I am an accomplished Australian–South African property development executive with over 26 years of international experience across Australia, the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Throughout my career, I have led the planning and delivery of major real estate assets for government entities, REITs, and income funds, contributing to some of the most ambitious and award-winning developments globally. My professional base has spanned cities such as Warsaw, Sydney, Dubai, Johannesburg, and currently NEOM in Saudi Arabia.

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My core expertise lies in the development of masterplanned mixed-use precincts, districts, and new cities founded on sustainable and cognitive urban principles. I have a deep commitment to delivering architecturally relevant, functional, and human-centric environments. As a sustainability strategy specialist, I have played a key role in integrating ESG principles into corporate development frameworks, including leading the creation of a top-ranked ESG report in South Africa—recognised by FTSE Russell in 2019 as among the country’s top 30 and the highest-ranking property ESG report.

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Currently, I serve as the Chief Operating Officer of The LINE, a 170km net-zero linear city within NEOM. This unprecedented development represents a transformational model for urban living, combining advanced sustainability, vertical living, and a reimagined approach to infrastructure, mobility, and design.

Over the course of my career, I have delivered large-scale mixed-use projects that have received international acclaim. I have been part of teams recognized for developing the World’s Best Mixed-Use Project for four consecutive years and Africa’s Best Mixed-Use Project for seven years running.

 

My work at Attacq Limited, a JSE-listed REIT, is a notable example, where I was recruited by Spencer Stuart to lead development at Waterfall City—a 2,200-hectare masterplanned urban hub in Johannesburg. There, I oversaw the delivery of over two million square meters of bulk development including logistics hubs, commercial districts, and high-density residential zones. Waterfall City earned global recognition for design, scale, and sustainability from 2018 to 2020.

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Previously, I served as Development Director for a 225,000m² twin-tower project in the Dubai International Financial Centre, delivering a 64-storey Rosewood hotel and residential tower alongside a 40-storey commercial tower, unified by a shared retail podium. Prior to that, I held the position of Vice President of Property Development and Master Planning at the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, overseeing the masterplanning of a $25 billion, 110-hectare global financial precinct comprising over 2.5 million square meters of GFA. I was invited to take this role by the CEO of DIFCA, with whom I had previously collaborated at Dubai Festival City.

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My tenure in South Africa also included senior executive roles with listed REITs such as Vukile Property Fund and Liberty Properties. At Vukile, I led the diversification of development into alternative asset classes including healthcare, student accommodation, and high-rise residential, in addition to spearheading two new 50,000m² regional retail centers and a commercial tech park campus. At Liberty Properties, I managed development for a $3 billion South African property fund and a $600 million Pan-African fund, delivering high-value assets across six African nations, including new retail centers, mixed-use precincts, and hospitality refurbishments.

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Following the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, I established an independent strategic property consultancy based in Dubai. In this capacity, I advised international clients—ranging from Intelligent Engineering in Canada and the UK to quasi-government bodies such as the Cape Town International Convention Centre and the Cape Town Partnership—on translating strategic visions into executable development plans across urban, civic, and infrastructure domains.

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Before founding my consultancy, I was headhunted by the Al Ghurair Group, one of the UAE’s most prominent industrial conglomerates, to establish a new real estate development business in Dubai. As the founding Managing Director and General Manager, I authored the five-year strategic business plan and initiated $180 million in new developments before the GFC led to a market-wide restructuring and a shift to advisory roles.

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Earlier in my career, I held development leadership roles across Sydney, Warsaw, and Johannesburg, contributing to major real estate and infrastructure projects in both the public and private sectors. My career began in development consulting and progressed through increasingly senior delivery roles, eventually taking me to Dubai in 2003 to join the Dubai Festival City project.

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Over the past two and a half decades, I have worked across 25 countries, with project exposure in a further eight. My experience spans every major region and encompasses both high-level executive oversight and detailed, on-the-ground project delivery. My work has been recognized with multiple international awards, and I continue to advocate for sustainable, forward-thinking city-making through my role as Chairman of the Green Building Council of South Africa, where I previously served as a non-executive director.