UK & Ireland

UK & Ireland World Regional Board

Chair, Simon Prichard MRICS

Simon was appointed to the Gerald Eve Executive Board in 2007 as Strategy Partner and was appointed Senior Partner in 2015.

For most of his career he has worked in the City, initially with Cable & Wireless Plc and more recently with Wright Oliphant - a subsidiary of Hambros Bank. He is a Chartered Surveyor and has provided Real Estate advice to major corporates including JP Morgan, Carnival PLC, DMGT and Whitbread, as well as major landowners including the Grosvenor Estate, Land Securities and Standard Life.

He sits on the academic board of the University College of Estate Management and is a prominent figure within the property industry.

UK and Ireland World Regional Board members

Charlton Bland MRICS
Allison Sandle MRICS
Christina Hurst, MRICS
Emma Causer - Director, UK&I
Claire Hall – Market Engagement Manager UK&I, UK Markets

UK & Ireland World Regional Board Members

Stephen Ashworth, FRICS

Chairman & CEO, Hurstwood Holdings

Stephen J. Ashworth is Chairman and CEO, joint founder and the major shareholder of Hurstwood Holdings, Arrowmere Capital, Crystal Holdings and Queens Square Capital. With nearly 40 years’ experience working in the commercial and residential property sector with a successful proven track record. Stephen was appointed as Chair of the RICS North West regional board in August 2018, a member of the UK & Ireland World Regional Board and is also a registered mentor for the organisation. Stephen is also involved in a number of charitable organisations and is a Trustee of Destination Florida Children’s Charity.

James Ginley, FRICS

Director of Technical Surveying, e.surv

James joined e.surv in 2021, as Director of Technical Surveying, from Legal & General where he managed their lending portfolio, having previously held the role of Technical Director at Legal & General Surveying Services. He is a Fellow of the RICS and a member of the Equity Release Council Committee. James is an author of RICS guidance on valuation of new build properties and a regular commentator on the housing market and valuation practices.

Jason Essenhigh, FRICS

Assistant Director of Enterprise and Operational Risk, Homes England

Jason Essenhigh is the Assistant Director of Enterprise and Operational Risk at Homes England, the UK government’s housing and regeneration delivery agency. Jason commenced his career pathway in general practice before becoming a professional valuer specialising in the valuation and disposal of distressed financial assets. Moving to English Partnerships in 1999 provided Jason with an opportunity to broaden his surveying and development experience, supporting the delivery of public-sector urban regeneration mixed-use projects and the reuse of heritage buildings. Appointed to the RICS UK and Ireland World Board in 2018, Jason is partway through his second term of office. Prior to this appointment, he was Head of the Valuation Profession at Homes England and served on the Board of the Government Property Profession, representing commercial and investment disciplines. In his spare time Jason uses his knowledge of heritage assets to assist a City of London based not-for-profit organisation maintain and adapt their historic building to cope with the challenges of long-term sustainability and climate change. In acknowledgement of this association he was elected a freeman of the City of London in 2011 and is now a Liveryman. Jason is also a trustee of a charity supporting the hotel and hospitality industry.

Ronan O'Hara, FRICS

Chief Executive , Crown Estate Scotland

Ronan is a senior property professional specialising in complex investment initiatives, sustainable development, strategic asset management and leading change. He is Chief Executive for Crown Estate Scotland, a new public corporation focused on delivering investment in property, natural resources, and people to create lasting value for Scotland. In addition, he holds the position of Trustee with the Chartered Institute of Housing and Non-Executive Director with social housing provider Acis Group Ltd. His career has included senior appointments at the University of Cambridge, Northern Ireland’s Strategic Investment Board (SIB), English Heritage, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Circle Housing Group, amongst others. He holds degrees in Business and Finance, Building Surveying and Environmental Sciences from the Queens University Belfast, the Open University Business School and London Southbank University. As a Chartered Surveyor, he has been privileged to lead major investment programmes, manage and maintain priceless historic estates, deliver digital transformation and drive innovation and growth through some of the UK’s largest and most progressive public sector organisations. He is particularly interested in promoting the value and benefit of non-cognate routes to membership, diversity equality and inclusion and sustainable development.

Richard Golding

Chair of RICS Matrics UK Board, Gleeds

Richard Golding qualified as an AssocRICS Commercial Surveyor in 2021 and works for Gleeds, an international property and construction consultancy. He supports growth and business development for London and other key areas around the world, such as New York, and the Middle East. He is also a NextGen Member of the British Council for Offices, with more than 10 years’ experience in the built environment. Richard believes that RICS Matrics is the ideal platform to drive positive change in the surveying profession, and the wider property and infrastructure sectors. Most recently, he has helped steer Matrics London to successfully deliver a 12-month plan, which saw the committee reimagined post pandemic. In collaboration with RICS staff, the board will take lead on vision and strategy for RICS Matrics in the UK, with a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of surveyors. Responsible for helping elevate 12 regions and 30 committees, who interact with a network of more than 70,000.

Sarah Chaudhry, MBA FRICS

Director, Surveyor Store Ltd

As member of the UK & Ireland world regional board, Sarah hopes to create a more inclusive profession and represent the UK’s growing minority community, local government and registered providers. Having 25 years corporate real estate experience, Sarah is Director of Surveyor Store Ltd. Sarah is Chair on a charities development board, and an experienced non-Executive Director who has worked for Registered Providers, Local Government and Consultancy. Sarah is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a Management Consultant Surveyor and holds an MBA in Construction and Real Estate and a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management.