As appeared in Property Week 11 September 2026.
The director at GIA Surveyors on how he got started in the property industry, his favourite TV show and book, the superpower he would like to have and his love for island-hopping around Greece.
How did you join the property industry?
I started my career with the Environment Agency as a civil engineering apprentice working in flood risk, from my interest in extreme weather. I moved into consulting 10 years ago, which has brought me increasingly into development and property, supporting developments to solve complex flood risk and drainage problems.
What does your job entail?
I lead GIA’s flood risk and drainage practice. My role combines technical advice, business development and service innovation to help clients identify risk early, find practical solutions and use data and digital tools for better decision-making and development planning.
What do you like most about the property industry?
Its tangible impact. The decisions we make become homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods that people experience every day. I am particularly enjoying that blue-green infrastructure and sustainable drainage are becoming more commonplace in developments in every corner of the UK now.
And what do you dislike most about it?
Too often, flood risk and drainage are considered late in the design and planning processes once the important design decisions have already been made, which creates avoidable cost, delay and compromise. Early technical collaboration nearly always produces a better result.
What is your favourite building?
I have always admired 30 St Mary Axe – The Gherkin – in London. I remember it being constructed and being so dominant on the City skyline before everything started going up around it. It definitely piqued my interest in tall buildings. Even today when I walk past it, I have to stop and look up.
If you didn’t work in property, what might you be doing?
I’ve always fancied being a weatherman. I’ve long been fascinated by weather and how it affects our everyday lives. Given that so much of my career has involved rainfall, flooding and climate risk, it probably wouldn’t be a radical departure – I’d just be in front of the map, instead of drafting it for a report.
What would you change about the industry?
How it procures and values specialist expertise. Too often, appointments favour scale or the lowest fee rather than the quality of thinking being offered. I’d like smaller, innovative businesses to have fairer access to opportunities, with advisers selected for their expertise, agility and the outcomes they can deliver.
What are you most proud of in your career?
In my previous role, I built a successful multidisciplinary flood risk and water team from a very small base. We went on to deliver major commissions across the water sector that would have seemed unimaginable at the outset. I am particularly proud that this growth created opportunities for the next generation, with a significant graduate intake each year and space for people to develop successful careers.
Integrity, curiosity and reliability.
What advice would you give someone starting a career in property?
Your reputation is everything. Strong technical capability will always shine through, but it must be supported by preparation, reliability and clear communication. Never go into a meeting unprepared, and take time to understand the client’s wider commercial objectives. In consultancy, clients are ultimately buying the people behind the advice – consultants they trust to understand the problem and deliver the right outcome.
Top recommendations
Favourite destination?
Greece. My last trip there, a group of friends and I chartered a yacht for a week with a skipper and sailed from Mykonos to Santorini via the Small Cyclades islands, stopping each night at a different island to explore. Particular favourite spots were the islands of Amorgos and Ios, which are definitely worth a visit. It was such a great way to see so many unique places off the beaten track with very few tourists.
Favourite TV show?
I enjoy MasterChef because it combines creativity, technical skill and performance under pressure. I like watching contestants turn relatively simple ingredients into something unexpected.
Favourite book?
I enjoyed Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson and have read it twice now because I am fascinated by human behaviour and the different ways people communicate. It encouraged me to think more consciously about my own traits and how other people might interpret them.
Superpower to have?
Storm’s power from X-Men, giving me the ability to control the weather. It feels appropriate after spending so much of my career understanding rainfall, flooding and climate risk. I could prevent extreme weather and guarantee sunshine whenever I went on holiday. It would also make my back-up career as a weatherman a lot easier.