MRG was appointed by the University of Bristol in early 2018 following the announcement of the upcoming retirement of the existing Director of Estates. This was an incredibly exciting time to be joining the University as in June 2016, the University had launched its new strategic plan for the period up to 2023 which set out ambitious plans to be supported by significant (and fully funded) capital investment including the £100 million plus transformation of Tyndall Place, and a new £300 million city centre campus, the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
The Director of Estates was to take strategic leadership responsibility for the development and management of the University’s physical environment spanning the areas of facilities management, capital projects delivery, space and asset management and sustainability.
The brief was to secure a shortlist of senior level candidates with a track record of leading large scale and complex development programmes with development partners, preferably in urban environments.
The appointed candidate joined from a commercial development business where they were COO. Prior to this they had held senior and executive level roles in large scale urban local authorities with particular responsibility for regeneration and property.