I developed an interest in my future career while studying geography at school. I was drawn to the built environment through studies on the regeneration of Bristol and urban renewal projects in Birmingham. I may not have known at the time that this was ‘development management’ or ‘surveying’  but it certainly sparked a real interest in how these projects changed the historic city centres and shaped neighbourhoods near where i grew up.

Through studying Land Economy at Pembroke College Cambridge, I researched cities, urban planning and affordable housing policy, to understand how theory and policy decisions translate into real outcomes for people and places. I began my career in residential development and land agency, working on behalf of a range of landowners and getting to grips with the world of promotion agreements, planning risk and Section 106 negotiations. This role taught me a lot and gave me a practical understanding of how the development industry actually works, and often differs from the theory!

After qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor, I moved into development viability at a London Borough. I learnt all about challenges facing development in the London market at the moment, and took on ensuring that the right balance is met between the needs of developers and the need to secure value for local communities.

In my early career I have developed an interest in development project delivery that creates meaningful change. Stories stood out to me in doing things in a way where purpose, thoughtfulness and social impact is at the core of project decisions and outcomes. I enjoy the problem solving and the long-term thinking involved in shaping places from early ideas through to place outcomes that make a meaningful difference.

My role at Stories focuses on financial modelling and technical project analysis and review. This draws together my experience to date and will expose me to the range of projects that Stories has on the go, from initial scheme option analysis to on-site technical reviews. I’m very excited to get stuck in!