Knowledge and Practice Committee (KPC)

Simon Rawlinson

Chair of Knowledge and Practice Committee

Simon has a strong background in research, knowledge and collaborative innovation focused mainly on the construction sector. Simon is a Senior Leader in Arcadis, a leading multi-disciplinary design, engineering and consulting practice in the built and natural environment. He heads Strategic Research and Insight, with global and UK-focused accountabilities. Simon has over 25 years’ experience in construction and built environment research and innovation with a particular focus is on construction markets, pricing behaviour and risk. He believes that knowledge and data are a major differentiator for the surveying profession and brings this passion to KPC. Simon has worked with a large portfolio of national and international clients in property and infrastructure. As part of his commitment to performance improvement and innovation, Simon has been closely involved in many successful pan-industry initiatives including the UK Government BIM Task Group and the Construction Leadership Council. Simon is a well-established commentator to the construction and property industry, having regularly to industry journals and research publications since 1995.

David Parker

Independent Consultant (Deputy Chair)

Cliff L’Aimable MRICS

Managing Director, Building Control Surveyors Ltd.

Cliff is the Managing Director of Building Control Surveyors Ltd in Essex, overseeing building regulation approvals and general surveying services. With 35 years of construction experience, he began in civil engineering, specializing in reinforced concrete and steelwork design. His leadership roles span diverse projects, such as London's Kings Cross regeneration, London Olympics 2012 sports arenas, high-rise developments, and healthcare facilities. As a registered party wall surveyor and former technical columnist for Trinity Mirror newspapers, he earned the title "Property Doctor." Cliff is an RICS Counsellor and actively participates in professional committees, such as the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ABCA). He also chairs the ABCA Education Committee, contributing during a transformative period in building control. His commitment extends to past roles as regional Chair for the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, addressing professional development and event programming. Additionally, he served on committees like the Construction Industry Council's skills shortage committee and the RICS committee for disaster recovery & small Island initiatives. As a circuit presenter for RICS (Africa), he conducted training events during the adoption of new building regulation regimes in Africa. Cliff's multifaceted background includes being an ex-London District Surveyors Technical team committee member, showcasing his expertise as a technical script writer and presenter on construction-related subjects.

David Sandbrook FRICS

Partner - Head of Minerals & Waste Management, Carter Jonas LLP

David Sandbrook is a chartered surveyor and chartered planner with over 35 years’ professional experience gained within commercial property and the specialist mineral, waste management and renewable energy sectors. David is a Group Partner at Carter Jonas, where he is national Head of Minerals & Waste Management. He advises mineral & waste operators, landowners, infrastructure providers, energy companies and financial institutions on estate management, valuation and planning matters, with particular specialism in compulsory purchase and severed mineral interests. David is a RICS Registered Valuer and Accredited Expert Witness. He is an immediate past member of RICS Governing Council and a member of the Policy Advisory Group of the Mineral Products Association. David lives in Derbyshire, where he is a Trustee and operational Member of Derby Mountain Rescue Team. He is also a Director of the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust, supporting NSPCC, Barnardo’s and RSPCA.

Emma Fletcher MRICS

Low Carbon Homes Director, Octopus Energy

Emma is the Low Carbon Housing Director at Octopus Energy. Her career has centred on leading high impact, high innovation projects in real estate, with a particular focus on housing, energy performance and green energy production. Her practical experience includes starting her career in rural surveying and estate management moving into award-winning housing and regeneration developments. Emma is a passionate advocate for change, community resilience and sustainability solutions for all. She established and led the UK’s first fossil fuel-free district heating scheme in her village, Swaffham Prior. Her work regularly features in trade, national and international press & media.

Nick Knight MRICS

Executive Director, Valuation and Advisory Services UK & Ireland, CBRE Limited

Nick is an experienced leader in the valuation of commercial and residential real estate in the UK market. He is trusted by many market participants and is committed to maintaining the highest ethical and technical standards in the valuation industry. Valuation is the cornerstone of the real estate industry and has a key role to play in attracting capital, driving economic growth and the efficient working of the market. Valuation is thus integral to the reputation and trust of the UK economy on the global stage. Nick has 30 years of working in Valuation in UK & Europe across both commercial and residential sectors. Nick sits on the UK Executive Board. He has extensive experience providing valuation advice across all sectors to a broad range of clients in the UK REIT Sector, UK Fund Managers, Private Equity, Sovereign Wealth and lenders to the UK market.

Roderick Houston MRICS

Engagement Director (Construction & Real Estate), Net Zero Now

Roddy is a Chartered Surveyor with extensive experience in commercial real estate. He is currently leading a team at Net Zero Now, a climate-tech company, working to improve carbon accounting and decarbonisation in the construction supply chain. He also acts as a consultant, providing strategy and transactions advice to a number of clients. Before this, he was Deputy Director (London) in the Government Property Agency, leading a team to transform the Civil Estate office portfolio across London, delivering a number of major schemes across the “Whitehall Campus”, Canary Wharf, Croydon and Stratford. Previous roles include as an Estate Strategist with Capita; as an Asset Management Director at Land Securities / TeleReal Trillium; as a management consultant in KPMG’s Property & Programmes Consulting group; and as property asset manager in Coopers & Lybrand’s Business Recovery & Insolvency division. He trained at Knight Frank & Rutley. Roddy has therefore worked in both leading professional advisory firms as well “client-side” organisations, serving a wide range of both private and public sector clients, across all kinds of different, commercial, property asset classes. Roddy was President of the Cambridge University Land Society from 2012-2014, and still chairs its Commercial Property Forum. Amongst other roles, he is a founder member of the Cambridge Land Economy Advisory Board.

Roger Esson MRICS

Director, Esson Energy

Roger has over 28 years of industry experience in the engineering construction sector, having held several high-profile leadership positions in commercial companies, not for profit and member led organisations. At the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), he was responsible for the relationships with 57 partner companies and over 200 project participants, actively working with industry to collaboratively develop and deploy new technology aligned to the changing requirements of our future workforce. Over the past 5 years he has also worked closely with academia in the formation of the National Decommissioning Centre and the National Subsea Centre, working on industry led and academia delivered projects. He is also the previous Chief Executive of Decom North Sea, a trade member organisation created to connect capability with opportunity in the growing offshore decommissioning sector, which at peak totalled 400 member companies. Having also worked on industry panels, forums and working groups, he’s keen to make sure that the surveying profession is recognised more widely in engineering construction and are able to maximise the opportunities that energy transition brings as well as preparing the profession for the future. As well as being an RICS member, he’s also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.