When we created Woodbourne in 2001, we were driven by a clear purpose; unlock value through the acquisition, active asset management and repositioning of Real Estate. Our ethos has always reflected a desire to build a reputable, long-term and sustainable business; maintaining strong financial discipline.
We have over 130 years of combined experience and a track record surpassing £5bn. Our team’s skills and expertise have played a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of UK’s most notable and complex mixed-use schemes. Culminated with a business whose foundation has been built on integrity and hard work, supported by a robust financial position; adds an extra layer of uncommon value to any joint venture; deals on a pound for pound basis to providing development management services to landowners, occupiers, fund partners, charitable and public-sector organisations. We draw inspiration from Winston Churchill’s famous phrase “blood, toil, tears and sweat”.
We screen more than £300m of site purchase opportunities every year from an established and privileged network of relationships. Only the most compelling opportunities are selected that offer potential for significant added value through planning, development and active asset management.
Over the last decade, the Company has diversified its activities; moving from retaining assets in the long-term to securing value-add opportunities across the UK.
Kappa founded Woodbourne Homes in 2001, the precursor to Woodbourne Group. He brings a well-established track record of acquiring, developing, and refurbishing residential properties to a combined value exceeding £150 million. Operating through his family office, he has successfully undertaken various ventures, including bridging financing to acquiring planning permissions and developing multiple commercial and industrial properties that were subsequently leased to 5A1 covenant tenants. Prior to this, Kappa served as the founder and chief executive of a successful retail chain.
With over four decades of industry and local market experience, Kappa plays a pivotal role in guiding the Group's Board, offering crucial support for intricate transactions.
Tani, the founder and chief executive of Woodbourne Group, is responsible for leading the company's operations and management. His role involves shaping the group’s strategic vision, implementing long-term plans, and overseeing the day-to-day activities of directors. To date, Tani has effectively acquired, secured planning, developed, and monetised over 1.19 million sq ft of real estate across all major use-classes. This includes skilfully negotiating intricate financial arrangements with local planning authorities to successful exits with S&P 500 listed pension funds and government-funded entities, achieving benchmark returns.
Tani possesses expertise in land assembly, planning, feasibility, risk analysis, and preleasing of proposed developments and refurbishments. His ability to engage influencers, originating and syndicating deals, along with a can-do attitude, seamlessly integrates into the Group's expanding development pipeline. Recently, he established Woodbourne Ventures, driving diverse investment deals from Fintech to Cleantech and Web3. The company now strategically focuses on asset-backed businesses, leveraging its property expertise. Tani has played a crucial role in steering the company towards a concentration on life sciences and entry into the children's care market.
Tani is a dedicated advocate for Birmingham, actively supporting the city through philanthropy. His involvement extends to various international charitable projects, and he participates in local charity initiatives whenever possible. Tani has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and BBC News and is a regular speaker at global family-office conferences, real estate, and private equity forums, providing valuable insights into property, finance, and investing.
Ian moved to Woodbourne Group after 17 years as a project director at Lendlease, a publicly listed multinational construction, property, and investment company. With over 25 years in the industry, he is a seasoned property professional adept at overseeing all facets of project delivery. Ian has led the planning, procurement, and execution of diverse mixed-use construction projects, cumulatively valued at over £750m, encompassing residential, education, commercial, retail, and leisure sectors.
In his role at Woodbourne, Ian ensures the successful delivery of the project portfolio from concept to completion, aligning with predetermined benchmarks in quality, cost, time, and safety. His skill lies in unifying project teams and engaging internal and external stakeholders, contributing to the achievement of successful project outcomes.
Tes Adamou is a distinguished figure in the UK's life science sector. With credentials including Incorporated Engineer with ICE, Chartered Project Manager with RICS, retired Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and Member of the Association for Project Management, he possesses a wealth of expertise. Tes has played a pivotal role in the successful planning, delivery, and leasing of £400 million Life Science schemes, as well as steering R&D campuses to GMP manufacturing facilities and Higher Education in the UK.
Fueled by a passion for cultivating a more sustainable urban environment, Tes actively incorporates Construction Technology to realise this vision. He staunchly believes in the industry's responsibility for a positive environmental impact, advocating for the approach of zero net carbon and empowering those contributing to such initiatives. In addition to his professional roles, Tes serves as a visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London in Construction Law and Project Management, and he holds a position as a Board Member of the Zebra Housing Association. Tes brings a comprehensive perspective to his role at Woodbourne. Collaborating with the Chief Executive, he spearheads the Life Science ambitions for the West Midlands.
Ayesha joined Woodbourne Group from Seven Capital. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge spanning over 15 years of experience in residential sales, lettings and property management in private and social housing sectors. Her broad skill set is deployed to support a number of important functions within the Group; the day-to-day management of the investment portfolio, tenant liaison, monitoring operational expenditure, head-office and corporate operations including assistance across the team.
Helen possesses more than 15 years of extensive experience in positions encompassing Personal Assistance, Office Management, and Operations Management. She joins Woodbourne Group having worked in Wealth Management following a 13 year career in the NHS, wherein she assumed the mantle of overseeing stakeholder management, cultivating new avenues for business development, and fortifying established relationships.
As an indispensable member of the team, Helen assumes the critical role of orchestrating the schedule and communication channels of the Chief Executive. Her responsibilities encompass a wide spectrum, including but not limited to the strategic management of emails, collating essential documents in anticipation of meetings, coordinating travel arrangements, and offering critical support to the team wherever needed.
With a wealth of over five decades in real estate investment and transactions, Stuart has successfully acquired assets exceeding £2 billion throughout his distinguished career, spanning all primary sectors of the real estate market. Until a short while ago, he held the position of Director at Frogmore, a renowned real estate fund manager with a significant presence in the UK and internationally. Stuart possesses a tangible, contemporary, and profound understanding of the UK real estate landscape, investment markets, returns, performance metrics, and the management of private equity real estate funds.
His experience is strategically employed to guide the Group's Board, offering invaluable support for intricate transactions, recruitment initiatives, and financial undertakings.
David is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in the development and operation of life science laboratories. He has engineered the UK's inaugural commercial leased laboratory and contributed significantly to birthing Europe's largest commercial life science cluster during his tenure. He has been instrumental in the successful business planning, delivery and leasing of over 2.5m sq ft of commercial laboratory space including Cambridge Science Park, Newcastle Biosphere, Liverpool Science Park, Thames Valley Science Park and Edinburgh BioQuarter. David’s clients include GlaxoSmithKline, City and County Councils, Greater London Authority, NHS, Queensland Government, Scottish Government and a number of leading UK-universities. David invests substantial effort in tracking market trends and assessing sector-wide achievements, both on a national and global scale.
Locally, we encourage our team to be actively involved in the communities where they live and work, supporting local initiatives, charities and community-related activities and other philanthropic projects.
Our Chief Executive allocates two days a month to helping students develop and recognise their skills to achieve their long-term ambitions.
Globally, we recognise we are part of a wider multi-national and multi-faith community and that our daily challenges pale into insignificance compared with those faced by many others.
Consequently, the Group actively donates towards humanitarian aid relief in natural disaster areas and in conflict zones around the world.