The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has appointed Simon Durkin from BlackRock as chief executive officer Europe.
Durkin, who has more than two decades of experience spanning real estate, applied research and capital markets, was global head of real estate research and strategy at BlackRock.
He succeeds Lisette van Doorn who recently left ULI, after more than a decade of leadership. Durkin and van Doorn worked alongside each other over the past 20 years, on foundational real estate research and data initiatives.
In his new role as CEO, he will work closely with the team on sharpening ULI’s value proposition for members from across the full built environment ecosystem, strengthening the clarity and coherence of its programmes and communications, and ensuring ULI’s research and insights continue to support informed decision-making across the built environment.
Additionally, Durkin will join the senior leadership team of Angela Cain, the global CEO of ULI, and will continue to work closely with Anne Kavanagh, ULI Europe chair and ULI global board member, and the ULI Europe executive committee.
Durkin said: “ULI Europe is built on a strong foundation and has an increasingly important role to play as the real estate and built environment evolve amid structural, macroeconomic and geopolitical change. My priority is to work closely with the team, building on the legacy Lisette has created, ensuring ULI continues to adapt while remaining a trusted, credible and valuable resource for our members. That means sharpening our focus, strengthening alignment across our work, and deepening our emphasis on insight, learning and convening, creating the space for informed discussion and debate that supports better long-term decision-making and resilient value creation.”
Kavanagh added: “Simon brings deep industry knowledge, commercial understanding and a collaborative leadership style that will serve ULI Europe and its members well. He is both innovative and engaging, and I look forward to working closely with him as we build on the strong foundation established under Lisette’s leadership and continue to deliver value for our members across Europe.”
Cain said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to ULI, he brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, commercial understanding and deep respect for evidence-based insight. His leadership will strengthen ULI Europe’s relevance and impact at a time when the industry needs trusted perspective and long-term thinking, more than ever.”
