RICS Governing Council

Nicholas Maclean is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is the President and Chair of Governing Council of RICS. In this role, Nick utilises his experience to provide leadership that continues to drive the Institution’s priorities of raising the influence of the profession with lawmakers and regulators; ensuring that the initial and continuing development of skills in surveying remains fit for purpose; and that the value of being a Chartered Surveyor is fully appreciated by clients, the members and the general public. 

He has previously served as an elected member, then interim Chair, of the RICS Governing Council, and as an interim RICS Board Member and Chair of the RICS Membership Services Committee. Prior to taking up his previous position on Governing Council, he was a member, then Chair, of the RICS MENA Market Advisory Panel.

Nick now lives and works in the United Kingdom, having previously served as Co-Chairman & Managing Director of the CBRE Middle East Region, which he established in 2004. He left the business at the end of 2024, after 37 years, to concentrate fully on the RICS Presidential role.

He is a GlobalScot; the Scottish Government’s Trade & Investment Envoy to the United Arab Emirates; and received the First Minister’s Award for Services to Trade and Bilateral Relations in 2023. He was made OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2024.

Nick is also a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and an Honours Member of the Institute of Revenue, Rating & Valuation. He is the former Chair of the Lillian Sutton (SoC) Endowment Charitable Trust.

He holds the Reserve Decoration and has been named by Arabian Business as one of the 100 most influential people in the UAE and, in 2023, as one of the Top 100 Executives in the UAE.

Maureen Ehrenberg FRICS CRE is the Executive Managing Director of Strategic Growth and Solutions Development for Sireas Global Real Estate Advisors. Before joining Sireas, she cofounded Blue Skyre LLC in 2020 which was acquired in 2023 by Lessen LLC (a prop tech company). Maureen served as the Global Head of Strategic Real Estate Operations for WeWork, prior to cofounding Blue Skyre. Her previous global leadership roles include International Director and Global President of JLL Integrated Facilities Management Services, the Global Head of Integrated Facility Management Services at CBRE, the Executive Vice President of Grubb & Ellis Company and the President and CEO of Grubb and Ellis Management Services, Inc.

Maureen serves currently as President Elect of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). She is a management trustee for the International Union of Operating Engineers; the Chair of the Real Estate Advisory Committee for the New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) and serves as a board advisor to prop tech investor groups. She has also served on the Global Boards of CoreNet Global, IFMA, and OSCRE and was the Global Chair of the Board for IFMA. She is a founding member of Executive Women in Corporate Real Estate (EWCRE).

A frequent speaker and published author, Ehrenberg has been recognized as an industry thought leader with an Innovator of the Year Award from CoreNet Global, the Chair’s Citation Award from IFMA, The Julie Devine Digital Impact; and Lifetime Achievement Awards for Vision in Technology from RealComm, Top Women of Influence Hall of Fame by Real Estate Forum and has received several industry and client awards and recognition for service excellence, innovation, leadership, mentorship and service. Ehrenberg was named a 2025 Woman of Influence by Globe Street as a Prop Tech Executive/Innovator.

In 2024, Ehrenberg was named to the CoreNet Global Distinguished Leaders Circle. This designation is designed to pay tribute to members who have demonstrated a lifetime of leadership that has helped define and shape the corporate real estate profession through their work.

Susanne Eickermann-Riepe FRICS has been elected to join the RICS Presidential Team as Senior Vice President (SVP) for 2026, commencing her term on 1 January 2026.

In a career spanning 40 years, Susanne, who is a Civil Engineer by background, holds extensive experience in senior roles and board positions at the top of the surveying profession. She brings with her a wealth of expertise working in the real estate industry, including 18 years as a partner of PwC WP GmbH.

Previously, Susanne served as Chair of the RICS European World Regional Board and consequently as a member of the Global Members Committee at RICS. Among other roles, she is also Chair of the Board at ICG Institute, a Member of the Supervisory Board at Austrian Real Estate GmbH, and a non-executive director at CTP N.V., Europe's largest listed owner, developer, and manager of logistics and industrial real estate.

