#128 Zena Couppey - CEO of Altum Group
People Property Place
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,...
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#127 Jermaine Browne - Co-Founder of Re:shape Living & Ark Co-Living
People Property Place
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 · ...
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#126 Sir David Michels – CEO, Investor, Chairman, Advisor, Legend
People Property Place
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...
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#125 Sue Clayton - Senior Independent Advisor & Non Exec
People Property Place
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...
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#124 Alastair Mullens - Managing Director of Residential at Canary Wharf Group
People Property Place
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,...
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#123 Ian Worboys - CEO and Co-Founder of EGLS
People Property Place
Ian Worboys is CEO and Co-Founder of EGLS, a pan-European logistics platform focused on sustainable development. With 40+ years in real estate, he’s led major businesses including P3 Logistic Parks and Panattoni, and is known for building high-performing teams and scaling platforms across Europe. I sat down with Ian to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: · How he got into real estate, his early moves, and how discovering dyslexia later in life shaped his approach. · Lessons from navigating the highs and lows of a long corporate career...
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#122 Damien Sharkey - Managing Director at HUB
People Property Place
Episode 122 — Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB In this episode of People Property Place, we sit down with Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, to unpack how he rose from a family joinery workshop in rural Ireland to leading one of the UK’s most forward-thinking development firms. We dive deep into: The evolution of Build-to-Rent (BTR) in the UK HUB’s strategy behind converting “stranded assets” into thriving co-living spaces Navigating development in today’s challenging economic climate How architecture, business acumen, and grit shaped Damien’s path to the top...
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#121 Carlo Matta - CEO of Nido Living
People Property Place
Carlo Matta is the CEO of Nido Living, a leading European student accommodation platform, where he drives growth and oversees delivery across the portfolio. He previously led CA Ventures’ pan-European PBSA business, managing development, acquisitions, and operations and has held roles at Actis, Hines Europe, and he brings over 25 years of international real estate experience across Europe, the US, and emerging markets. Carlo is a qualified architect and holds degrees from Politecnico di Torino and the University of Texas at Austin. I sat down with Carlo, to discuss a broad range of...
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#120 Simon Cooke - founding shareholder & board member of Catella APAM
People Property Place
Simon Cooke is a founding shareholder and board member of Catella APAM, with over 40 years of experience in UK commercial real estate. He co-founded APAM in 2009 and he chairs the Investment Committee and shapes strategy, asset management, and client relationships. Simon recently launched the firm’s first listed equities fund, securing £102.2 million to target undervalued UK-listed property companies. His background includes senior roles at Deutsche Asset Management, Close Brothers’ and CBRE giving him deep insight into both public and private markets. I sat down with Simon, to discuss a...
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#119 Michael Kovacs, Founding Partner at Castleforge
People Property Place
OUT NOW – Michael Kovacs, Founding Partner at Castleforge, a research-based, thematic, vertically integrated real estate investor, investing in the UK and Europe on behalf of pension funds, institutions and individuals, sits down with me on the People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ this week. Prior to founding Castleforge in 2010, Michael worked at Westbrook Partners in London, where he was involved in transactions representing over £2bn of asset value for Westbrook's various funds in the UK, Europe and Asia across a diverse range of real estate investment types. Prior to...
info_outlineEpisode 122 — Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB
In this episode of People Property Place, we sit down with Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, to unpack how he rose from a family joinery workshop in rural Ireland to leading one of the UK’s most forward-thinking development firms.
We dive deep into:
- The evolution of Build-to-Rent (BTR) in the UK
- HUB’s strategy behind converting “stranded assets” into thriving co-living spaces
- Navigating development in today’s challenging economic climate
- How architecture, business acumen, and grit shaped Damien’s path to the top
- The DNA of a future-ready development team
Whether you’re a property developer, architect, investor, or just curious about the real workings of urban regeneration and institutional residential, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration.
Key Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & Damien’s early influences
05:00 – From architecture to real estate
12:30 – Breaking into BTR
20:45 – The co-living shift
32:00 – Managing risk in uncertain markets
40:15 – Building high-performance development teams
48:00 – HUB’s “People, Planet, Progress” framework
54:30 – Advice for future developers
Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Damien would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal.
Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW!
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