Governing Council elections

2025 Governing Council elections are now closed.

Introducing you to the newly elected members of Governing Council whose terms will commence on 1 January 2026.

Seat: Building Surveying and Building Control

Richard Cass MRICS

Director – Building Consultancy, CBRE Limited

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!

Seat: Land and Natural Resources

Emily Forth MRICS

Director, Century Associates

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.

Seat: Residential Property

Vicky Clark AssocRICS

Head of Region, Anthem Management

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.

Seat: UK & Ireland

Alan Colston

Chief Valuer, Valuation Office Agency

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.

Seat: UK & Ireland

Vanessa Curtis FRICS

Global Alliance Director – Shell Mobility, CBRE

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.

Seat: UK & Ireland

Lorraine Amanda Williamson FRICS

Senior Associate, Rider Levett Bucknall

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.

Seat: UK & Ireland

Sunny-Thomas Obasuyi MRICS

Associate Partner, HartDixon

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.

Seat: Americas

Alexandra Faciu MRICS

President, Alexandra Capital, and Founder, SAM Curated

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.

Seat: Asia Pacific

John Paul Roberts FRICS

Managing Director, Secretariat Advisors (Australia) Pty Ltd

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.

Seat: Europe

Ayda Chamcham FRICS

Vice President Loan Markets & Syndication, Aareal Bank AG

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.

Seat: Next Generation

Cartier Olivia Charles MRICS

Capital Programme Surveyor, Oxford City Council

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.

“Congratulations to our newly elected Governing Council members. Your expertise and commitment will shape the future of RICS and drive positive change across our global community.”

Nicholas Maclean OBE RD BSc FRICS IRRV

Acting President and Acting Chair of Governing Council

Governing Council elections results

Overall voter turnout: 6.5%

Voter turnout for the geographic seats:

UK & Ireland 4.60%
Asia Pacific 6.9%
Americas 13.9%
Europe 9.5%

Seat	Total number of candidates	Candidate elected	Percentage of vote
Building Surveying and Building Control	8	Richard Cass MRICS	30.21%
Land and Natural Resources	6	Emily Forth MRICS	27.74%
Residential Property	11	Vicky Clark AssocRICS	20.08%
UK&I*	29	Alan Colston MRICS	26.49%
UK&I*	29	Vanessa Curtis FRICS	24.21%
UK&I*	29	Lorraine Amanda Williamson FRICS	15.87%
UK&I*	29	Sunny-Thomas Obasuyi MRICS	14.41%
Americas	9	Alexandra Faciu MRICS	23.02%
Asia Pacific	19	John Paul Roberts FRICS	13.65%
Europe	5	Ayda Chamcham FRICS	48.25%
Next Generation	16	Cartier Olivia Charles MRICS	12.30%

* For the UK & Ireland seats how the percentage of votes is allocated is different to the other seats because there are four seats available. The percentage of the vote received is based on the number of members who voted (members could vote up to four times in the UK & Ireland seat election) and not the number of votes cast. In contrast, the other elections where there is only one seat available, the sum of the individual percentages is 100%.

Newly elected members will take their seats on 1 January 2026

Future Governing Council elections

RICS will be running the next elections to Governing Council in early summer 2027. The elected candidates will take their seats on 1 January 2028. The following seats are expected to be up for election in 2027:

Geographic - UK and Ireland (four seats)
Geographic - Asia Pacific
Geographic – Middle East and Africa
Professional Group – Commercial Property
Professional Group – Construction
Professional Group – Valuation

Key dates
Applications open	June
Applications close	August
Voting opens	September
Voting closes	October
Term starts	1 January 2028

Expressions of interest

If you are interested in applying for the next Governing Council elections and would like to be notified when RICS is accepting applications, please register your interest below:

Expressions of interest

Any questions?

For more information on the Governing Council elections, the role of Governing Council, or any other roles on RICS governance bodies, please contact the Governance Team on governanceappointments@rics.org