Her other board positions include Member of the Sustainability Board at BIG, Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft Austria, Chair of the Real Estate Commission at DGNB – German Sustainable Building Council, Member Global Leadership Board of Future Place, Sydney, Member of the Advisory Board of DREA, Digital Real Estate Association and Deputy Chair of the Real Estate Commission at DVFA – Society of Investment Professionals in Germany.

Stephen is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a Chartered Facilities Management (FM) Surveyor with over 40 years of professional consulting experience across the property, construction and facilities industry. Stephen is the founder of In-Touch Advisory. His technical expertise includes project delivery, quantity surveying, cost prediction, due diligence, asset/facilities management, risk assessment, value engineering, life cycle analysis and sustainability. He has contributed to multiple publications for the RICS and regularly presents at industry conferences internationally. 

Stephen is a former member of the RICS Australasian Regional Advisory Board.

Since 2012, he has been a member of the Standards Australia MB-022 committee, and an Australian delegate to ISO/TC 267 developing the ISO 41000 series and liaising on the ISO 55000 series. Also since 2021, he served as the Regional Director for Australasia & Southeast Asia for IFMA's FM Consultant Council. 

In addition to being FRICS, he also holds FAIQS and IFMA Fellow designations and is an FMA Australia Life Member (fellow). Stephen has served on multiple built environment industry boards over an extended period holding various leadership positions with the Australian Government FM Action Agenda, FMA Australia, Property Council of Australia, IFMA Foundation, IFMA, and the ISO.

I am a Chartered Building Surveyor and have worked principally in central London and EMEA for more than twenty years, plus a year in Australia. I specialise in technical due diligence and development monitoring based at CBRE’s London office. I also head the firm’s UK and Ireland best practice group for technical due diligence. I have been fortunate to work with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders, across all sectors, including the London landed estates, sovereign wealth funds and high-profile asset managers. and increasingly find that our advice is being sought on a global scale. I am delighted to have been successful in joining the RICS Professional Group Panel for Building Surveying and Building Control. Through my experience working outside of the UK, I have seen first-hand the challenges when the role of a RICS Chartered Surveyor is not commonly recognised or understood. The ambition of the RICS to set global benchmarks, such as the most recent Technical Due Diligence Professional Standard, is essential to ensure the relevance of the profession in a digital world without borders. I see this role as a fantastic opportunity to make a real positive contribution to the future direction of the RICS and to improving understanding and recognition of the surveying profession outside the UK. In my spare time, I enjoy dingy sailing on the Thames, coaching and supporting my local grassroots football teams, and chasing PBs at my local parkrun. My golden rule? Always look up in the city - you never know what you'll discover!  

Victoria Clapp is the Cost, Commercial and Quantity Surveying Technical Director at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management and development consultancy. She is a Fellow of the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and member of the RICS Matrics UK Board. A finalist in the RICS Young Surveyor of the Year (2022), she strives to shape best practice and has a unquenching passion for promoting our profession and supporting the next generation of surveyors. With lived experience of neurodiversity, she co-leads the RICS Matrics UK board strategy for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).

Alison Cosa (formerly Westwood) graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2010 having gained a Master’s degree in Property Investment and Management before becoming a Graduate Property Surveyor at Pendragon PLC, where she undertook a sabbatical at Innes England to broaden her experience. In 2014, following a move to London, she joined GVA (now Avison Young) as Assistant Surveyor gaining experience managing prime retail estate in Mayfair and Knightsbridge including retail, office and residential assets. She undertook the APC whilst at GVA and became a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) in 2015 having completed rotations in Property Management, Leasing, Rating and Valuation. In late 2015, Alison joined JLL as Senior Surveyor in the PAM (Property and Asset Management) department and was promoted to Associate Director in 2017 having gained experience as lead PM for a prestigious Property Unit Trust portfolio consisting prime office, retail and industrial assets. A move client side followed, to Capital and Counties (Capco) now known as Shaftesbury Capital as a Senior Property Manager for the world class Covent Garden Estate.

