Simon Harding-Roots Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

London, England, United Kingdom

In my role as Managing Director and member of the Group Leadership Team, I oversee The Crown Estate’s 10 million sq ft London portfolio, which includes the prestigious Regent Street and St James’s districts, with a combined valuation of approximately £8 billion.My current focus centres on leading a visionary strategic initiative for our London portfolio, designed to facilitate our evolution as we strive to create thriving, dynamic communities. This vision serves as our response to broader industry trends, with a primary aim of delivering exceptional value to all our communities, visitors, and customers. By building upon our enduring West End presence, we aspire to elevate and maintain our profile at the heart of London as a prominent global city.

London, United Kingdom

As a University Council Governor I am privileged to have been appointed to help steer the overall strategic direction of the University, which includes Cass Business School, City Law School and Schools of Engineering, Health and Social Science. Tackling the broad range of complex issues that face the sector today - from student satisfaction, to financial sustainability, remote learning and academic excellence. I am also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Strategy, Implementation and Performance Committee.

Midlands

I was honoured to be a Trustee to help guide the future success of the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre in the Midlands. The Defence facility is now established, following the vision and generosity of both the Sixth and Seventh Dukes of Westminster, providing exemplary care for our wounded service personnel to enable them to return to active lives as soon as possible. The facilities are world leading. It is now the role of Trustees to establish the next part of the Dukes’ legacy and that is for a second, adjacent facility, for the benefit of the Nation as a whole, able to share the levels of international excellence more widely.

Mayfair, London

In my role as a Board Director of GBI I contributed to the wider running of the Grosvenor business, overseeing a £5 billion asset portfolio and supporting business planning, investments, and personnel management for over 300 staff. My focus was on optimizing long-term sustainable returns, combining commercial and social value.In particular, I oversaw two high profile place making schemes in the capital: - a 5 hectare mixed use regeneration scheme in Bermondsey for a former inner London factory to provide 1,600 private rental homes, contemporary office accommodation, retail facilities, a 600 pupil secondary school, community spaces and extensive public realm. In 2020 the project received the New London Architecture Best Masterplan award in the Planning Category. Chairman Peter Murray remarked, ‘The Bermondsey Project was the one that stood above the rest ... being developed by one of the historic estates for the long term, and with patient capital. The community is the beneficiary of that’. Furthermore in 2021 the Planning Awards recognised the project as the stakeholder engagement winner. - I also spearheaded a catalytic retail, food and beverage, office and leisure regeneration project (3ha) within a central Mayfair conservation area, rich in listed buildings.Additionally I secured a substantial redevelopment opportunity at a highly prominent location on Hyde Park Corner, partnering with The Peninsula Hotel (HSH Group of Hong Kong) to establish their flagship luxury hotel in London, accompanied by ultra-high-end apartments. The consent achieved more than double the existing floor area on this sensitive site, with completion scheduled for later this year.

South Kensington, London Uk

As a member of the College’s Board, responsible for Imperial’s vision and overall strategy, I headed up the Operations Group, a team of over 700 staff. My role involved overseeing the Directors of the College’s extensive infrastructure and support services teams, which included its Estates Capital Projects, Development and Masterplanning, Campus / Commercial Services, Facilities Management and IT Services. My key focus was centred on driving significant new investment and commercial planning to deliver major capital projects and maximise the efficiency of the College's commercial operations. I managed the College's Operational budget of circa GBP 85m pa, Capital expenditure of in excess of GBP 100m pa and the commercial services turnover of circa GBP40m.Imperial possesses over half a million square meters of prime central London operational property across seven campuses, including five London hospitals. This makes it one of the UK's higher education institutions with the most extensive and intricate estates. Its capital plans include the creation of a new campus of over 300,000 square metres, Imperial West, in Shepherds Bush, which is being developed to grow the College’s education, research and translation activities in west London.

Battersea Power Station, London

I was appointed within the Treasury Group to lead the real estate team with particular focus on directing the overall project strategy and ensuring that a commercially successful, fully integrated mixed use urban environment (800,000 sqm) was delivered at Battersea Power Station, London. However Treasury UK was put into administration by its bankers shortly after my commencement.

Shanghai City, China

I was responsible for all the real estate operations of the business throughout China, including heading up the retail and office leasing, development and asset management teams, comprising over 40 professionals. My role encompassed overall budgetary control, profit and loss accountability and 5 year profit forecasting responsibility. I managed an asset portfolio valued in excess of GBP 1Billion and a commercial development pipeline exceeding 400,000 sqm.

Bahrain

I oversaw all the bank's strategic real estate investment and development projects internationally, including the award winning $2 billion, 1.5m sqm GDA Bahrain Bay reclamation and mixed use development, the market leading Victory Heights residential (1000 villas) and golf course (Ernie Els) community in Dubai and due diligence on multiple real estate development opportunities globally including Europe and the Far East.

United Arab Emirates

My role covered the full development spectrum, including site assessment and feasibility strategic appraisal; development masterplanning and design management; identifying, appointing and managing teams of international professionals; formalising all legal documentation; negotiation with local government, utilities and civil bodies; tenant and marketing co-ordination; lease negotiation with anchor tenants for new developments; and post development asset management.

London, United Kingdom

I was responsible for advising major corporate clients (including Rolls Royce, Cadbury and Volvo) on their strategic landholdings in the UK and how best to maximise their real estate values by implementing efficient land use planning and development strategies.

London, United Kingdom

I provided planning and development advice to blue chip clients (including Prudential, Standard Life and Brixton Estate) on complex development projects across the UK.

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Geography

Master Of Science - Ms, Land Use Planning And Management/Development