Grant King retired after 16 years in his role as Managing Director, Origin Energy Limited, in October 2016. Grant has extensive experience in the Australian energy industry. He was formerly the Managing Director of Boral Energy and prior to that role, the General Manager, AGL Gas Companies where he held a number of management positions.

He is Chairman of HSBC Australia, CWP Renewables, GreenCollar and is Chairman of Sydney Water. He also Chairs the Climate Change Authority. He chaired the Expert Panel advising the Commonwealth Minister for Energy examining additional sources of low cost abatement and is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Commonwealth Government’s Technology Roadmap. He is also the Chairman of Arventa and runs his own advisory business specialising in energy markets, climate and technology. He also holds a position as Professor of Energy Engineering and is Chairman of the Energy Institute at the University of NSW.

Grant's presentation will cover

The journey to a carbon neutral 2050

Annabel is a JLL Senior Director, Head of JLL’s National Industrial & Logistics Research team and Head of Research for Victoria. She is responsible for the production of thought leadership papers and market analysis covering office, industrial, retail, residential and cities and precincts research. She manages a team of high performing research analysists across Australia and works closely with colleagues in other states, APAC region and across EMEA and US.

Annabel's presentation will cover

Sustainable buildings and flight to quality, impact to office buildings

Office occupier markets are in recovery but vacancy remains elevated across most geographies. Tenants have choice and markets are diverging. How is the era of sustainability influencing investor and occupier decisions?

Melissa and her team partner with our Funds Management, Strategy, and Investment Management teams across a broad performance remit. The specific functions within the team include: Digital & Technology Strategy, Asset Technology Management, Business Transformation and Support, Business Systems Success and Data Management.

Melissa holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of International Business, International Management. She is also a Certified Turnaround Professional, a Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner, and Graduate of the Company Directors Course.

Melissa's presentation will cover

Proptech innovation, digital masterplanning and the metaverse

There has been a long-held view that the Real Estate industry is a laggard when it comes to technology adoption; but this viewpoint is increasingly being challenged and will soon become a legacy of times gone past. The immergence of ‘Proptech’ (short for property technology) is a short-hand way to design the range of ways that technology is being applied to solving a wide range of opportunities in real estate businesses; and for large scale commercial owners and managers, there are huge opportunities. Not only to become more efficient; but also to engage in the omnichannel, digitalised world that investors, tenants, employees and consumers have grown to expect. An emerging domain to address this opportunities have been coined ‘digital masterplanning’, brining the technology lens as early as possible in the design and development of new spaces. And if that wasn’t enough of a shift for organisations; here comes the metaverse… and what does it really mean for our funds and organisations?

Dimity joined Preston Rowe Paterson Sydney in early 2011 as an Assistant Valuer after almost a year in a similar capacity at Herron Todd White Valuers on the Gold Coast in QLD, after having graduated from Bond University. Following being accepted as a Certified Practicing Valuer in Sydney shortly thereafter, she progressed into practising as a Commercial Valuer.

After approximately 10 years of service at Preston Rowe Paterson Sydney, Dimity was appointed to an Associate Director in February 2021, where she continues to provide advice on specialised assets classes, in addition to commercial, retail, industrial and residential development projects. In addition to this, Dimity has worked extensively in the area of childcare centre valuation, land tax reviews and objections and unit entitlement reallocations or assessments. Dimity has also served Evidence as an Expert Witness in a valuation and advisory capacity at the Land and Environment Court of NSW and the Supreme Court of NSW.

For over ten years, Dimity has acted for various Council's and State Government Departments providing valuation advice for the acquisition of residential, commercial and industrial property for various infrastructure projects around metropolitan Sydney.

Dimity's presentation will cover

Navigating rising inflation, increasing interest rates and the weight of money – a valuer’s perspective

The transitory nature of the current inflationary business cycle has caused further disruption post COVID for property investment. Whilst we are still in the early stages of this cycle and the full effect is yet to play out, Dimity will pinpoint factors which have led markets in the low interest rate environment together with economic and market forces which are driving pre-emptive change. Whether or not the weight of capital will see the cycle as a short inflationary blip will only be revealed by market activity? What is the market activity telling us in the early onset of inflation?

Ryan began his insurance career in 2001 at a major international brokerage before joining the Professional Risks division at GSA in 2005. He holds a Diploma in Financial Services (Insurance Broking) through the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) and is a committee member of the Australian Professional Indemnity Group (APIG). Using his years of industry experience and knowledge Ryan has become a highly respected insurance broker in both the Australian and London markets As a Shareholder of GSA, Ryan is committed to ensuring every client has the right advice and market leading solutions in place to meet legislative and commercial requirements.

Ryan's presentation will cover

Insurance Landscape: negotiating the changing market with updates on core sectors

With some uncertainty still prevailing around who and what can or cannot be insured, premiums still rising and Insurers leaving and joining the market, there is a lot to be discussed in this sector which, far from being a must have add on, is now a driver of change in the property funds sector. Hear from the industry experts at GSA on how to negotiate the way forward and provide an update on each of the core areas that are affected.

Vanessa is a Special Counsel in Hall & Wilcox’s corporate funds team. Her experience transcends transactional, regulatory and advisory work for a range of clients, and involves mergers and acquisitions, funds and equity capital markets transactions. She regularly acts for fund managers in establishing wholesale and retail funds, across the direct property, debt and property securities asset classes in particular, and on their co-investments and joint venture arrangements.

Vanessa will be our moderator for the Master Class