Today Alison is Associate Vice President, Property Management for one of the world’s top REITS, Realty Income (an S&P 500 Company – NYSE: O) and oversees the Property Management operations for the UK and EU portfolios totalling c. £ 10bn. Alison is an RICS APC Assessor and also volunteers for two charities being a long standing Ambassador for LandAid (the property industry’s charity) for 10 years, and Ambassador for RICS LionHeart for the last 3 years.

Vanessa Curtis is a Fellow of the RICS and a Senior Director at CBRE with 20 years’ experience in corporate real estate. Currently she advises corporate occupier clients in the Industrial, Logistics and Energy sectors on global portfolio strategy, portfolio transformation and risk mitigation. Vanessa regularly speaks at industry events, and works within advisory groups focused on Corporate Real Estate Trends; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Disability, Neurodiversity, Mental Health, and Wellbeing. Vanessa is a RICS Inspire Ambassador and works to bring awareness of the profession to university and school students alike. Vanessa is delighted to be re-elected to Governing Council for a second term and has committed to drive focus on: Amplifying member voices from across UK & Ireland, especially those from underrepresented sectors, regions, and/or backgrounds. Strengthening the member-centricity of the organisation by focussing on Real Estate issues and topics which are impacting members today. Promoting our profession to the next generation of talent. Encouraging professional and social mobility for people already working within the sector.

Johanna is a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer. She has over 27 years’ experience working in Oxford, Birmingham, London and Dublin. She returned to Dublin in 2005 and worked for Cushman & Wakefield until July 2023. She was Deputy Head of the Valuation & Advisory team where she was responsible for building their Irish fund valuation business. In addition she advised banks and other financial institutions and corporates.

Johanna was heavily involved with the graduate training programme within Cushman & Wakefield, she is an APC Assessor and is a supporter of on-going professional development and often delivers CPD for the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. During 2022/23 Johanna delivered a number of modules to both the Property Economics and Auctioneering students in TU Dublin. Johanna has beeninvolved as a mentor with both SCSI and IMI.

Having served on the Board of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland for 2 years, Johanna took on the role of President of SCSI in May 2019, and served her term until August 2020. She continues to be involved in SCSI as a member of the Sustainability Working Group and is on the RICS Ireland Board.

Jason is a London based Executive Director in CBRE’s Valuation and Advisory Services Department and Head of Loan and Advisory Valuation Services covering all property sectors. He is a member of CBRE’s UK Residential Board and the Valuation and Advisory Executive Group.

Between 2008 and May 2024, Jason focussed on the Living Sectors. Markets covered include build to rent, single family housing, large scale developments, strategic land, masterplans, prime central London and affordable housing. He led the growth of this part of CBRE’s business from a team of 6 to more than 70 professionals across the UK. 

Jason was the Chair and Technical Author of the RICS Red Book Professional Standard for Valuing Residential Property Purpose Built for Renting (2018). He has been actively involved with the British Property Federation for more than 10 years and is a member of the Living Sectors Board. He also serves on sector groups for the Association of Rental Living and Investment Property Forum. Jason is currently working with LandAid to support its BTR initiative to help source subsidised housing specifically for young people to combat homelessness.

David qualified as a chartered surveyor in Dublin, Ireland in 1994 under the mentorship of John Oliver Costello at Costello Commercial.  He has over fifteen years of industry experience in office agency, shopping centre asset management and commercial property valuations in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.  During this time, he worked with several leading real estate firms such as JLL and Colliers International and other firms which have since been subsumed into international firms such as CBRE and Deloitte.

In 2011 David became a full-time academic at the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) specialising in property investment, valuation, property asset management and property agency in the commercial property sector. He is the programme leader for the MSc Real Estate.  He is a knowledge expert at UCEM on the subject of ‘Ethics’ and a member of the institution’s EDI and apprenticeships working groups.  UCEM is the leading provider of supported online education for the built environment.

