Our Advisory Board
Angus Macdonald
Regional Builders
Founder and CEO, Galion Homes
Angus Macdonald is the Founder and CEO of Galion, a Southwest-based property development company known for its award-winning, traditionally designed homes. With a strong focus on architectural identity, natural materials, and local character, Galion delivers sustainable, high-quality newbuilds that balance luxury with environmental responsibility.
Angus began his career as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy, later flying for the aerial filming industry and British Airways. Alongside aviation, he pursued residential refurbishment and investment, completing an MSc in Property Development and Project Management in 2002.
Since then, Angus has led successful developments across Bristol and Plymouth, including a landmark 500-home waterside scheme on a former MOD site. In 2010, he founded British Solar Renewables Ltd, delivering over 600MW of solar energy and championing low-impact construction.
Ben Murphy
Landowners Map & Directory
Director, Placemaking Partners
Ben is a Chartered (Planning and Development) Surveyor and Director of Placemaking Partners, advising several major landowners over their ambitions for building new communities as a catalyst for positive change, creating and executing development strategies which add long term value in the most community centred way.
Ben is also Chair of Homes for Cornwall CIC, championing the mission to tackle Cornwall’s housing crisis by convening landowners with SME’s and RP’s to drive innovation in the funding and delivery of better quality, more sustainable and affordable homes.
Ben has built up deep expertise in the land assembly, masterplanning and development of sustainable communities for Private Estates, Public Agencies and Plc’s; and given evidence to Government Committees contributing to policy and programmes on housing and the environment.
Formerly Estate Director for the Duchy of Cornwall, leading the delivery of benchmarks in placemaking including Nansledan in Cornwall, Poundbury in Dorset and SE Faversham in Kent.
Prior to this, Ben was a Development Manager on pioneering development and regeneration projects ranging from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to Countryside Properties Plc.
Daniel Joyce
Funding
Managing Director, Property Finance, Close Brothers Group
Daniel Joyce is Managing Director at Close Brothers Property Finance, part of the Close Brothers Group plc, a leading UK merchant bank, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250. Daniel joined the business in 2000 and, after successfully growing a portfolio of residential development and commercial investment loans, he was promoted to Director in 2015, Deputy Managing Director in 2023 and Managing Director in 2025.
Daniel oversees a team dedicated to supporting SME housebuilders across the UK with bespoke development finance solutions. Close Brothers Property Finance is renowned for its relationship-led approach, deep sector expertise, and ability to provide funding through market cycles. Under Daniel’s leadership, the division continues to focus on lending to experienced SME housebuilders, helping them to play a bigger role in housing delivery, while fostering long-term partnerships with clients.
David Bryant
Building Coalition
Owner, DGB Developments
David Bryant is a seasoned housebuilding executive with over four decades of experience in residential development and leadership. He began his career in quantity surveying before rising through senior roles at Comben Homes and Bellway Plc. In 1985, he joined Persimmon Homes, becoming Managing Director, then Main Board Director in 1990, and later Group Development Director. He played a key role in major acquisitions—including Ideal Homes, Beazer, Charles Church, and Westbury—while overseeing multiple regional operations and group functions including sales, marketing, procurement, and health & safety.
After retiring from Persimmon in 2009, David has remained active in the sector. He has served as Chairman of the New Homes Marketing Board, CEO of Halsbury Homes, a senior adviser to Lloyds Bank’s Housing Growth Partnership and Non-Executive Chairman at Bowbridge Homes. He is currently Chairman of the HBF Small Developers Group and owns DGB Developments, a consultancy practice.
Gail Mayhew
The Stewardship Initiative
Director, Smart Growth Associates. Co-founder, The Stewardship Initiative
Gail Mayhew is a leading placemaking and regeneration specialist with experience in property and urban planing. As Director of Smart Growth Associates and Co-Founder of The Stewardship Initiative, she has championed high quality mixed use development that prioritises community, sustainability and place quality.
She has held senior roles including Commissioner for the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, the NALEP Building Growth Reference group and Built Environment Expert for the Design Council. Her career spans securing planning and development delivery - such planning for complex schemes such as the 2800 home mixed use urban Bolgar at Purfleet on Thames; the structuring of a number of regeneration vehicles and influential, market facing research for the King’s Foundation such as - ‘Valuing Sustainable Urbanism’ and ‘Best Value in Land’.
With a background in law from the University of Edinburgh, Gail brings a unique blend of strategic policy insight, real estate economics, and management consultancy. Her work continues to shape people-focused urban environments rooted in long-term stewardship and design excellence.
James Bradbury
Housing Association
Chief Investment Officer at Stonewater
James has worked in the housing sector for over 25 years, with particular expertise in delivering sustainable and affordable homes at scale. He has been with Stonewater – a leading UK social housing provider - for 20 years, starting out as a Development Manager and progressing to his current role as Chief Investment Officer. James is responsible for asset investment, building safety, housing development and strategic delivery, driving the creation of high-quality, sustainable homes and communities. He has a strong track record of leading complex development and regeneration programmes, working closely with Homes England, local authorities, and strategic partners to increase the supply of affordable housing while shaping Stonewater's long-term investment approach. James has been instrumental in attaining the organisation's SHIFT Gold status, establishing the Greenoak Centre of Excellence and championing innovation in MMC and Lean construction plus smart home technology.
John Newcomb
Regional Materials
Chief Executive, Builders Merchants Federation
John Newcomb is Chief Executive Officer of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), representing over 950 members with combined sales exceeding £45bn and employing more than 208,000 people. Since his appointment in 2012, John has driven major growth and enhanced the BMF’s national influence, making it a leading voice in the construction supply chain.
