Richard Johnston
Group Chief Operating Officer
Read BioGroup Chief Operating Officer
Richard is a Founding Director and Chief Operating Officer at Godwin Group. He has over 35 years’ experience in strategy development, operations and capital raising across a broad range of industries and geographies. Previously Richard has held senior roles in retail banking at NatWest and in a number of management consultancy firms including KPMG’s Performance Improvement Practice. He is an associate of the Institute of Financial Services and a Member of the Institute of Directors.
Group Investment Director
Andrew has held senior appointments within GKN PLC and was a senior management consultant with Saatchi & Saatchi. As a venture capitalist with Capital Ventures, he raised equity finance for property and other businesses. He was a Director of the Commission for the New Towns, managing land and property inward investment offices domestically and internationally. Over the last 15 years, he has put together equity and debt packages for property companies and was a partner with Beer & Partners, the private equity firm.
Group Land Director
Co-founder of Godwin Developments. Stephen oversees teams across London, Birmingham and Nottingham. As Group Land Director, Stephen manages the business’ pipeline of upcoming developments through UK land & property acquisition, seeing schemes through from purchase to completion. Stephen’s varied experience spans from large BTR & PRS developments to retail parks and district centre developments. He has delivered impressive large mixed-use schemes with blue-chip tenants in major cities across the UK. Stephen has also lent his wide-ranging property expertise in development management to a number of property funds to advise on their property portfolios. Stephen is proud to be instrumental in bringing high quality schemes to fruition. Stephen is currently involved with projects totalling £600m GDV across 2.6m sq ft in the UK. Stephen is also on the board of 2 property and construction networking organisations.
Group Development Director
Co-founder of Godwin Developments, Stuart has over 15 years experience in all sectors of the property Industry with a detailed knowledge of development management, land acquisition and development strategy. He works with both the private and public sector identifying and delivering development requirements across the UK for retail, student, hotel, fast food restaurants and residential land. Stuart is also working with a number of housing associations to deliver turn-key packages and land opportunities.
Advisory Board - Construction
Prof. John Nolan is the President of the Construction Industry Council, a past President of the Institution of Structural Engineers and a Fellow of both that Institution and the Institution of Civil Engineers. He is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor of Innovation at the University of Birmingham and he is a Chartered Engineer with over forty years experience in the construction industry. He has been responsible for projects in excess of £300 million.
Property Board – Construction
Steve has over 40 years experience of working in the construction industry for both national and regional contractors where he has held senior positions. Trained as a Quantity Surveyor before then taking Regional Director roles in business development, Steve has spent the last 8 years with Winvic Construction Ltd managing the development of retail projects and developing its medium and high rise residential construction portfolio before joining Godwin Developments as Construction Director.
Acquisitions Director
Michael is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has 30 years of experience in the property sector of which over 20 years has been based in the West Midlands primarily in the residential and retail sectors. Michael has extensive experience in the residential and mixed-use sectors, specialising in high profile agency and development consultancy. Michael formerly worked for the Governments Valuation Office, DTZ, GVA Grimley for 10 years as Partner in charge of Residential/Mixed Use Development up until his appointment at King Sturge in 2007 as Partner of the Central Region and was responsible for residential development for both Jones Lang LaSalle’s Birmingham and Nottingham offices.
Property Board – Development and Construction
Ken is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has been in the construction industry for over 40 years. He was a Senior Partner in Gleeds International Management and Construction Consultancy and he worked on commercial and residential property projects totaling in excess of £100 billion. His expertise is extensive including project, contract and cost management services, and funding.
Property Board - Public Sector Relations
Jon has 40 years’ experience in local government, the public and voluntary sector. Jon served 32 years at Nottingham City Council, 16 of which as Council Leader responsible for community safety, property and finance management, transport, neighbourhood and city centre regeneration and economic development.
Prior to becoming Council Leader, Jon completed an MBA (Public Services at INLOGOV) and worked as an Urban Regeneration Consultant and Housing Development Officer.
Jon has chaired Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Police Authority, served on East Midlands Regional Development Agency, Nottingham Primary Care Trust, D2N2 LEP, The East Midlands HS2 Program Board and for over 20 years chaired the Renewal Trust, a local community development trust.
Property Board - Planning
Richard is a dual qualified planner and urban designer with over 25 years’ experience in planning consultancy, working for both public and private sector clients across the UK. Along with his own consultancies, he was previously the Director of Planning for Capita. Richard is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). His experience is extensive and varied across all development sectors from regeneration, large scale master planning, retail, housing, PRS, leisure and strategic land. In addition, Richard deals with complex projects for the NHS, MoD and Educational Institutions. He has managed consultancy teams in London, the South East and the Midlands. He also guest lectures in both planning and urban design at Universities in Sheffield, Nottingham, Loughborough and London.
