Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Jon Neale as Head of Research & Strategic Insight.
From 4 September this year, Neale will take on a firm-wide role providing market analysis, social and economic insight and strategic advice to support the full spectrum of the partnership’s clients, including Aviva Investors, U+I, Network Rail and Homes England, in making decisions around future opportunities, risks and impacts.
He joins after 12 years at JLL, including a decade as head of UK research and strategy. His previous roles included Head of Market Intelligence at the then Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England).
The appointment also follows Oli Pye joining Montagu Evans as Head of Sustainability in February. Both are newly-created roles within the firm’s Strategic Advisory team designed to build further on its strategic consulting, economic development and social value capability and support wider client activity, from retrofitting and repurposing assets in a way that optimises value to unlocking regeneration in brownfield sites across regional cities.
, Partner at Montagu Evans and head of its Strategic Advisory team, said: “Current market conditions mean most of our clients are facing significant planning and development challenges, and we want to find ways to simplify, make it easier, and help solve problems quickly.
“Our recent appointment to support the GLA at the Royal Albert Docks and work with CTI at London Stansted Airport demonstrate that clients value our ability to bring together experts from across the partnership, who understand the broader economic landscape, to combine strategic advice with practical support to unlock these challenges.
“Jon is an important hire, at the top of his field, who fills a gap in the market for independent, thought-provoking planning and development insight as we help public and private sector organisations navigate changing landscapes.”
Jon Neale added: “More than ever before, real estate decision-makers need to incorporate a huge range of social, economic and environmental factors in their thinking, with a clear fix on future risks and impacts as well as emerging opportunities.
“This new role will involve applying these insights to areas that I am particularly passionate about, from reinventing town centres amid rapid structural change or repurposing and upgrading our building stock through to Britain’s chronic housing crisis. I can combine this with a clear focus on supporting businesses engaged with and open to these challenges – there is enormous potential here, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
