I earned a BSc in Valuation and Estate Management from The University of the South West in 1982. After graduating, I spent nearly a decade working with several national and international real estate agencies in Edinburgh and London.
In 1991, I joined my family’s property company, which operated across the residential and commercial markets throughout the United Kingdom. During this time, the company successfully developed numerous commercial projects in the industrial, distribution, retail, and office sectors across Scotland, adding them to our portfolio.
The company also managed a significant number of residential properties in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Our focus was on actively enhancing the quality of our stock—selling some properties to existing tenants, refurbishing others as they became vacant, and re-letting them on short-assured tenancies. We handled all management and contracting in-house and expanded by acquiring additional property management businesses over a five-year period.
In 2016, the business was sold, and two years later, in 2018, I joined Cairn to help launch a commercial subsidiary, which eventually became Pentland Community Enterprises.