Regional Chairman, London
Owen was the Chief Executive Officer of Harworth Group PLC from August 2010 to October 2020. He has more than 27 years’ experience in the remediation and development of brownfield land and low carbon energy development. He has also held previous executive roles with Peel Group, Black Country Properties and Viridor. Owen led the team who listed the Harworth Group on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 after it was de-merged from UK Coal Group in December 2012. In doing so he established Harworth as one of the UK’s leading master developers of brownfield land creating places where people want to live and work. Owen served as a Non-Executive Director of Covanta Holding Corporation, a global provider of waste management services in the USA from September 2018 to December 2020 prior to stepping up to become President of Covanta Europe in January 2021. He is a former Board member for the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and the current Chair of the British Property Federations Regional Policy Committee.
Managing Director
Richard has over 35 years experience in construction and property development. Trained as a Quantity Surveyor working for contractors in various sectors, he progressed to hold the main board position at William Davis Ltd for 14 years, leading the residential contracting division. Richard works on the Godwin Advisory Board as well as establishing and managing the delivery process and team.
Senior Development Director
A member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Lindsay has 36-years of experience within the property and construction industry, having previously led large scale projects in the UK, continental Europe and the USA, across sectors such as residential, commercial, education, retail, hospitality and education. His impressive career record includes a range of senior and board level roles with internationally renowned property and construction consultants Gleeds, asset management firm Currie & Brown, and his own successful firm Locus Consultants. During his time with these businesses, Lindsay led large teams and was responsible for strategic growth as well as cost and project management for a range of blue-chip clients including Deutsche Bank, Avenues The World School, Marks & Spencer plc, Prosperous Global China, Jaguar Land Rover, Ballymore & Hines, the University of Warwick, Coventry University and University College Birmingham. In his last role as Vice President of Gleeds’ New York office he also oversaw work worth $1bn on the iconic One Wall Street development.
Land Director
With over 20 years property experience, James has worked in Asset and Investment Management for some of the top real estate companies including JLL and LaSalle Investment Management where he has gained a wide range of experience across the Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Leisure sectors. Following work as an Acquisition and Asset Manager sourcing and delivering value-add opportunities across the UK, James is now focusing on the rapidly growing PRS and BTR market.
Marketing Director
Krassi Stoyanova has over 20 years of experience in strategic and tactical marketing and communications for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets. She joined Godwin having previously built a successful track record with international engineering and metals corporates such as GFG Alliance, Liberty House Group, Caparo Industries and GEA. Krassi previously managed marketing teams across global geographies and has a deep understanding of brand and marketing strategy, external and internal communications and campaign management. She holds an MBA from the University of Birmingham and a BA Hons in Marketing and Management.
Development Director
Matt has over 8 years of experience in the Construction Industry having worked in Quantity Surveying and Project Management. He has delivered projects of between £10m to £60m ranging from high-end residential, commercial/office, industrial and town regeneration schemes. Matt will continue to deliver high-quality developments for Godwin Developments within a range of markets.
Associate Director
Gurdeep has over 10 years experience within the construction and property development industry, initially training as a Quantity Surveyor, with experience in various sectors including Education, Sport, Commercial and Retail working for both public and private sector clients. Latterly, Gurdeep has worked as a Development Manager at a private equity firm delivering residential led developments.
Associate Director
Tom joined the London office as Land Manager and was promoted to Associate Director in December 2020. He previously worked as a project manager for TowerEight working on hotel and student accommodation schemes. Prior to this he spent 7 years as a professional rugby player, playing for London Irish in the Premiership, European competition and London Scottish championship. Tom is currently studying an MBA in Construction and Real Estate at University College of Estate Management which is RICS accredited.
Senior Development Manager
Ketan has 7 years experience of working within the property industry. Joining Godwin as a Development Assistant, he has a demonstrated history of working in the real estate industry. Skilled in Lettings, Property Management, Retail and Event Management. Strong education professional with a BSc (Hons) in Property Investment and Finance, which is RICS Accredited.
Development Manager
Nikesh began his career in the property industry working at a planning and development consultancy, predominantly completing viability appraisals and reports on behalf of developers and local authorities. He has a strong educational background with a BA (Hons) in Business Economics and MSc Real Estate, which is RICS Accredited.
