Knight Frank expands Property & Asset Management team with two senior hires

Ross Powell joins Knight Frank from JLL as the new Head of PAM Systems, responsible for leading the development and implementation of the PAM team’s tech- and AI-powered property management solutions for asset owners. Ross has almost 25 years’ experience in property technology delivery and has an established reputation as one of the sector’s foremost experts in the rollout and optimisation of smart building systems and AI-powered property technology.

Ross was recruited by JLL in 2013 to establish and lead IT strategy for the business’ property and asset management division, playing a crucial role in expanding the team’s tech capabilities through organic growth and M&A. Most recently, he spent two years as Account Director for JLL Technologies, focused on the launch and sale of the firm’s property management product stack across EMEA.

Abi Labbett joins Knight Frank as Partner from CBRE, where she has spent the past eight years as a Commercial Asset Management specialist. During her time at CBRE, Abi has overseen the development and execution of strategic management plans for major mixed-use portfolios, strengthening income streams and bolstering leasing programmes for clients including M&G Real Estate and Longmartin Properties, an SPV owned by existing Knight Frank PAM client The Mercers’ Company. Over her 25-year career, Abi developed additional commercial asset management experience through roles in Spain and Australia for CBRE and JLL.

In her new role, Abi will support estate and asset management clients throughout the full lifecycle of their portfolio, designing and implementing strategies to enhance the leasing and operational performance of standing assets across all commercial real estate sectors and all regions of the UK.

Knight Frank’s PAM team works with commercial landlords to optimise building performance by upgrading internal systems, installing new tech and implementing occupier attraction and retention initiatives to strengthen income streams. The team provides landlords, property companies, institutional investors and family offices with strategic guidance, tech-led operational support and bespoke asset management services to improve performance throughout every stage of the property lifecycle.

Michael Lewis, Head of Property & Asset Management at Knight Frank, said: “Ross and Abi bring extensive property and asset management expertise to Knight Frank. Their track records for the design and delivery of whole-lifecycle asset and property management strategies, as well as their commitment to leveraging emerging
technologies to enhance asset performance, will support and enhance the PAM team’s existing skillset and propel our continued growth. At a time when asset owners and real estate investors are increasingly reliant on expert advisors to unlock the potential of new technologies to optimise operational performance, Ross and Abi will add a compelling new dynamic to our market-leading team. We are excited to be working alongside them as we continue to help clients navigate this increasingly complex landscape.”