CEO MONTHLY / Chairperson Awards 2022 10 Retail & Leisure Property Chairman of the Year 2022 (UK): Graham Chase Chase & Partners LLP as a market based property agency and consultancy has weathered numerous storms, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the decline of the high street, yet it prevails. Thanks to the Chairman’s hard work and guidance, the company has excelled, surpassing its goals, and becoming a leader within its industry. ver the past 27 years, Chase & Partners LLP has constantly evolved, cycling through changingmarket conditions and client requirements. It has overcome dynamic and seismic challenges, including the near collapse of the western banking and financial crisis in 2008, the move to online consumerism and the Covid-19 pandemic All of these events had an enormous, unprecedented impact on property and particularly the retail and leisure sectors. Moreover, its unique understanding of the industry has set it apart from its competitors as demonstrated, in 2020 when Chase & Partners published its 25th Year Anniversary Edition of its annual Spring Retail & Leisure report reflecting on the appropriateness and consistency of itsmarket observations. The niche practice of Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Town Planners, and Chartered Arbitrators has, therefore, established itself as resilient, consistent, and professional advisory and transactional business, earning an exceptional reputation. Much of this success is thanks to the professionalismand expertise of its Chairman, Professor GrahamChase. Over the past four decades, Graham’s career has led him to advise the private sector on the letting and funding of retail and leisure schemes with a combined value of over £10 billion; advise the development of some 50 shopping centres, leisure centres, retail parks, and other commercial property products. He has sat on the Bank of England’s Property Industry Forum feeding into the MMC and through his membership of the property Advisory group advised central Government and in excess of 40 local authorities on policy and other property-based issues. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and muchmore; however, the beginnings of his career were much humbler. Graham tells us, ‘I started work in 1976 at the BBC as a trainee surveyor, “serving the stars” followed by an 18month exposure to the real world at Ladbrokes before settling in at the highly respectedWest End based firmof surveyors of Clive Lewis & Partners. I was fortunate to findmyself working with innovativemarket leaders who gaveme time.. I have always been grateful for their support and the patience allowingme to learn the tricks of the trade and howmarkets worked.’ He attributes his numerous accomplishments to the experiences he had during the formative years of his career, but notes that it is imperative to understand what the job fundamentally is and how to adapt to different circumstances by applying relevant knowledge and instinct in providing a pathway to success and demand for his firm’s services.. ‘The above said,’ Grahamnotes, ‘the fear of failure is asmuch a driver as the thirst for success.’ It is this that has shaped Chase & Partner’s approach to business – it strives to build an understanding as to what is required, embracing hard work and adopting an inquisitive mind to identify the facts, the options and what the best course of action may be. The company fully researches the project, reading documentation and instructions meticulously, and it maintains a steady and close relationship with its clients. Being in constant communication with its clients means that it is always able to turn to them if it needs extra guidance – it is vital to have a complete understanding of the project prior to delving in entirely and alongside this an in depth and deep seated knowledge of the markets we work in. When clarifying his strategy, Graham states, ‘hard work is the key as there are no shortcuts. Gary Player, the golfer, explained that in respect of luck, it was interesting to him that the more he practised the luckier he was! In addition, bring those who you trust and are good at what they do into play whenever necessary, always ask colleagues for their views and never assume you have the answers. I have learnt a great deal from others and far more than I have ever known myself. Learn to make decisions and be clear about them. I have found that no decision is a decision by default and is usually a bad decision but in any event learn by your mistakes which must not be repeated.’ Within the retail and leisure property industry, this approach is exceptionally beneficial, as the Covid-19 Sep22096 O
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