He is an APC assessor/chair for both the RICS and SCSI (Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland) and a member of the ‘Education and CPD’ standing committee at the SCSI.

Between 2017-2020 he was an External Examiner for the BSc Auctioneering, Valuation & Estate Agency degree programme at the Technological University Dublin and an External Adviser for the BSc (Hons) Real Estate and MSc Real Estate at Liverpool John Moores University in 2022.

David regularly runs a series of ‘Introduction to Office Investment’ webinars at Bayfield Training in which he and industry guest speakers review office investment dynamics in cities such as Budapest, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Lyon and Paris.  He has also provided webinars for the École Supérieure des Professions Immobilières (ESPI), France and Northern Business School (NBS), Germany in 2021/2022.

Graham is a Chartered Surveyor of some 26 years standing, having originally qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in 1998; qualifying further as a Chartered Project Management Surveyor following completion of an MSc at The Bartlett, UCL in 2007. Graham was elected to Fellowship in 2014.

In terms of his role within the industry, Graham is a Director within the London Commercial Developer team at Turner & Townsend, delivering real estate project management for key industry clients, such as: UK Parliamentary Estate, Earls Court Development Company and The Crown Estate.

Graham has been actively engaged since first becoming Chartered, having acted as both APC Supervisor and Counsellor on several occasions and has gone on to serve the maximum two terms on the London Regional Board; firstly between 2013-16 and secondly between 2019-2023.

In November 2023, Graham was successful in joining the first cohort constituting the ‘Construction – Professional Group Panel’.

Further afield, Graham is also an active Member of The British Council for Offices, having recently joined their NextGen programme as mentor.

Jagath Keerthisooriya is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 24 years of international experience in the construction industry, specializing in contract and commercial management, procurement, and quantity surveying. His career has seen him hold roles with semi-government organizations, international project managers and consultants, and leading contractors across Sri Lanka, the UAE, Qatar, and New Zealand. He has been a key player in delivering high-profile infrastructure and civil projects, making significant contributions to some of the region's most notable developments.

Currently, Jagath serves as Lead Cost Manager at Turner & Townsend in Abu Dhabi, where he provides expert cost consultancy, contract administration, and strategic advice on complex contractual issues. His deep expertise and leadership make him a trusted advisor in managing and resolving intricate project challenges.

Jagath is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ). He is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS) and holds a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying from the University of Reading, UK. Currently, he is pursuing an LLM/MSc in Construction Law and Arbitration at Robert Gordon University, Scotland.

Beyond his professional work, Jagath is a dedicated CPD speaker and trainer, actively contributing to the development of aspiring Chartered Quantity Surveyors in the region. He is also a trained RICS Counsellor and Chairperson, providing mentorship and assessments to guide and shape future professionals.

Jagath previously held the role of Secretary of the Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors Forum in the UAE and currently serves as Chairman of the Sri Lankan Professionals Association in the UAE. This diverse organization includes professionals from various fields, such as quantity surveying, IT, engineering, banking, hospitality, and business management.

With his leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to professional development, Jagath remains a key figure in shaping the future of quantity surveying and the broader construction industry globally.

