Team
Change-makers, team players and fresh-thinkers, our people make our company.
Executive Management
Peter Ferrari
Chief ExecutivePeter Ferrari
Chief ExecutivePeter set up Ashby Capital in 2013. He has over 40 years’ experience in the property industry.
Peter was previously Managing Director at Heron International and a Director at London & Edinburgh Trust. He has vast experience leading development and investment projects across multiple property sectors in the UK and Europe.
He holds a BA (Hons) degree in Philosophy and a Masters degree in Land Management from Reading University and has been a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors since 1988.
Peter is proud of the dynamic, close-knit and ambitious team he has built under the Ashby Capital brand. Beyond work, he enjoys various sports including tennis and skiing and is a keen family man.
Charles-Etienne Lawrence
Investment DirectorCharles-Etienne Lawrence
Investment DirectorCharles is our Investment Director and takes particular responsibility for deal making, structuring and negotiation.
With previous experience at JER Partners as well as in the Real Estate Finance and Advisory teams at both HSBC and RBS, Charles has comprehensive knowledge of real estate investment across the debt-equity spectrum. He holds an MSc Finance from HEC Montréal and a degree in international business from Université du Québec à Montréal. He is also a CFA charter holder and speaks English, French and Spanish.
Charles uses exercise to switch off from work, whether through climbing, hiking, cycling or yoga.
Tom Smithers
Property DirectorTom Smithers
Property DirectorTom is responsible for all things property related and takes a hands-on approach to the management of the portfolio.
Tom overseas our development pipeline together with leasing, asset management, sustainability, and technology. He previously worked at Green Property, German Fund IVG and Grosvenor. He holds a first-class honours degree in Real Estate Management and has been a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) since 2006.
Outside work, Tom enjoys spending time with his family on the south coast and is often seen out on the water.
Lucy Arthur
Operations and Marketing DirectorLucy Arthur
Operations and Marketing DirectorLucy has been at Ashby since its inception in 2013 and her role spans marketing, PR, operations and HR.
Lucy is particularly involved in developing our market-leading office offering to take workplaces to the next level through a focus on sustainability, community, wellness and service with the aim of attracting and retaining the best occupiers. She has also been an integral part of the project team on some of Ashby’s most prominent schemes including The Kensington Building, The Future Works, The Avenue and The Colmore Building.
Prior to Ashby, Lucy worked as a management consultant and holds a first-class honours degree in Politics from the University of Durham.
Lucy enjoys running, tennis and skiing, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Office quality is essential for work-life success
Simon Osborne
Legal DirectorSimon Osborne
Legal DirectorSimon is our Legal Director and is responsible for all legal aspects of the Ashby Capital business, including acquisitions, disposals and financings and all asset management matters.
He has extensive experience of commercial real estate M&A, joint ventures and developments as well as company secretarial and governance matters. He trained and qualified as a corporate finance solicitor at Clifford Chance LLP and gained valuable real estate experience at Forsters LLP before joining Ashby Capital in 2016.
When not at work, Simon enjoys golf by the sea, walks in Scotland and tennis anywhere, especially with his family.
Team
Tom McCafferty
Senior Property ManagerTom McCafferty
Senior Property ManagerTom is responsible for asset-level performance and operational delivery of our offices and retail assets.
He oversees the property management and implementation of asset management initiatives to drive value and maximise income, whilst supporting on our sustainability agenda and drive towards net-zero carbon. Before joining Ashby in 2020, he worked at Savills and is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).
Outside work, Tom enjoys relaxing with his family, as well as hitting the slopes in winter and the golf course in summer. Recently he ran the Barcelona marathon!
Hamish MacRae
Investment AssociateHamish MacRae
Investment AssociateHamish works on the underwriting and analysis of transactions, providing senior members of the team with the required information to make sound investment decisions.
Hamish also undertakes portfolio management and investor reporting. He joined us in March 2022 from German bank Helaba. Before this, Hamish was an investment analyst at Shaptor Capital which he joined following the completion of his MSc in Real Estate from Henley Business School.
When not in the office, Hamish is a very keen runner.