Joining Godwin as a Development Assistant, Nikesh is excited to develop his skills and knowledge and pursue his career within property.
Development Assistant
Josh graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Civil Engineering. During his placement year he worked for Byrne Bros and had the opportunity to work on the Angel Court renovation and the impressive Chelsea Barracks development. Josh will continue to build on his technical knowledge and support Godwin Developments deliver high quality developments within a range of markets.
Development Assistant
Claudine has four years’ experience within the property development industry, she has worked on the delivery of residential led developments and provided support for Senior Directors and delivery teams across the full spectrum of development. As a graduate surveyor she has supported public sector clients and Housing Associations throughout the UK, advising and guiding on s.106 and affordable housing, scheme design and quality as well as market sales analysis. Claudine has a strong educational background and an MSc in Real Estate Management (Distinction) and is currently working towards full membership of the RICS.
Development Assistant
Gabrielle has experience within the property, construction and engineering industries having worked in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Previous to joining Godwin Developments as Development Assistant, she worked for London developer Ballymore, on Europe’s biggest residential site. Gabrielle has previously worked for top Real Estate firm JLL as part of their residential research team. She also has experience in new homes, having previously worked for New Zealand’s largest house builder Mike Greer.
Godwin Capital - Compliance
Henry is the founder of Bluewater Capital & Compliance. Henry’s 17 year investment banking career spans across the world’s leading international financial centres in the UK, Singapore, Australia and United States. He is an expert in Fintech (Financial Technology) and the distribution of execution and clearing services through emerging e-channels. At JPMorgan he pioneered the distribution of derivatives trading through their market leading platform eXtraTrade. At Deutsche Bank he led a team responsible for advising and providing execution services across Rates, Credit, Futures & Options and FX to the world’s leading hedge funds.
Commercial Director - UK and Overseas
Patrick has wide-ranging private and public fundraising experience across various sectors including alternative asset classes and for investment products. He has an extensive network of private and institutional investors who can also offer sector-specific expertise. Patrick’s professional background includes working in corporate finance as a stockbroker for Capel Cure Myers and Seymour Pierce Butterfield and practising as a corporate lawyer at Alsop Wilkinson, (subsequently DLA Piper LLP), and Lewis Silkin in London. Since 2009 he has worked independently as an investment consultant providing capital funding solutions for high growth companies.
Managing Director - Funding
Rob has over 25 years corporate finance experience within private equity, fundraising, acquisition finance and restructuring. His most recent roles include setting up and leading the Midlands office of NorthEdge Capital, a private equity business, and co-heading the creation of the Housing Growth Partnership, a £100m equity fund for small and medium sized housebuilders. He has also held senior positions at Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, EY and Deloitte.
Funding Director
David qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and has both public company and private company fund raising experience, including advising on more than 15 IPO’s across a variety of sectors. David’s professional background includes working as a corporate financier for stockbrokers Williams de Broe, Seymour Pierce and XCAP Securities, where he was Head of Corporate Finance. David has first-hand regulatory experience as a public company regulatory adviser for the UK Listing Authority. He was also the CEO of AIM listed VANE Minerals PLC (with operations in the USA, Mexico and the UK) and has been the finance director for various UK based companies.
Operations Director
Rupy has over 10 years experience in the marketing field, having worked across a number of sectors, namely Retail, Education and Childcare. Previously having worked on key field marketing accounts for some of the UK’s leading brands such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, WH Smiths and Lidl. More recently Rupy has been involved in managing an events schedule for an Educational charity delivering and marketing in excess of 78 events per year. Rupy is responsible for the operational functions that sit around the Godwin Capital and Godwin Finance brands.
Investment Analyst
Abdul has over 15 years experience working as a freelance finance professional. A qualified accountant specialising in financial modelling, his clients have included blue chip companies to startups seeking to create dynamic and robust models for forecasting, business development, and attracting investment.
Business Development Centre Manager
Cecil has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, including banking, insurance and investments. With extensive experience in intermediary sales to professional advisors in a direct and B2B environment. After spending many years in various roles with Santander and AXA, prior to joining Godwin in July 2020, Cecil’s most recent role was as Senior Business Development Manager for HSBC overseeing a new product launch into the UK intermediary space.
Manager, Investment Processing - Capital
Tia has over 3 years’ experience within the finance industry including duties such as administration in Debt Recovery, Insurance Claims and Credit Checking. She is excited to develop her knowledge and pursue her career within Accounting/Finance.
