Name: Bela Zavery
Job title: Partner and head of living (London) at Womble Bond Dickinson
What I do: I am a lawyer specialising in the creation of housing and lead in complex development projects.
Why I got into the property industry: From my very first day as a trainee in commercial real estate, I felt an immediate and natural connection to the sector. Over the years, I have come to appreciate just how vital high‑quality housing and thoughtful placemaking are to communities. For me, what began as a job has grown into something I genuinely care and feel deeply passionate about.
How I did it: Slight detour! I initially obtained a degree in economics and then did a post graduate conversion into law.
My first proper job: As a trainee for a small firm in Leicester.
My first big break: When I was headhunted to work for a larger regional practice and then my move to London.
My inspiration(s): There isn’t a single inspiration, there are in fact many. However, my former mentor, Ann Hallam, stands out above the rest. Qualifying as a lawyer in her 40s, becoming a partner at a leading practice in her 50s, and then boldly restarting her career in the City in her late 50s, she showed me that age should never limit ambition or possibility. Her example shaped my outlook and it’s a lesson I carry with me every day.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: There are challenges in every professional career, but I’ve learned that taking a step back or even a detour, doesn’t diminish long‑term progress. As a young lawyer during the credit crunch in 2010, I had to pause, reflect, and redirect my path at a time when the sector was in turmoil and real estate lawyers were being tested. When I look back at those difficult times, I have since realised that they also became some of my greatest opportunities for learning. With distance and experience, I now see that period as a catalyst for significant growth.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: There are many moments in my career that I’m proud of: my parent’s faces when I qualified as a solicitor, becoming a partner, and making the move to London among them. But what means the most to me now is growing into the role of mentor for my junior lawyers and becoming a stronger voice within the sector. Those are the achievements that feel truly lasting and meaningful.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: That making money is somehow a bad thing. In reality, the ability to deliver new housing depends on attracting and incentivising investment into the sector. Without that, the homes and places we need simply wouldn’t get built.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: There is often a lot of talk about creating more houses, but the real focus should be on creating good quality homes. Everyone deserves to live in safe, well‑designed and properly maintained housing, yet this fundamental point is frequently overlooked in wider commentary, but is something that really struck a chord with me when I saw the impact of having insufficient good quality housing on those living through lockdown and the pandemic.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: Because I feel a responsibility to the next generation. The emphasis on diversity, equality and inclusion is just as relevant today as it was when I first entered the profession. As the child of first generation immigrant parents, educated in the state system and a person of colour, I have always wanted to be judged on my achievements. The day we value commitment, hard work and merit above accidents of birth or prejudice is the day we become a stronger and more successful community.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: Because it remains at the heart of what I do. It isn’t just about delivering homes or completing developments, but about investing in and shaping communities, and supporting long‑term growth and placemaking.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: Still doing what I love and continuing to grow. I also hope to follow in my mentor’s footsteps by becoming a mentor myself to the next generation of phenomenal women entering the profession.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: I would invite Matthew Pennycook or the next housing minister and I would talk to them about the importance of working with institutional investment and supporting the sector to allow us to help realise the government’s housing targets. Also how in my view, we need to support certainty by creating a framework for planning which survives governments so that the sector has the certainty it is desperate for.
What I do in my downtime: I love to read and listen to music and am a trained Kathak dancer (classical Indian dance). I am also passionate about travelling, especially when it involves exploring the ancient world and antiquity. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, India, China, Macau, Greece and many other remarkable sites steeped in history. I’m also a bit of an adrenaline junkie: I’ve been cage‑diving with great white sharks in South Africa, lava hiking in Hawaii, camping in the Wadi in Jordan and parasailing off cliffs in Turkey.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: Either a writer (fiction!) or a physicist of some kind – either astro or geo. I find science fascinating and can happily watch documentaries for hours.
My advice for someone just starting out: Have a vision for your goals and then keep working towards them. Consider each failure as a learning opportunity and each detour, as a chance for growth.
My motto/mantra: “Just keep swimming!” (If you know, you know!)
