Our panel of 4 judges have been selected to ensure that these awards remain independant, impartial and objective.
Hicks Baker is the only practice in Reading to have a partner dedicated to the retail and leisure market; Fiona's expertise is wide ranging, from development advice (including Sackville Properties' 2 million sq ft Station Hill scheme and Muse Developments on the 11 acre Chatham Place site) to disposals (for clients of the calibre of Tesco) and acquisitions (10 years nationwide experience with Bang & Olufsen). In a previous business life Fiona has been a land buyer and worked for Berkshire County Council. Outside the office her interests are golf and retail therapy - lots of it!
Derek is an expert in promoting large and small commercial developments from shopping centres to large stores. Within his career, he has held main board executive directorships with top retail companies in both the U.K. and Scandinavia, including Bhs , Ilva and Storehouse.
A Chartered surveyor for over 35 years, property asset valuation was his original specialisation. Over time commercial real estate management, property asset investment, development and construction co-ordination evolved as his specialist professional skill-sets. Derek now practises as: Derek Maynard & Company, Chartered Surveyors. Retail Clients include major multiples for professional work and acquisition advice. Other Clients include: Private Hospital U.K. wide expansion programmes (Compass Group); Collection storage facility initiative (Natural History Museum); Motorway Service Areas: U.K. development programme (RoadChef).
Gary has wide experience of the retail property market having worked in the fields of retail planning, shopping centre and high street property development and investment agency. As one of the founders of ACR commercial Property, the specialist shopping centre property and asset management business , Gary was involved with more than 25 shopping centres across the UK. Gary and his business partner John Tinley, sold the ACR business to GVA Grimley in 2005, and took up positions as Equity partners at GVA Grimley with responsibility for shopping centre work.
In 2008 Gary left GVA Grimley to establish Bisham Asset Management and to focus solely on the shopping centre market.
Having studied at Reading University from 1978-81, Gary still retains strong links with the town both via Broad Street Mall and his involvement with the Reading Real Estate Foundation which is the largest single subject alumni association in the UK
Paul is Chief Executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, now one of the largest Chambers in the UK. The Chamber achieved national recognition in 2007 when it was voted ‘National Chamber of the Year’ by UK business.
Paul’s previous experience was mainly in hotel and property management in the retail and hospitality sectors; most recently managing retail complexes for Hammerson plc, a leading European property company responsible for The Oracle, Reading, amongst other operations. Prior to this he worked with Ashley Associates, on behalf of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. He has considerable experience of business reengineering in a variety of diverse industries, and is firmly committed to customer and client engagement coupled with exceptional customer service, as principles of business turnaround.
Outside work he is a former President of Save the Children (Reading Area). Currently he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Health. Paul’s hobbies include boating, fell walking, travel and socialising. He is also the proud owner of a much misunderstood Patterdale Terrier called Ben!