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 · How personal loss drove him to become a book author. · Why timing and conviction has led to launching EGLS, and why now presents a rare market opportunity · How he raised capital, built alignment with backers, and assembled a high-performance pan European team at EGLS · EGLS three clear strategies: new development, retrofitting existing assets, and urban aggregation. · Whether you’re a property developer, investor, or just curious, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration. Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Ian 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
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1:15:41
#122 Damien Sharkey - Managing Director at HUB
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 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! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. Subscribe for more episodes on real estate, development, and the leaders shaping the built environment. #BuildToRent #RealEstateDevelopment #PropertyPodcast #UrbanRegeneration #CoLiving #HUBLondon #PeoplePropertyPlace
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1:13:21
#121 Carlo Matta - CEO of Nido Living
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 subjects which covered some of the following topics: How he got into real estate and his early life + perspectives Formative, early career moves & the transition from architecture to developer Returning to university at 34 years old – taking a step back, to leap forward Staying curious and building team cultures focused on fun and learning Exploring the drivers that influence product design & amenity level within an asset Matching return expectations to risk Building a top-tier, international team Creating, not waiting for opportunity and the importance of standing out Having the courage to know when to pivot, and change tact Nido – and the road to 25,000 beds by 2031. Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Carlo 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 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #privateequity #property
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1:02:15
#120 Simon Cooke - founding shareholder & board member of Catella APAM
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 broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: · Early career steps, Rugby and what drew him into a career in real estate · The story behind the name "APAM" · The value of focusing on your strengths and staying in your lane · Starting APAM by capitalising on distressed and receivership opportunities during the GFC · Evolving the model to partner with international private equity, by providing asset-level expertise · How he and Will built, scaled, and reasons for part exiting to Catella · Structuring JV’s with partners, and aligning incentives · Choosing the right opportunities over chasing sector trends · Balancing personal circumstances with professional ambitions · Why now is the right moment to launch a UK equity fund Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Simon 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 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #privateequity #property #assetmanager
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1:06:23
#119 Michael Kovacs, Founding Partner at Castleforge
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 Westbrook Partners, Michael worked at the Blackstone Group in New York. Michael graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I sat down with Michael, to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: • How he got into real estate and his early career steps • How getting stuck in a lift triggered the start of setting up a business • Evolving the business from advisory mandates to, co investing on deals, and then raising discretionary funds • Evolution of the office market and where the opportunity sits • Why vertical integration mattered in building Castleforge • The disconnect between occupier demand and investor sentiment relating to offices • Asia and the Middle East, capital raising pivot • Fundraising challenges - why raising Fund 4 has been tougher than the debut fund • Datacentre exploration, and debut deal Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Michael 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 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #privateequity #property
Powered by Rockbourne, the central intention of this podcast is to share the stories, views, opinions, and career journeys of the movers, shakers, innovators, and leaders in the real estate investment management industry.
Whether you are an existing real estate professional, aspiring to break into the space, or just want to know more about this fascinating sector this podcast is for you.
New episodes of The People Property Place Podcast will be released regularly and you will be able to find them for free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or any App that supports podcasts.
Oh, and one last thing - in every episode, I will be asking each guest who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would be looking to invest, should they have £500m at their disposal.
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