Investment Co-ordinator
Sonia graduated in 2017 with a Commercial Photography degree and decided on a career change into the Finance Industry. She has had 2 years’ experience within the industry. Working at Santander as a PPI Case Handler and at Leicester City Council as a Finance Assistant, within the Housing Finance team. Sonia has gained a Business and Administration Diploma while working at Leicester City Council. She looks forward to developing and gaining further skills within the finance team at Godwin Group.
Business Development Support
Harrison has over 6 years’ experience in Account Management and Recruitment, with experience providing support to some of Australia’s largest recruitment agencies and to some of the UK’s largest automotive manufacturers. The knowledge and skills gained in these roles, along with his degree in English and Psychology, will hold him in good stead to make an impact in this new and exciting industry.
Marketing Executive
Louis has over 6 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. He has managed various marketing campaigns across a number of different channels, including traditional and online. He previously worked in the Accounting and Finance and Insurance sectors. Louis joins Godwin Capital as a Marketing Executive and is looking forward to the challenge in a different industry.
Investment Co-ordinator
Ellie has developed a career in business administration over the last 5 years. Ellie has experience within the Estate Agency sector where she developed a good understanding of Sales Order Processing. Ellie is looking forward to extending her knowledge within the Investment sector.
Investment Co-ordinator
Raj has over 15 years of experience working as an Administrator within a Wealth Management company, Wesleyan Assurance Society and Lloyds TSB Private Banking, as well as a number of years in retail, and now is looking forward to developing her skills within Godwin Capital as an Investment Co-ordinator.
Business Development Support
Sabah has 6 years of experience building partnership with stakeholders in Telecomms and NGO’s. She read Law at the University of Birmingham followed by a Masters in International Development and Human Rights Law at the University of Warwick. She is keen to provide diligent service using her communications skills coupled with her first-hand experience of international markets to spearhead GC’s growth.
Group Administration Manager
Keeley has over 20 years experience offering direct support to Chief Executives, Managing Directors and senior management teams in a variety of business sectors including; manufacturing, retail and marketing services. Before joining Godwin Developments Keeley worked as Personal Assistant to the Regional Managing Director of Trinity Mirror plc.
Office Manager
With a background in Administration and Customer Service, Natasha joins Godwin as Office Manager. Natasha has experience in the Construction sector having previously worked at consultancy firm Robin Low Francis (RLF) as their receptionist. She is looking forward to broadening her skills and working in an industry she feels passionate about.
Group Financial Controller
Ray has over 30 years experience of working in finance-related positions, beginning back in 1988 when he got his first role in a private accountancy practice in Derby. He worked in all area of practice from sole trader accounts to multimillion pound corporate audit assignments. After 17 years working in practice, he made the move into the world of professional football finance, spending over 10 years in senior positions at Nottingham Forest, Barnsley & Derby County Football Clubs. Ray, moved away from football in 2015 and joined Godwin after holding a similar position within the Redrow plc group of companies.
Financial Controller – Developments
Rob has 15 years’ experience working in Accountancy, starting in private Accountancy practices across Derby, Ashbourne and Norwich. Rob completed his Accountancy apprenticeship in 2009.
After spending 8 years in practice Rob transitioned into senior positions in the property industry. Carrying out various corporate restructuring, and financial management over the years. Rob joined Godwin Group in April 2019.
Financial Controller – Capital
Helen is a Chartered Accountant and has over 4 years of finance experience starting from the finance department at a private hotel chain. She then spent over 3 years working in practice at BDO LLP with audit clients, ranging from manufacturing to construction with exposure to listed and privately owned companies. She completed her ACA training with the firm in 2019. Helen joined Godwin Group in January 2020.
Assistant Manager - Finance
Greg has over 6 years of finance experience, commencing at Nottingham Forest where he worked in numerous roles over the course of his 15 years at the company. As well as dealing with financial matters for Godwin he also manages the administration of the investor application process.
Accounts Assistant
Megan has more than two years’ experience in accounting. Starting her career in the motor industry for a luxury vehicle brand after completing her apprenticeship, Megan learned the basics in a Purchase Ledger role gradually taking on more responsibility filling the Accounts Assistant role. Megan has sound knowledge in reconciling and creating accounts, making payments, credit control and updating ledgers. Megan is looking forward to growing her skills further and developing her accountancy knowledge in the property industry with Godwin.
Accounts Assistant
Lesley has a background in customer service and administrative roles in the airline, engineering, property management and construction industries. Before joining Godwin she spent the last six years developing a career in accounting and sales administration within the motor trade industry, gaining AAT qualifications. Lesley is continuing her AAT studies and is looking forward to developing and applying them with the Finance Team at Godwin.