Name: Charlie MacGregor
Job title: CEO and founder, The Social Hub
What I do: I lead a wonderful collection of changemakers at The Social Hub. We are a pioneering hybrid hospitality brand that combines hotel with student living, extended stay, co-working, meeting and event spaces, F&B outlets and more. Our mantra is ‘learn, stay, work and play’. At the moment, I am particularly focused on growth, with our first UK property recently opened in Glasgow and ambitious expansion plans across the UK and Europe. We will also be looking to reposition slightly soon, elevating the brand to the next level with a revamped product offering.
Why I got into the property industry: In Scotland, my father worked in the purpose-built student accommodation sector and I would often go into work with him, which gave me an early taste of things. I started out helping with small tasks like organising keys and arranging furniture.
How I did it: I didn’t go to university and started working on building sites at the age of 17, getting a very hands-on introduction to the sector.
My first proper job: Working with Richard Upton as his third employee at the then Cathedral Group. I was tasked with trying to secure new projects.
My first big break: When I was living in London, I bought some flats which I developed into smaller apartments. I was so into making these great homes that I realised I wanted to provide people with places where they could be happy and grow, which changed something in me. Then while visiting the Netherlands I discovered there was a four year wait for student accommodation, with a huge bottleneck in the planning process. It was here I realised that students deserved better and instead of going down the conventional student living route, I could develop a hotel which would give far greater flexibility and community-focused experiences, leading to a financial model that would stack up better.
My inspiration(s): I recently had lunch with Rutger Bregman, the author of one of my favourite books ‘Humankind’. His philosophy of believing that all human beings are inherently good is an inspiration to me and all of my personal and professional activities.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: The Covid-19 pandemic was, like for many, an incredible feat. It put our business model under a major stress test and at the end, The Social Hub came out proving the resilience of hybrid hospitality.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: Securing institutional level investment from APG and GIC was a landmark moment for The Social Hub. On a personal level I am particularly proud to be returning to my Scottish roots with our first hub in Glasgow, which opened in April.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: That the industry can’t be purpose-driven. All industries, no matter what, can have people at the centre and contribute to making our world a better place.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: It needs much more diversity across the board as it is super male-dominated and really misses hugely here.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: We are all human beings at the end of the day and everyone should be afforded the same opportunities. Not only is it the right thing to do at a human level, but diversity also leads to business success as having different experiences, opinions and attitudes is hugely important.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: As The Social Hub’s purpose states, “Together, we create a better society.” I firmly believe that hybrid hospitality has the power to shape a fairer future, foster connections and build communities in a way that not many business models can.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: At The Social Hub we have 23 hubs in eight European countries at the moment, five of which are under development. Our ambitious growth goal is to increase the number of hotels to 40 by 2032 in these countries – and beyond – to build more density and better economies of scale.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Another writer and philosopher I admire is Tal Ben-Shahar, who created the SPIRE model of happiness. Add to this Rutger and Eckhart Tolle and you have a fantastic party, with some incredible conversation.
What I do in my downtime: Between my wife and four children I have limited downtime, but I like to travel and maintain my physical and mental wellbeing. I also invest a lot of my time volunteering with Movement on the Ground – a non-profit organisation I co-founded that aids refugees and immigrants through a very special methodology being applied on the island of Lesvos, Greece. This is a huge passion of mine and in many ways underpins the ethos for The Social Hub.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: A full time mentor at Movement on the Ground to people in need, helping to unlock their potential, empower them and find their place as a global citizen.
My advice for someone just starting out: Never lose sight of your values, ensure your work fulfils both your mind and spirit, no matter what field you’re in. Never give up, be prepared to adapt and be flexible…learn at every moment and keep smiling.