He joined the Construction Leadership Council in 2020, playing a pivotal role in the industry’s coordinated response to COVID-19. His leadership earned multiple accolades, including Business Leader’s COVID Business Hero and the COVID Response Award for Outstanding Leadership.
John is also President of UFEMAT, the European trade body for the merchant industry, and sits on advisory boards for FEST and the Installer Show. He is a Liveryman of two City Companies and a recipient of the Trade Association Forum’s Leadership Award.
John holds an MBA from the University of Bradford and previously held senior roles in the DIY and housewares sector.
John Slaughter
Technical Manuals
Strategic Advisor, Future Homes Hub
John Slaughter was Director of Industry Affairs at the Home Builders Federation (HBF) for over 22 years and currently serves part-time as Strategic Advisor to the Future Homes Hub.
With a wide-ranging national policy remit, John has led HBF’s work on sustainability, skills, innovation, urban design, and housing for older people, while also managing political and industry liaison.
He was instrumental in founding the Home Building Skills Partnership and represented housing on the Construction Leadership Council’s Task Force for four years. John played a key role in establishing the Future Homes Hub, which supports the industry in meeting Net Zero and wider environmental goals, and he also served as a Commissioner for the Affordable Housing Commission.
His current focus includes developing policy around water efficiency, water neutrality, and implementing a mandatory SuDS regime for new developments. John previously worked in the oil and gas sector and as a civil servant at the Department for Trade and Industry.
Lee Jackson
Housing Manuals
Technical & WholeHouse Director, Travis Perkins Plc
Lee Jackson is an architect with nearly 30 years’ experience in new build, retrofit, and manufacturing across diverse building sectors. Since joining the Travis Perkins Group in 1999, he has held senior roles in Sales, Operations, Technical Leadership, and Programme Delivery.
More recently, Lee has focused on supporting regional housebuilders through evolving challenges in regulation, design, sustainability, and innovation, always prioritising commercially viable solutions tailored to client goals.
In October 2021, Lee was appointed WholeHouse Director, leading a team developing an innovative design platform that streamlines the complex planning, design, and construction processes for homebuilders, coordinating everything needed in one integrated system.
Mark White
Building Coalition
Managing Director, Bargate Homes, Board Member HBF
Mark White is the Managing Director of Bargate. He began his career in building contracting, earning a Diploma in Quantity Surveying and becoming a Chartered Member of the RICS.
Before joining Bargate 20 years ago, he worked with Linden Homes in the Southern region. Mark was Bargate’s first employee at inception and carried out a variety of roles before being promoted to Managing Director following the acquisition by VIVID in 2019 – Hampshire’s largest provider of affordable homes. He recently led the refinancing of Bargate to support its expansion and has introduced procedures to meet NHQB standards.
Paul Henry
Regional Builders
Managing Director, Esquire Developments
Paul Henry is the Managing Director of Esquire Developments, one of the fastest growing privately owned SME housebuilders in the South East. Based in Kent, Esquire has seen rapid growth, delivering high quality, design led residential developments that consistently balance commercial performance with placemaking and long-term value creation.
Esquire has built a reputation for excellence, earning industry recognition through multiple awards that reflect its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer-focused delivery. Central to this success is a clear strategic vision identifying opportunities in complex planning environments, executing schemes efficiently, and delivering developments that enhance the communities in which they sit.
A defining aspect is Esquire’s work with legacy landowners. They champion a partnership led model that prioritises transparency, trust, and long-term alignment of interests, ensuring landowners remain engaged throughout the development journey. This approach not only unlocks sites in sensitive or constrained locations but also ensures that schemes are delivered with a strong focus on place, character, and lasting value.
Beyond his role at Esquire, Paul is an active contributor to the wider industry. He chairs the Kent SME Developer Network, where he brings together regional developers to share best practice, address common challenges, and advocate for the SME sector. His leadership within the network reflects a broader commitment to strengthening the industry and supporting sustainable growth across the region.
Tapiwa Gavaza
B&G Infrastructure
Founding Director, Quantum CE. CEO, Water Offsets Ltd
Tapiwa Gavaza is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist with over 22 years’ experience in infrastructure and development engineering across the UK and internationally. He is the Founding Director of Water Offsets and Quantum Consulting Engineers, and CEO of a pioneering WaterTECH company focused on water neutrality in the UK and water resilience in Latin America.
A recognised innovator, Tapiwa developed a WaterTECH platform enabling the design, delivery, and monitoring of water-neutral developments. In the UK, he has led landmark projects including a water-neutral sports and residential village of 800 homes and a major eco-tourism spa and wellness site. His companies have delivered over 3,000 water-neutral homes to date.
Internationally, his work is advancing city-scale water resilience initiatives in LATAM, backed by multilateral funding. Tapiwa is a leading voice on sustainable, nature-based infrastructure and is actively shaping responses to emerging challenges such as water scarcity, nutrient neutrality, and biodiversity net gain.
Dr Wei Yang
Planning
Co-Founder and CEO, Digital Task Force for Planning. Chair, Wei Yang & Partners. Past President RTPI
Dr Wei Yang is an internationally recognised town planner and urban designer, known for championing a place-based, whole-systems approach to address climate change, health, social equality, and nature-based solutions. In 2022, she was named a Net Zero Hero by Digital Leaders.
Wei is Chairman of Wei Yang & Partners, an award-winning masterplanning practice, and Co-Founder & CEO of the Digital Task Force for Planning—a social enterprise driving innovation in spatial planning for the digital age.
She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow and former President (2021) of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and an Honorary Professor at UCL. She served as the first female Chair of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) (2023-2025), a Board Member of the British Library, member of the New Towns Taskforce (2024-2025) and a member of the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign Steering Committee.
Wei is a powerful advocate for integrated, future-focused planning that delivers sustainable, equitable places.