first senior leaders appointed at Student Roost, and more recently served as Commercial Director at Nido Student and Head of Revenue Strategy & BI at Valeo Europe (Liv Student).  Over the span of his career, he has worked collaboratively with many institutional investors, delivering occupancy and revenue objectives for over a hundred assets across fifty cities globally.

Lou is Executive Assistant to Brian Welsh and the Directors at OPRE Group, bringing over two decades of organisational experience to leadership support across the business. Her background spans corporate finance, NHS medical teams and client relations, alongside running her own Virtual Assistant business.

She is also a Trustee of The School Coat Charity and an Ambassador for the Butterfly Breast Cancer Awards.

Paola has more than 15 years’ experience in Private Equity and Real Estate, leading complex finance functions and supporting the growth of multi-jurisdictional investment platforms across Europe.

Her experience spans the full investment lifecycle, including fund structuring, financial oversight, investor reporting, valuations and governance, with a particular focus on the development and management of pan-European real estate funds since 2016.

Prior to joining OPRE, Paola held senior roles at GWM Group and Round Hill Capital, overseeing regulated fund platforms and fund vehicles with more than €1 billion of committed equity. She holds a Master’s Degree with honours in Business Advisory from the Università di Pisa and is fluent in Italian and English.

Mandave holds a Master’s from the London School of Economics and has four years’ real estate investment and asset management experience across residential and industrial sectors in the UK and Europe.

He has worked across institutional mandates involving Blackstone, Northwood Investors, Heimstaden and Invesco, with transaction experience spanning development opportunities, single assets and portfolio-level investments.

Mandave’s experience spans acquisitions, refinancing, market research and asset management, including exposure to over 38,000 PBSA beds, more than 4,000 BTR residential units and 200,000 sq ft of industrial assets, reflecting broad cross-sector expertise with a focus on living strategies.

Willem has an MSc in Real Estate Asset Management and worked for four years at Nido Living as an analyst with experience in revenue management, rent setting, and data analytics, overseeing the commercial performance of a 6000-bed UK and Pan-European PBSA portfolio.

Willem is responsible for the leasing reporting, leasing strategy, and research for the Veritas portfolio, working closely with Stuart Bridge and the property managers to drive asset NOI through data-led strategies and research-backed analysis.

Willem also supports wider asset management initiatives, such as corporate restructuring and opex savings, using his Excel modelling and analytical skills to inform number-led decisions.

Anthony brings over 15 years of experience in commercial energy and renewable technology, helping businesses across the UK, Europe, and Africa reduce operating costs through sustainable energy solutions. He develops and delivers strategies that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and build long-term commercial value.

His experience spans manufacturing, oil and gas, food and beverage, logistics, healthcare, and commercial property in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. His previous engineering background gives him a strong technical grasp of how businesses operate, and sharpens his eye for efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction.

He builds long-term client relationships, taking time to understand each business’s objectives and providing honest, commercially focused advice. Whether the brief is energy procurement, renewable technologies, or a wider decarbonisation strategy, his aim stays the same: helping organisations make informed decisions that deliver lasting financial and environmental benefit.

Jack Hogarth has eight years of experience in the commercial energy sector. Starting in energy procurement in 2018, he moved into renewables, specialising in solar PV across both residential and commercial projects, where his focus spanned project management and client engagement. This progression has given him a broad, practical understanding of the energy landscape, from contract and consumption analysis through to the delivery of physical generation assets.

As Co-Founder of OPRE Energy, Jack leads delivery across the client base, directing the specialist partner network across procurement, network charges, solar and building management, and holding accountability for the outcome of every engagement. His work is grounded in rigorous analysis of bill-level data, giving institutional owners and operators a clear, evidenced picture of where value can be created and the confidence that it will be delivered.

Ross Halliday is a property consultant with 15 years of experience in the residential sector, specialising in PBSA, BTR, Co-living, and PRS. He provides expert guidance to property owners, operators, and investors, helping them optimise operations, manage compliance, and improve performance.

With a background in senior management for market-leading operators, Ross understands the challenges of the sector, from securing new business to resolving operational complexities.

Andrew is an experienced property manager and consultant with over 15 years in the residential sector, specialising in PBSA, residential block management and BTR. Drawing on director-level experience at several of the sector’s leading operators, he advises property owners, operators and investors on strategy, commercial performance and operational delivery across a range of asset types.

Having built a PBSA operational platform of over 2,500 beds, Andrew brings deep practical knowledge of the challenges involved in scaling and mobilising assets effectively. He works with clients to optimise operations and portfolio performance, helping them navigate the commercial and operational complexities that define success in this sector.

As an Associate of The Property Institute and co-author of its industry entry-level PBSA course, Andrew combines hands-on expertise with a strong commitment to professional standards, ensuring clients can make confident, informed decisions that drive lasting performance and value.

Mark has over 25 years of experience leading and transforming multisector real estate focused organisations within the vacation, leisure and retail sectors. Mark assumed the role of CEO at Active Northumberland in 2020, where he spearheaded a comprehensive transformation of the business while overseeing a joint £65m development of 3 brand new industry leading leisure centres.

Prior to this, Mark served as Vice President of Property & Portfolio at Awaze UK, Europe’s largest self-catering holiday specialist, where he led seven consecutive years of record inventory growth. He played a pivotal role in modernising property acquisition and service operations, expanding brands such as Hoseasons, Cottages.com, and Landal Greenparks UK. Mark’s career also includes leadership roles and senior executive positions overseeing strategic development at Skiworld, Favre Sports Group, and TUI UK.