As the new Chair of ULI Europe, I thought it was important to share some thoughts about how we will continue to build ULI’s visibility, its impact on the big issues and its role in helping us meet the challenges we all face as real-estate professionals.

However, first I would thank my immediate predecessor Scott Malkin for his outstanding contribution during his two-year term as Chair. His unstinting energy, drive and commitment is much applauded and will continue to be felt as he chairs the ULI Advisory Board for the period ahead, focusing on the development of our Advisory Service Panels.

I would also like to acknowledge the generosity and hard work shown by those whose term as a Trustee recently came to an end, namely Gerald Parkes, Jos Short and Scott Malkin.  As we thank those who have played leadership roles in ULI Europe over the last 4 years, I would also like to offer a warm welcome to Rosemary Feenan, Sigrid Duhamel, Judith Mayhew-Jonas and Bernard Hansen who take up their positions as Trustees of ULI for the next 4 years.

During my period as Chair, I would like to focus on the three M’s – Mission, Membership and Mayors.

Our mission to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and the creation and sustaining of thriving communities worldwide is what differentiates ULI from other membership organisations and pure trade associations.  Building a better understanding of our mission and how it manifests itself in our everyday lives will be at the core of my term as Chair. In practical terms this means doing more to help talented young people achieve their aim of building a career in real-estate; helping struggling cities to build viable public-private partnerships in pursuit of sustainable urban development; as well as carefully targeted philanthropic initiatives that will make a real impact.

From mission will flow membership. As people understand that by joining ULI they are not just furthering their own interests but also helping to build better urban environments for everybody, our membership will continue to expand. We will continue to enhance the benefits of membership and support our 14 National Councils across Europe to offer regular, industry-related events in their home markets. We are fortunate to have excellent leadership for both our National Councils and our sector-specific European Councils and I will be working closely with both them and the staff team to deliver high-quality content to our members.

The impartial platform that ULI creates makes it an ideal forum for fostering true public / private sector partnerships. We will therefore be looking to increase the number and visibility of mayors, city leaders and other public sector professionals within ULI to create a richer understanding of how the real estate industry can work constructively with city leaders to generate economic growth, address infrastructure challenges and respond intelligently to sustainability issues.

I am both honoured and excited to be taking up role as the Chair of ULI Europe. I am looking forward to working closely with ULI’s members and staff over the coming months to achieve our shared goals.