Sunny is a dedicated member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), having demonstrated unwavering commitment to the profession for over a decade. With a Bachelor's degree in Building Surveying, he became a chartered surveyor in 2021, marking a significant milestone in his career. Over the course of his career, Sunny has accumulated over 8 years of experience in the residential and commercial sectors within the UK. Initially, worked as a Client-side Project Manager for Registered Providers, overseeing the procurement of affordable housing stock, and working on large-scale estate regeneration projects ranging from £10-30 million. Sunny showcased his project management skills and ability to successfully navigate complex projects by collaborating with various disciplines and prominent housebuilders. He also served as a Building Surveyor and Project Manager during his time at BNP Paribas Real Estate, further displaying his versatility and expertise in the field. Whilst at BNP Paribas Real Estate Sunny also co-chaired the Multicultural Network within the BNP Paribas UK group. This employee network, boasting over 800+ members, became a vessel for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, resonating with Sunny's core values of fostering an inclusive workplace culture. In September 2023, Sunny transitioned to Hart Dixon, specialising in construction delivery for fit-out and refurbishment projects in the commercial and high-end residential sectors as a senior surveyor. His involvement in high-value projects, some exceeding £80 million, illustrates his adeptness in project management, contract administration for CAT B refurbishments, and risk and stakeholder management. Sunny is also on the path to becoming an RICS Assessor for Project Management, reflecting his continual pursuit of professional development. Beyond his professional realm, Sunny is a passionate advocate for inclusivity and youth empowerment. He serves as a STEM and RICS Inspire Ambassador, encouraging schoolchildren to explore careers in surveying. Additionally, Sunny supports a housing charity for homeless youth, actively engaging in fundraising initiatives. As a member of the Governing Council, Sunny aims to promote robust engagement across all communities, supporting ongoing improvements within RICS. Throughout his term, collaboration with the president and other council members to leverage his expertise and passion is at the forefront, aiming to foster positive change within the organisation, especially in the realms of technology, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion in the property industry.

Lynda Rawsthorne was appointed Government Head of Property Profession and Director, Property Capability, Sponsorship & Standards, in August 2023.

Lynda is head of the Government Property Profession, the community of property professionals across government. She provides professional leadership across a diverse range of government departments and arms-length bodies which deliver the government’s property ambitions.

Lynda is responsible for the Government Property Strategy and the Government Property Functional Standard. The strategy sets out the government’s plans for a public sector estate for public benefit, ensuring it enables the best possible public services, is efficient and sustainable and supports the government’s levelling up ambitions. The Functional Standard sets expectations for how government property is acquired, managed and disposed of.

Lynda has over 25 years’ professional experience across the property lifecycle including valuation, managing estates as well as delivering transformational and construction-based programmes. A Fellow of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Project Management, Lynda is a graduate of the Major Project Leadership Academy at the University of Oxford.

Lynda joined the Cabinet Office from the Department of Transport where she was Director of Programme Integration within High Speed Rail Group, leading the land and property interface. Her previous roles include Prison Infrastructure Director at Ministry of Justice, leading delivery of the 15,000 additional places construction and transformation programme, and Programme Director of the £4.4bn Priority School Building Programme at the Department for Education. Starting her career in Local Government, she then worked predominantly in the Valuation Office Agency which she joined on the graduate programme, serving as a Valuation Officer, Head of Customer Services and Chief of Staff.

Lynda grew up in Milton Keynes but as a military wife has travelled extensively, with married quarters in four countries. She juggled three children and a variety of working patterns while continuing her career.

Liz has had a somewhat unusual career which has spanned both the public and private sectors. She spent her early career in Government in the Ministry of Defence, eventually becoming a key player in the creation of QinetiQ plc in 2001. She then moved into the private sector, becoming Chief Executive of the British Property Federation where she played a significant role in the creation of the UK’s Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) structure. She was awarded a CBE in 2008 for services to the property industry. 

Liz now has a non-executive portfolio career primarily focussed on real estate including NED roles at Howard de Walden Estates, Greencore Homes, AEW UK REIT and the Connected Places Catapult. She is Chairman of the GLA’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and of the University of Cambridge Property Board. She is  also chair of  the Churches Conservation Trust, a secular organisation looking after 358 redundant Church of England churches, and of Real Estate Balance, a campaigning organisation working to improve diversity and inclusion in the real estate industry.

Gurpreet has pursued a portfolio career since 2014, with non executive roles in Higher Education, multi-academy trusts, financial services (including advising government on access to dormant assets), infrastructure and health.

