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News Release

We are delighted to welcome the CREW UK Board 2024

As the outgoing board of CREW UK, we are delighted to welcome the new board members who will continue the journey of advancing women in commercial real estate. We would firstly like to thank all the current and past board members for their dedication and hard work in building our network to this point.

We are excited to introduce the incoming CREW UK board 2024, a group of talented individuals who bring a variety of skills and experiences, and a shared passion for promoting diversity and gender equity in the commercial real estate industry. As they step into their roles, we know they will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to drive CREW UK's mission forward.

Chair: Kirsty Shearer | Operational Excellence Director, Agilite Solutions

As outgoing Committee Chair of Communications, Kirsty brings a clear vision for the future growth of CREW UK to her role as chair.

“Firstly, thank you to the current board for all your hard work, looking forward to continuing to strengthen and elevate our network in 2024. Having been a part of the network since 2019, I know first-hand the part CREW can play in personal and professional development, and I’m passionate about helping our members get the most from their investment and opportunities.”

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Vice Chair: Sarah Thorley | Strategic Advisory EMEA Lead, Savills

As outgoing Committee Chair of Member Relations, Sarah is known for her ability to build strong connections and partnerships, which she will bring to her role as Vice Chair.

“My motivation to serve on the board is rooted in my own experiences with CREW UK. I am excited to bring my expertise and prior board experience to drive forward our mission, particularly though engaging our members and future sponsors. I aim to continue to support with connecting our members to strengthen our thriving network.”

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Chris Early | Head of Acquisition, Freshwave

“I want to see CREW UK grow into an even stronger, larger and more diverse network, supporting people throughout their careers, and also on a personal level. My belief is that I can add plenty of energy, enthusiasm, plus a bit of disruptive thinking to help us develop the new strategy and deliver this. I can also help to grow the brand and achieve a much broader awareness of what we stand for.”

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Allison English | Deputy CEO, Leesman

“I am so honoured and excited to be joining the CREW UK Board because I am passionate about promoting diversity and supporting women, particularly after having worked in industries and for organisations where there was (and still is) a distinct lack of diversity. I believe our workforce and leadership should reflect the society we live in and am very much looking forward to working with the rest of the board to see what we can achieve together.”

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Sayantani Ghosh | Principal Engineer, Langan International

“I am an active member of CREW UK and other industry groups, including the Women in Deep Foundations Institute and I am member of DFI Anchored Earth Retention Committee. I love bringing students, professors, and young industry professionals together through networking, career development, and technical events and I look forward to seeing CREW UK grow.”

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Ginny Gibson | Non Exec Director, Trustee & Professor Emerita of Corporate Real Estate, University of Reading - Henley Business School

“I have been a member of the CREW Board for over 6 years and I led the development of the CREW UK Connects mentoring programme. CREW UK has gone from strength to strength, and I want to continue to contribute to the Board as we transition into a fully formed CREW Chapter. Supporting women in commercial real estate is still essential and CREW has done a phenomenal job in helping women build and strengthen their networks and progress their careers.”

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Naomi Sakamoto | Studio Director, Senior Associate, Gensler

“After my move to London and two years of pandemic, I was so grateful for the platform CREW afforded to engage with our industry and our city, and to learn from the amazing women and men who are transforming commercial real estate at all levels. As a people leader, I’m incredibly passionate about cultivating an equitable organisation and giving people from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to thrive. CREW UK plays such a critical role in fostering relationships, growing personal and professional confidence, and in championing the voice of women in our industry.”

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As we “pass the baton” to the new board, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our dedicated members, committees and sponsors who have supported CREW UK during our tenure.

We want to thank our members for your continued active participation and contributions, and in particular our committee members for their unwavering efforts, and a special thanks to our sponsors and partners who have generously supported CREW UK to date.

As we welcome the new CREW UK board, we are confident that they will continue to champion our mission of advancing women within commercial real estate. As part of this exciting wave of change, we are inviting CREW UK members to consider joining our committees. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the future of our network, develop your leadership skills and expand your network.

Join a Committee

We hope you will join us in welcoming the new board at our Meet the Board event in early 2024. We as outgoing board members look forward to continuing our involvement as members of CREW UK and to supporting the new board during this transition:

Rebecca Davison Howard Kennedy LLP

Jennie Dorsaint Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Helena Hughes Workthere/Savills

Amy Rusack Roebuck Asset Management

Should you have any questions about membership or sponsorship, questions about committee roles, or suggestions for future events, please contact Kirsty and Sarah.