British Land has appointed Joanne McNamara as its next chief executive officer, recruiting the senior real estate executive from Oxford Properties to lead the FTSE 100 property company.
McNamara currently serves as executive vice president, Europe at Oxford Properties, the real estate investment, development and management arm of Canadian pension fund OMERS. She is expected to join British Land by the end of November, subject to a notice period of up to six months.
The incoming CEO has more than 20 years of experience in the property sector and has spent the past 16 years at Oxford, having joined the business in 2010 as one of its first London-based employees. During her tenure at the company, McNamara has overseen major investment and development transactions and played a key role in expanding Oxford’s European operation.
The business now manages a portfolio of office, retail, logistics and residential assets with approximately £8bn of assets under management across Europe. McNamara is a member of Oxford’s Global Executive Committee and Global Investment Committee and also sits on the OMERS portfolio management committee. Until 2025, she served as a non-executive director of ESR Group, the Asia-Pacific-focused logistics real estate platform.
Prior to joining Oxford, she held positions at Hammerson and property consultancy DTZ. British Land said McNamara’s appointment follows a board-led recruitment process and will see her take responsibility for leading the company’s next phase of growth and development.
William Rucker, Chairman of British Land, said: “Joanne is one of Europe’s most respected real estate professionals. With her deep expertise of real estate, valuable experience in the world of private capital and a strong reputation for decisive leadership, she is exceptionally well placed to drive the business forward.”
Lloyds restructures housing development team
Lloyds Banking Group has restructured its Housing Development team and made two senior appointments as it looks to strengthen support for homebuilders, housing associations, registered providers and brokers operating in the new-build sector.
The revised structure places a greater emphasis on specialist expertise while continuing to work alongside the bank’s existing network of Business Development Managers. The move comes as lending institutions adapt to changing market conditions in the UK housing sector.
As part of the changes, Lloyds has created the new role of Affordable Housing Partnerships Manager. Gina Burrows, formerly National Housing Development Manager, took up the position on 1 June. Burrows has spent her career with Lloyds Banking Group and will lead the lender’s engagement with housing associations and registered providers.
The lender has also appointed Gemma Clark as National Housing Development Manager. Clark joined Lloyds on 1 June from Nationwide Building Society, where she most recently served as Intermediary Proposition Manager. In her new role, she will oversee relationships with major housebuilders and lead regional engagement across London, the South East, South West and Home Counties.
Andy Dean, head of housing development and sustainability at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Access to housing, particularly affordable routes into home ownership, is fundamental to what we do, and to do that we need a team not just capable of delivering for the now but also with the vision to help deliver the future.”
Bidwells expands London planning team
Bidwells has appointed Laura Jenkinson as head of London Planning, continuing the firm’s expansion of its planning team in the capital. Jenkinson joins from Avison Young, where she spent more than 12 years.
Her appointment follows the arrival of Jamie Sullivan from Iceni last autumn, as well as the recent recruitment of partners Tim Sturgess and Matthew Pigott. The expansion reflects growing demand for planning expertise as development activity continues across the capital.
She has served on the Planning and Sustainability Committees of both the Westminster Property Association and City Property Association, contributed to the British Council for Offices’ Guide to Specification, and been a panel member for the South East’s built environment design support programme.
In her new role, Jenkinson will focus on major development projects across central London, including the City of London, Westminster, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Brent.
The appointments across British Land, Lloyds Banking Group and Bidwells signal continued movement in senior property sector positions as firms strengthen their leadership teams and specialist capabilities.