Smilla Askeland
Marketing AssistantSmilla Askeland
Marketing AssistantSmilla plays an integral role in managing the marketing campaigns for our assets and developments.
She works closely with our creative agencies to design and deliver on-floor and digital materials as well as assisting with PR strategy. Forging strong relationships with local organizations, Smilla works with external partners to implement community outreach initiatives. She is also involved in developing branding and creating touchpoints for upcoming schemes.
Previously a teaching assistant, she worked closely with Special Educational Needs children.
Away from the office, Smilla is a qualified tennis coach and enjoys doing yoga, spending time with friends and family and travelling. She is also a fluent Danish speaker.
Mark Caldwell
Senior Property ManagerMark Caldwell
Senior Property ManagerMark’s role at Ashby Capital focuses on the day-to-day management of our existing portfolio.
His work includes working closely with all of our trusted service partners to deliver best in class service to our occupiers. Always on the lookout for value-add initiatives to implement at our buildings, he is also involved in detailed design reviews of our future pipeline.
Mark joined Ashby in 2021 from Derwent London. Before this, Mark worked for CBRE, having graduated from the University of Auckland with a degree in Property Management.
Outside of the office, Mark enjoys travelling, skiing and cooking.
Emma Dewhurst
Operations Manager and Personal Assistant to PeterEmma Dewhurst
Operations Manager and Personal Assistant to PeterEmma’s role involves overseeing building operations across our portfolio as well as managing Peter’s diary.
Emma’s work on the portfolio side includes managing building amenities, events, our smart building apps and Front of House staff recruitment. Her role is varied spanning operations and looking after Peter’s diary which she has the perfect qualities for with her approachable nature.
Emma previously worked at tour operation Railbookers managing the operations and customer services team.
Emma enjoys sport, particularly tennis and golf, preferably in her favourite spot in the UK, Cornwall.
Oscar Nevin
Financial ControllerOscar Nevin
Financial ControllerOscar is our Financial Controller and is responsible for the financial reporting and coordinating the day-to-day financial management of the properties.
He is also responsible for reviewing the Group’s financial position and treasury management. He joined us in January 2023 after nine years at BDO, where he worked most recently as a Senior Audit Manager. A chartered accountant and member of the ICAEW, Oscar also holds a BA in Economics from the University of Exeter.
One of Oscar’s proudest achievements outside work was cycling 1,000 miles in 10 days from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and he also enjoys going travelling and exploring new places in his free time.
Emily Hutchins
Team AssistantEmily Hutchins
Team AssistantEmily has a varied role, primarily providing administrative support to the team.
Day to day, Emily can be found greeting guests that visit the office, managing diaries to ensure there are no clashes when scheduling new meetings, and stocking up on office supplies. Most importantly, she has the job of planning and scheduling the office parties!
Outside of work, Emily enjoys doing yoga, travelling with friends, visiting art galleries and spending time at home with her animals.
Tatiana Lis
BookkeeperTatiana Lis
BookkeeperTataiana is our bookkeeper, handling all our monthly accounts, payments and invoices.
An economics graduate, Tatiana has extensive experience working in finance departments ranging from long established family businesses to exciting start ups.
Beyond work, Tatiana enjoys a busy family life and is a passionate supporter of the London Cycling Campaign.
Advisory Committee
William Hill
William Hill
William is a chartered surveyor who has worked in investment management since 1985.
Currently, William chairs a UK listed REIT, is on the board of Old Oak Development Corporation, is senior independent director of the Association of Real Estate Funds and chairs the investment committee for two family offices. His pro bono work includes chair of the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust, a member of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation investment committee and chair of the Goldsmiths’ Company property committee.
Andrew Baum
Andrew Baum
Andrew has spent the majority of his business life working with institutional real estate investors developing global property investment strategies.
Andrew is chairman of Newcore Capital Management, a member of the investment committee for CBRE Investment Management (Indirect) and Emeritus Professor at the Said Business School Oxford.
John Stephen
John Stephen
John is a Surveyor with over 45 years experience in commercial investment markets, including five years in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Former chairman of international real estate advisers JLL England, he is now involved in non-executive and advisory board roles with several private companies and family offices.