He is currently Chair at the University of Derby and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Birmingham, with previous experience as a regulator of Higher Education in England as a Board Member with the Office for Students.  He also has extensive experience as an independent Board Member with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (also sitting on the Defence wide Audit and Risk assurance committee) and with the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Gurpreet’s prior executive career was in financial risk management and investment banking global operations, with senior leadership positions at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse from 2006 to 2014.

Rosalyn Schofield is a solicitor with experience in property, sustainability and governance.

She is former member of the Adaptation Committee, an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body created under the Climate Change Act (2008) as part of the Climate Change Committee. She also chaired the Audit and Risk Committee for 8 years until 2025.

She was Director of Company Secretariat at Associated British Foods plc for many years where she had global responsibility for its corporate governance and led and reported on the environmental sustainability and impact of its businesses including Primark.

Rosalyn is also a Council Member and SID of the University of Hull and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee and a member of The Law Society.

She previously worked as Legal Director at JD Wetherspoon plc and was a commercial property lawyer in private practice.

Darina Armstrong qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1992 whilst working for KPMG. She then moved into the financial services sector with a career spanning more than thirty years in the sector. She recently retired from the role of Chief Executive of Progressive Building Society after serving in that role for 13 years. Prior to that she was Finance Director. Progressive Building Society is Northern Ireland’s largest locally owned financial institution which specialises in providing a range of savings and mortgage products. Its purpose is to encourage savings and home ownership whilst providing excellent service to its members. She has extensive experience of driving performance and delivering organisation wide improvements during a period of unprecedented challenges in a complex dynamic market.

She has served on the Council of the Building Societies Association. The Building Societies Association is the body that represents all 42 UK Building Societies as well as 7 credit unions and is actively involved with political lobbying and liaison with regulatory bodies.

She is a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland Ethics and Governance Committee which meets in Dublin. She is a Board member and Chair of the Audit and Risk committee of Catalyst. Catalyst is a science and technology hub focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, it owns an extensive commercial property footprint providing workspace and amenities.

She holds a degree and a postgraduate diploma in Accounting and a MSc in Executive Leadership. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Fellow of the Institute of Banking and a Certified Bank Director. Darina was awarded a MBE, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020, for services to economic development.

Alexandra Faciu MA MRICS, President Alexandra Capital and Founder, SAM Curated. Alexandra is a purpose-driven leader and entrepreneur with a focus on maintaining a high level of expertise in sustainability and real estate asset and portfolio strategies. Her objective is to assist as many real estate owners as possible in integrating the latest best practices, including around sustainability, into their real estate activities and in future-proofing their portfolios.

Alexandra has over 25 years of professional experience, during which time she has occupied a number of senior roles, spending approximately half of her time as an advisor and half as a principal. She is currently serving as President of Alexandra Capital Inc., a boutique practice specialising in sustainable investing strategy, change management and transformations. She is also the Founder and Curator SAM Curated, an online library and platform established to provide access to the latest best practices related to climate risks, sustainability and ESG for use primarily in asset management and portfolio strategies, but not only.

Throughout her career, Alexandra has been involved in projects in Canada, the US, Europe, and internationally, which has allowed her to gain experience in all asset classes (commercial property and infrastructure). Prior to establishing Alexandra Capital, Alexandra was the head of asset and portfolio management for Cominar REIT, with a portfolio valued at CA$6 billion during her tenure with the company. She had overall responsibility for the newly established asset and portfolio management functions, with a mandate to develop the practice and implement ongoing asset management processes in line with the 2019 Strategic Plan. Reporting to the president and working closely with the CFO, main achievements included establishing asset value creation strategies and action plans, creating a portfolio optimization strategy, and monitoring the market and sectors.

Alexandra has held a number of principal positions in her career, including roles at Bombardier, Ivanhoe Cambridge and Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ. In each of these roles, she has been tasked with transforming various teams, practices, portfolios or companies, with a focus on value creation and risk mitigation.

