About Digital Property Risk

Tom holds a PhD where he investigated the development of new strategies and innovations in the financial services sector. In 2010, he began a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Kingston University, where he worked on consultancy projects for Barclays Bank and other stakeholders, such as Eurofound. Today, Tom is Reader in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Royal Holloway, University of London where much of his research and interest focuses on PropTech.

An experienced Head of Internal Audit with a track record of protecting revenue, highlighting and mitigating risk, and supporting management in controlling their business to achieve corporate success. Key strengths include: examining and analysing critical processes to ensure they deliver what is required; developing risk management frameworks; leading teams and embedding a culture of collaboration and support; producing high quality and high profile communications to all stakeholders to highlight issues for change; and leading change where required to deliver significant cost and process improvements.

The current global context is ushering in a new era and the next decade will see an acceleration of change as technology, economics and politics start to collide and reshape our collective future.

I have recently re-joined Microsoft UK as an Industry Executive for Local and Regional Government in the Public Sector team. Prior to this I was working as an independent Smart Cities Advisor for 4 years. Alongside my Microsoft role, I am a Design Council Expert and am co-founder of a social enterprise to bring affordable coworking to the high street.

As a creative leader who is passionate about making a difference to society through the use of technology, cities and towns are where my public sector experience, strong architectural know-how and analytics background come together, a perfect match for my collaborative and entrepreneurial approach. From a technology industry perspective, I am a strong and active supporter of the women in technology movement and broader diversity & inclusion agenda.

My experience includes a previous 10-year career at Microsoft where I instigated and led the global Smart Cities agenda for Services in the UK and latterly in Asia Pacific. Prior to Microsoft, I was CIO for the London Development Agency in the run up to the London Olympics. Before branching into management and strategy, my initial technical career started as a developer where I experienced many facets of the industry across systems integrators, large independent software vendors and start-ups.

Currently, I undertake various ESG related technical projects.

eDaas-IO is a new JV with energy-io.nl. We support real estate investors, occupiers and advisors in ESG reporting by supplying investment grade data from their real estate base.

I have been active in the commercial real estate IT sector since the 1980s as a software entrepreneur, IT director and consultant. Since 2012 I have gained expertise in ESG Technology in the commercial real estate sector as a Solution Architect for a leading sustainability practice, advisor to a world leading benchmarking organisation and, recently, I have advised a global commercial real estate consultancy on their ESG Tech strategy.

I am a Strategic Planning Advisor for Pinsent Masons LLP, with a particular interest in digital planning, and have just finished a stint as a Research Fellow at the ODI specialising in data ethics and the development consent process.

C-suite professional making a positive impact on investments and delivery across real estate, industry and infrastructure, driving digitization and transformation for profitable, sustainable growth.

Key areas: business transformation and digitization; exceptional global industry network; international P&L management; multicultural / multifunctional involvement; technology in the built environment; successful growth and exit strategies; developing new products and services; investment advisory and transactions.