Neil Thompson, executive director at Great Portland Estates, has resigned.
GPE’s chairman, Martin Scicluna, said that Thompson’s resignation was the result of the firm being “unable to find a role within the group that matched Neil’s career aspirations”.
Thompson is close to Brookfield, having forged a relationship with the company prior to GPE being bought out of its 900,000 sq ft 100 Bishopsgate, EC3, joint venture in 2014. However, despite speculation in the market, Thompson is understood not to be currently in discussions with Brookfield to join the company.
He has been instrumental in some of GPE’s most successful schemes during his tenure including Rathbone Place, W1, and 240 Blackfriars Road, SE1.
Thompson was described by Jefferies equity analyst Mike Prew as a “rising star … who we credit with much of the group’s successful leasing” and who “will be a game changer” for the business that hires him.
Thompson is the chairman of the Westminster Property Association and a past president of the British Council for Offices.
He has been at GPE since 2002, when he joined from Derwent Valley Holdings where he was investment surveyor, to form part of a young management team being put together by the then-new chief executive Toby Courtauld, taking up the role of development manager. This team also included Rob Noel, now the chief executive of Land Securities, but then property director at GPE.
Thompson has stepped down from the board and is due to leave GPE at the end of the year. He is not being replaced and his ambition is understood to have been well telegraphed internally.
In anticipation of his prospective departure the company has in recent years looked to expand its executive committee, which now consists of:
- Toby Courtauld, chief executive
- Nick Sanderson, finance director
- Robin Matthews, investment director
- Steven Mew, portfolio director
- Andrew White, development director
- Marc Wilder, leasing director
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