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SPF announces new chairman

The Scottish Property Federation (SPF) announced today that Malcolm Naish, global head of property at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), is to succeed Phil Miller as its chairman. 

Supporting Malcolm for 2010-11 as vice-chairman is David Peck, Managing Director of Buccleuch Property.   Malcolm’s tenure formally begins this evening at a reception held at Edinburgh’s Caledonian Hilton Hotel, to be addressed by Jim Mackinnon the Chief Planning Officer for Scotland and attended by over 190 industry and public sector delegates from across Scotland.

Previously serving as vice chairman of the SPF, Malcolm joined SWIP in 2007 and is responsible for overseeing SWIP's portfolio of commercial property assets across the UK, Europe and North America.

He has over 35 years of experience working in the real estate industry.  Previously he was director and head of DTZ Investment Management, where he was responsible for business development in the UK and in international markets.  He was also a founding partner of Jones Land Wotton Fund Management, and UK managing director of LaSalle Investment Management. In 2002, he co-founded fountain Capital Partners, a pan-European real estate investment manager and adviser.  Malcolm qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1976.

Malcolm Naish commented:

“Working in Edinburgh for a Scottish-based financial institution, it is a great personal pleasure to become chairman of the Scottish Property Federation and to follow in the successful steps of Phil Miller, who has strongly led the interests of the Scottish property industry with all key stakeholders these past twelve months.

“Our industry’s property markets remain fragile. We are also seeing an increasingly polarised market in the UK between London and the rest of the UK.  It is important for Scotland that we encourage investment and development where it is appropriate and as it emerges, or else we risk losing what has become a shrinking pot of opportunity for sustaining jobs and prosperity.

“I intend to pick up therefore where I think Phil leaves us, with a single strong message to governments both in Edinburgh and in London: you must do all that you can to create economic growth, for without it neither the interests of the private sector or the government itself can be sustained.”

For more information or to organise an interview please contact:

David Melhuish, Director, Scottish Property Federation, on 07841 080989 or Gail Hume, Membership and Events Manager, 07872 376255.

Patrick Clift, Media and Public Affairs Manager, the British Property Federation, on 07834 439 505, or pclift@bpf.org.uk

Paul Sweeney, Media Assistant, British Property Federation, psweeney@bpf.org.uk  – 020 7802 0113.

Notes to editors

• The Scottish Property Federation is a representative body for the Scottish property industry and speaks for over 115 corporate members.  Included within our membership are commercial property developers, landlords and managers, fund managers, property owners and long term investors in both commercial and residential property.  We are an integral part of the UK-wide British Property Federation which represents most of the UK and Scotland’s largest property investors, developers and professional property industry advisers and property consultants

• David Peck is Managing Director of Buccleuch Property which was established approximately six years ago as the Commercial Property division of the Buccleuch Group. Before joining Buccleuch David was Development Director for Kilmartin Property Group for ten years, and previously worked in London for Taylor Woodrow and Drivers Jonas

• Commercial and residential property is one of four key business themes around which the wider Buccleuch Group is currently developing its business strategy and looking to identify areas for business growth. Other themes include: Renewable and Alternative energy, using the Groups blend of natural resources and expertise to deliver on energy and environmental objectives; Hospitality, developing activity around the best of cultural, historical and artistic heritage and opportunities presented for outdoor leisure; Sustainable Food, moving from being a primary meat producer to adding value along the whole supply chain and getting closer to end customers.