In addition to her work with RICS, Alexandra is involved with a number of organisations and projects, such as the OECD, where she is a member of the OECD Task Force on Sustainable Real Estate Investment. The objective of the initiative is to analyze risk, practices, and prospects in order to ensure the future-proofing of real estate investments. The output of this initiative is a policy paper, which will be presented at COP30.

Most recently, Alexandra co-authored a research study on the "Impact of Climate Risks and Sustainability Factors on Commercial Real Estate Values". This subject is of particular importance to her, as she believes it is crucial in making the business case for decarbonizing the built environment. Alexandra has shared her passion for sustainability with RICS by serving as the Sustainability Lead on the RICS Americas World Regional Board for several years. She has subsequently remained part of the RICS Americas Sustainability Working Group after the end of her term on the Board.

I am a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 40 years’ experience of providing quantity surveying, commercial management, contractual consulting, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution services on a wide variety of building, engineering, mining, and petrochemical projects located throughout Australia, Far East, Middle East, New Zealand, South East Asia, and the UK. I am Managing Director of Secretariat International’s Australian operation which currently employs 15 full time professionals based in Brisbane and Perth working on some of the largest construction, engineering and resources projects across all Australian States and Territories and New Zealand. For over 20 years, in addition to establishing, growing and managing three successful businesses which rely mainly on the skills and attributes of chartered quantity surveyors to deliver high quality services on various construction, engineering and resources projects, I have remained a passionate quantity surveyor who continuously promotes the Surveying profession. I have maintained a focus on improving the standards of Surveying professionals through active involvement on various influential industry boards and committees, including active participation in RICS local associations.  

Ayda is a real estate professional with over a decade of international experience spanning construction, valuation, credit risk, and real estate finance. She began her career in France in construction before transitioning to Canada, where she appraised commercial and hospitality assets across Quebec, Ontario, and the Caribbean. She holds the AACI designation from the Appraisal Institute of Canada and the FRICS from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Currently, Ayda serves on the Tangible Asset Board of the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC), and contributes to the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) Europe’s Women’s Network. Ayda is also a member of the Institut Français de l’Expertise Immobilière (IFEI). Her leadership journey included board roles with AIC Quebec, RICS Ontario, DEI Americas groups, and the Young Leaders Circle of the International Economic Forum of the Americas for Montreal and Paris. She has translated IVS standards for RICS, presented AIC’s French Professional Practice Seminar, and participated in AIC’s Task Force on the future of valuation. In 2020, she was recognized as Canada’s Top Female Appraiser under 40. Fluent in several European languages and Arabic, Ayda brings a deep understanding of diverse markets and cultures. Currently based in Germany, she works at Aareal Bank, where she spent nearly two years in credit management before joining the syndication team in November 2024, managing real estate loans across Europe and Canada.  

As Chief Valuer, Alan is part of the Agency’s Executive Committee contributing to the corporate leadership, strategic direction and management of the VOA. He is directly accountable for the successful delivery of valuation and technical advice across the Valuation Office Agency and is responsible for promoting and assuring professional standards to build and sustain confidence and trust in VOA’s valuations and property advice. Alan is the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for Revaluations. He is also Head of the Surveying Profession within the VOA and has been a Chartered Surveyor for over 30 years. He attained a RICS Rating Diploma in 2000 and was Chair of the section in 2017. He plays a key leadership role in the Government Property Profession feeding into the wider agenda to build excellent capacity and capability in the property profession across Government. He acts as an ambassador for the VOA and represents the agency on various external stakeholder forums. He also represents the agency internationally collaborating with Valuation Agencies, International Association of Assessing Officers and International Property Tax Institute.  

