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Introducing the New Vice Chair of ULI UK Young Leaders Committee
ULI UK is pleased to announce that Yohance Harper has been appointed as the new vice-chair of our Young Leaders Committee.
ULI NEXT UK Introduce New Vice-Chairs
25 May 2021
Didem Erendil and Matt Walker have been appointed vice-chairs of the ULI NEXT UK committee. NEXT is our programme for members aged 35-45, to foster leadership opportunities within the ULI and the wider real estate industry.
Didem Erendil , director of real estate investment, WMG Advisors is the former co-chair of ULI NEXT Turkey, acts as the president of LSE Global Real Estate Group and is a member (and assessor) of the RICS. Matt Walker, partner, Gowling WLG, has been an active ULI member for ten years and, in addition to NEXT, is actively involved with the ULI UK Midlands committee, specifically supporting our Midlands Young Leaders.
In a new committee structure, current co-chair James Lai, associate principal, CallisonRTKL, will step into the role of chair, supported by Matt and Didem. We would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the outgoing co-chair Rob Mello, who has been a fantastic leader for the past two years and worked hard to organise a variety of events for our NEXT membership. Rob will remain serving as a committee member.
Matt is a real estate partner at Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co) focussing on development and investment work for clients in the logistics, build to rent, retail, student accommodation and office sectors acting for a wide variety of clients from public sector entities, through to developers and institutional investors.
Matt commented: “I’m delighted to have taken on the role; I’ve been involved with ULI at a number of different levels for numerous years now and am excited to be starting the next chapter in my involvement with ULI.”
Didem has over 15 years’ experience in real estate including investment advisory and asset management at Cushman & Wakefield and Pramerica Real Estate Investors, working with a wide range of global investors and developers. She currently works for WMG Advisors LLP based in London as director of real estate investments with primary responsibilities involving capital raising and investor relations in addition to origination and analysis of real estate opportunities and potential partnerships.
Didem said: “I’m pleased to be an active member of the ULI community since 2008, which has supported me throughout my career with its priceless network and know-how. Following my role as ULI NEXT Turkey Co-Chair for four years, I am excited to join ULI NEXT UK as vice-chair. In taking on this new role I hope to further contribute to the ULI ecosystem, connecting with the next generation of leaders and create value for people in real estate, the built environment and society.”
James Lai added: “Congratulations to Matt and Didem who have been elected as ULI NEXT UK vice-chairs! Having worked with Matt since our Young Leader days and seen his contributions in the ULI Midlands committee, I know he will be a great addition to the team. I am also delighted to welcome Didem who until recently has been co-chair of ULI NEXT Turkey. Her past experience will continue to strengthen the link between the UK and the wider European network.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my outgoing co-chair Rob Mello who has been tremendous for the past two years. We are truly grateful for all the great work he has done.”
Click here to find out more about our ULI NEXT UK committee and upcoming programme.