The Team
Directors
A chartered accountant, David joined Ernst & Young in 1995 where he managed a significant client portfolio within the trust department of the firm and developed an expertise in structuring, administration, compliance, property acquisition and property management.
In 1998 David left Ernst & Young and started working with Findlay MacAlpine acquiring UK property for individuals and companies and together, they set up Ashbourne to acquire, manage and sell UK property for world-wide investors. David has successfully managed the business plan modelling, structuring, financing, administration, accounting, joint venture partnership, investor, banking, professional adviser and tax authority relationships of Ashbourne over the past 21 years.
Today, David is involved in the real estate opportunities requiring alignment of property development skills and capital to deliver commercial, residential and alternative sector projects, and is also working with charities and local authorities, providing professional support and capital to help unlock ‘trapped’ value within their estates.
In addition, David set up a Trust and Company Service Provider (“TCSP”), Monalin Management Services Ltd (“MMSL”), in 1999 which is authorised to carry out the business of a TCSP by the Department of Justice and Law Reform in Ireland. David is an independent non-executive director of a number of MMSL’s client companies across several industries, providing corporate governance, risk assessment and compliance knowledge and expertise to each.
A chartered surveyor, Findlay began his property investment career in the mid 1980s with Standard Life before joining Conrad Ritblat (now Colliers International) in 1988. As national director within the Capital Markets team, he was responsible for advising clients on multi-sector, real estate investment opportunities throughout the UK.
In 1998 Findlay moved to Mason Philips Chartered Surveyors becoming equity partner, where he sourced, acquired and delivered management strategies across individual assets and portfolios for Ashbourne, GE Capital, F&C Reit and other clients. With Ashbourne, Findlay identified and purchased properties with long-term potential, successfully managing the process of enhancing income and capital values.
In June 2016, Findlay left Mason Philips to concentrate on Ashbourne. Today, Ashbourne is involved in real estate opportunities requiring alignment of property investment and development skills with capital to deliver commercial, residential and alternative sector projects, and is also working with charities and local authorities, providing professional support and capital to help unlock ‘trapped’ value within their estates.
In addition, Findlay is a non-executive director of CEME (Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence), an education, skills, innovation and research organisation that nurtures and supports economic development within the UK. Established 15 years ago to bring prosperity and employment via regeneration of the manufacturing, engineering, science and technology sectors, its focus is within Thames Gateway to the east of London at its 18 acre Rainham Campus.
Alongside corporate governance responsibilities, Findlay’s role is to support and advise the Executive and Board of Directors on property strategies, both over CEME’s existing estate and new projects (CEME is developing plans for further projects around London and within the regional cities) and to ensure the charity’s resources are appropriately directed in pursuit of these objectives.
A chartered surveyor, Richard began his property career in 1987 with Egerton Developments. Working within a small team, he was primarily responsible for the development of sites for office accommodation on the Bath Road, near Heathrow Airport, and also the purchase of Reunion Holdings, a property development and investment company.
In 1991, Richard moved to Safeway Stores Ltd where, responsible for the South East of England and reporting directly to the Head of Property and Main Board, he sourced individual sites, secured planning consents and delivered projects for construction.
In 1996, Richard joined Asda Stores Ltd, heading up the development programme for the South East of England. Working within a small team, he played a key role in the early expansion of the company under Archie Norman and Allan Leighton. Following Wal Mart’s acquisition of Asda, Richard reported to the Wal Mart board in Bentonville and oversaw capital expenditure of some £450m, managing a team of consultants and delivering significant town centre regeneration centred around food stores in the South East.
Upon leaving Asda in 2004, Richard co-founded Town & Beach Ltd to assist Asda with added value opportunities within their property portfolio. This led to securing rights to develop the Asda Crossharbour store on the Isle of Dogs, a major regeneration project on 11 acres providing a new Asda food store, a District Shopping Centre, various community uses and over 850 residential units of which some 240 were affordable.
Working closely with The London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the GLA, and forging a new partnership with Ashbourne who were to bring capital to the project, a planning permission was secured and further capital injected to progress this major regeneration within London’s Docklands. Richard continues to provide consultancy advice on the scheme which now incorporates a school, theatre, and increased residential content of 2000 units.
In 2016 Richard joined Ashbourne full time, bringing his development management skills to the team and today has a key role in delivering value to Ashbourne’s projects.
Alan has over 25 years experience in Real Estate and Corporate Asset Restructuring. A forward-thinking, results orientated Senior Executive with a focus on risk, compliance and corporate governance. He has a proven track record of initiative and performance in high pressure environments.
Alan has over 25 years’ experience in Real Estate and Corporate Asset Restructuring. He joined JP Morgan Chase (formerly Chemical Bank) Real Estate Finance team in New York as a graduate in 1990. He worked on several high-profile US property transactions, however his primary focus was as an analyst supporting senior management, in the development and restructure of Canary Wharf in the London docklands. In 1996, he left JP Morgan Chase and returned to the UK where he obtained a Master Degree in Marketing with Finance.In 1998, he joined The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in London where he held roles in Leveraged Finance Credit and Origination. In 2001, Alan joined the Leveraged Finance Team in the Restructuring Division at RBS where he led a number of prominent debt restructures through 2007. In January 2008, Alan was appointed Managing Director, Head of Restructuring Americas, where he integrated the restructuring divisions of ABN Amro and Citizens Bank into the RBS Group. He subsequently led a team of 150 restructuring professionals across 11 offices in the Americas, managing assets of c$45BN.
In September 2012, he returned to RBS in London before joining RBS Williams and Glynn as Managing Director, Head of Corporate Business Change in July 2013. With the creation of the RBS Capital Resolution Group in January 2014, Alan moved to the role of Head of Indirect Asset Management where he drove the disposal of non-core real estate and corporate assets. Alan left RBS and joined Ashbourne Capital Partners in March 2016.
Alan has sat on numerous Company Boards as an observer to support management teams in his former roles at RBS. He most recently served as a Non-Executive Director of a Dutch holding company where he drove a strong risk, corporate governance and compliance culture.
Stephen is a specialist commercial and residential development and investment lawyer and held the position of a senior real estate partner at Eversheds Sutherland for 27 years. He is a social housing specialist, advising many Local Authorities and Homes England since its creation as English Partnerships, and has worked on the grant and loan facilities offered by Homes England to registered providers and residential developers.
He has worked on many major urban housing and mixed use projects across the UK including for Urban Splash, Mogan Sindell, Lovell and Kier. Stephen has also been involved in the delivery of Local Authority led housing schemes for Manchester, Lambeth, Liverpool, Oxford and Newham.
A key Lawyer engaged in the legacy development for the London 2012 Olympic Park and, more specifically, the Registered Provider led residential development delivery within the Park, Stephen also worked on the proposed £2.5billion residential redevelopment of the 70 acre master plan area of Earls Court in London in joint venture between TfL and Capital & Counties. He has acted for many of the UK’s major developers, institutional investors and public bodies.
Stephen developed the innovative public/private co-investment partnership model, now adopted by several UK local authorities, which enables surplus public sector land to be brought forward alongside investor funding to fast track development of urban sites for residential led regeneration.
In addition, Stephen provides pro bona support for arts and cultural capital projects involving public funding including the £50m extension of Manchester Art Gallery, the new multi arts centre HOME which anchors the emerging First Street area of Manchester City Centre and the planned extension of the iconic Band on the Wall in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.