Lorraine Williamson is a multi-award-winning Built Environment professional with over 40 years’ experience in the construction industry, including two decades in senior management. She is recognised for her leadership in housing delivery, client excellence, and her commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the profession. Currently a Senior Associate leading major residential programmes, Lorraine also serves as a board member for several industry and community organisations. A long-standing contributor to the RICS community, she has mentored numerous candidates to chartership as an RICS Assessor and was named RICS Matrics Surveyor Mentor of the Year 2024. She is the founder of the award-winning REACH Employee Resource Group, recognised nationally for promoting racial equality in the built environment. Her lived experience—from growing up on a council estate to leading estate regeneration projects—shapes her belief that professional excellence must go hand in hand with social impact and opportunity for all.

Cartier Charles MRICS is a Chartered Surveyor and dedicated member of the RICS, recognised for her commitment to outreach, mentorship, and representation within the profession. Graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Property Development from the University of Portsmouth in 2021, Cartier began her career with an industrial placement at Portsmouth City Council in 2019—the same year she also embarked on her journey into motherhood, an experience that continues to shape her resilience and drive. She joined NHS Property Services on their competitive graduate scheme, where she was exposed to a broad portfolio of high-value national projects across asset management and development. Cartier successfully completed her APC in 2023, becoming a Chartered Surveyor at just 25 years old. In 2024, she joined Oxford City Council as a Capital Programme Surveyor, working across portfolio reviews, strategic development, and cross-departmental capital initiatives. A passionate advocate for inclusion and accessibility, Cartier became an RICS Inspire Ambassador in 2023 and has since delivered outreach sessions across schools, colleges, and universities to promote surveying as an attainable and rewarding career. Her dedication to engagement led to her nomination for the 2025 RICS Ambassador of the Year Award. Alongside her ambassadorial work, Cartier founded C5 Rising, a mentorship and personal development initiative supporting students and early-career professionals through partnerships with colleges and universities. As a member of Governing Council, Cartier aims to amplify early-career voices, strengthen outreach and transparency, and open the doors of RICS to early education, ensuring the profession becomes relevant to the world long before university. She is committed to helping RICS embrace technology, eco-initiatives, and diversity, ensuring the Institution continues to evolve, remain at the forefront of the built environment’s future, and inspire the curiosity and ambition of younger generations.

Emily has an MSc in International Real Estate and Planning from UCL and is a Chartered Land and Resources Surveyor who began specialising in Daylight, Sunlight and Rights of Light in 2012. Emily has gained years of consultancy experience and also has experience in a client-side role at one of the UK’s most recognised developer groups. As a consultant and founder of a specialist surveying firm, Emily’s work now involves advising developer and adjoining owner clients on her subject throughout the development process. In a specialist sector that historically had no pathway to chartership for its practising surveyors, Emily is one of the first of a growing number of professionals now becoming chartered via the Land and Resources pathway for those specialising in Daylight, Sunlight and Rights of Light. With a passion for more recognition and regulation of her specialism, Emily has been proactive in promoting the pathway and assisting others to achieve it. Emily cares deeply about supporting everyone to thrive in their careers. As a working parent of young children, Emily is extremely passionate about increasing awareness, visibility and support for working parents in surveying, as well as encouraging more women into the profession. Emily is proud to now run a successful, female-founded firm.  

Victoria (Vicky) Clark MTPI AssocRICS, Governing Council Member (Residential Property) Victoria (Vicky) Clark is a recognised leader in property management, with extensive experience driving transformation, reform and professional standards across the sector. Specialising in leasehold and estate management, she has built a career defined by strategic vision, decisive leadership, and an unwavering drive to elevate standards across the property management profession. Now Head of Central London and the South & Southeast regions at Anthem Management, Vicky’s career spans prominent leadership roles across the UK’s property management and development landscape. Formerly Associate Director at Quadrant, Head of Estates at Strawberry Star, and Area Manager at Mainstay, she has directed integration, governance reform, and asset strategy across full-cycle operations. Her ability to align developers, clients, and managing agents around lasting operational excellence continues to distinguish her as a leading voice within the profession. Vicky brings a relentless commitment to advancing property management, driving higher standards, stronger professional recognition, and renewed respect for the expertise at its core.