Keynote Speakers
Versha Koria CIHCM
Head of Affordable Housing Growth - Homes England
Versha is the Head of Affordable Housing Growth covering the South West for Homes England. She leads a team that supports housing providers to maximise affordable housing and estate regeneration across the South West and is experienced in delivering solutions across diverse housing markets. Her track record includes funding high quality supported housing, working closely with Local Authority partners and contract managing larger housing association consortiums that have secured over £100m of grant funding.
Versha holds an honours degree in Engineering from Exeter University. She is a chartered member of the institute for housing and has previously been a Company Director and Trustee for EDP Alcohol and Drugs services.
In her free time, Versha likes to travel both locally in Devon and abroad.
Jamie Hunter
Development Director - Hill Partnership
Jamie is qualified planning and development surveyor and a specialist in mixed tenure estate transformation and public private partnerships. Having being Hill’s group development director for over 16 years, he is passionate about working collaboratively and is at the forefront of forming strategic alliances with local authorities and housing associations.
Hill is the second largest privately owned housebuilder in the UK delivering around 2,700 new homes in London, the south east and south west. It is renowned for its partnering approach with the public sector.
Brendan Geraghty
CEO - UKAA
Architect, design and development strategist Brendan Geraghty is a recognised Build to Rent (BTR) thought leader who has been active in the sector since 2011. Brendan is known for actively championing the integration of consumer culture in BTR with a ‘brand before building’ approach.
Brendan combines deep generalist and broad specialist knowledge, creating structured development and consumer centric BTR strategies, integrating consumer culture principles with investment requirements. He has spent 16 years in senior roles, including with Centred Architecture, Optim and Geraghty Taylor Architects, before becoming CEO of UKAA (the UK Apartment Association) in 2022.
Spearheading the UKAA’s leadership through high quality knowledge and research, Brendan will be supporting the organisation to serve as the voice of the Build to Rent sector in the UK. He will also explore new relationships with others in the residential sector with an interest in Build to Rent including housing associations, co-living investors and operators, contractors and house builders as well as pressing ESG issues such as Net Zero Carbon.
Kunle Awofeso MRICS MCIOB MAPM NECReg
Director/Partner at Airey Miller
Kunle Awofeso is a Director at Airey Miller Limited leading on the delivery of large scale, high risk/high value complex developments. ’Kunle is also involved with Business Development activities, leading on funding initiatives, NEC Contracts advice, training of APM & RICS APC candidates and he is a member of the practice’s Net Zero working group.
Kunle is an Architect, a Chartered Construction Manager (CCM-CIOB), a Chartered Building Surveyor (RICS), a registered NEC Project Manager (NECReg) and a member of the Association for Project Management (APM). ‘Kunle has over 30 years industry experience covering private and public sector organisations- working on residential, regeneration, education, and public health projects. ‘Kunle has worked on some of the largest regeneration projects in London - including Bolney Meadows and Stockwell Estates regeneration – and on complex new build schemes, including a land assembly residential development in Dover which was delivered on programme, on budget and exceeding the client’s expectations- winning the RICS South Region 2022 best residential award.
Prior to joining Airey Miller in 2016, ’Kunle worked in Senior management at Arcadis, AECOM, Baily Garner and Peabody Trust. He was also the Special Adviser, Project Management, to the Lagos State Governor between 2013-2015, where he championed a more structured delivery of projects state-wide; led on the redesign of the 2nd phase of the states’ affordable home ownership scheme (Lagos HOMS) to achieve a safer, more functional , easy to maintain apartment blocks at 5% build cost reduction; managed the successful delivery of the state’s ultra-modern printing press, amongst other projects.
‘Kunle is a self-driven professional with a real passion in the built environment, functional & cost-effective design, procurement & contract formulation as well as value optimisation.
Simon Chatfield
Head of BtR
John Lewis Partnership
Simon joined John Lewis in April 2022 to lead the development of their BtR venture. Simon previously spent 12 years in the BtR industry. His experience spans securing, developing, operating and funding a portfolio of 1,200 properties for Willmott Dixon under their 'Apo' brand. Prior to that, Simon spent 20 years as Development Director at one of London's largest housing associations where he specialised in major projects including estate regeneration.
Rebecca Hart
Decarbonisation Project Manager
United Living
'Entering the sector as a Technician for the rail industry I secured an electrical apprenticeship with my local council and progressed to managing various schemes such as the Community Energy Savings Programme and other Energy projects such as RemoUrban Horizon 2020 and the first UK Energiesprong pilot to develop approaches to domestic retrofit. After nearly 20 years in local authority I joined United Living, where I use my knowledge and experience to support delivery teams plan, mobilise, and deliver complex, compliant, and large scale retrofit projects.'
Simon Chatfield
Head of BtR
John Lewis Partnership
Simon joined John Lewis in April 2022 to lead the development of their BtR venture. Simon previously spent 12 years in the BtR industry. His experience spans securing, developing, operating and funding a portfolio of 1,200 properties for Willmott Dixon under their 'Apo' brand. Prior to that, Simon spent 20 years as Development Director at one of London's largest housing associations where he specialised in major projects including estate regeneration.