Development Diaries

Baerbel Schuett’s career is quite the rollercoaster. She set out for a career in a trade in Germany, ended up training as an architect instead, then took a leap to South Africa as a site architect - where a stalled project, a few sliding doors moments, and a fair bit of grit led her into construction management. She was often the only woman on site, managing teams of men twice her size, and won th...

In this episode of Development Diaries, host John Guest sits down with James Coulsey, co-founder and director of Trigon DM - a B Corp-certified development management consultancy helping clients cut through complexity and deliver projects with clarity, precision, and confidence. James' journey into real estate is anything but conventional. Starting out as a civil engineer on site, he spent a decad...

In this episode of Development Diaries, John is joined by Jonathan Smales, founder and CEO of Human Nature - the sustainable, community-focused developer behind Phoenix, a 685-home neighbourhood in Lewes, and one of the most unconventional figures in UK real estate. Jonathan's route into the built environment began not in a surveyor's office or a lecture theatre, but at Greenpeace, where as Managi...

In this episode of Development Diaries, John is joined by Chris Fleetwood, a man whose route into real estate began not in a lecture theatre but at a careers fair, in a 45-minute conversation with a chartered surveyor whose name he never caught - yet who changed the course of his life. Chris takes us back to his Birmingham roots and a moment of genuine inspiration that set him on the path to a rea...

In this episode of Development Diaries, host John Guest is joined by Sunny Johal, Development Director at Glenbrook and fellow podcast host - a man whose route into real estate is about as far from the traditional graduate scheme as it gets, making his story all the more compelling for anyone who has ever felt like they don't quite fit the conventional mould. Sunny takes us back to his Birmingham...

In this episode of Development Diaries, host John Guest is joined by Simon Harding-Roots, Regional Managing Director for the South at Muse, and formerly Managing Director of London at the Crown Estate and Executive Director for Major Projects at Grosvenor - a career built on navigating complex urban regeneration, placemaking, and public-private partnership across some of the UK's most significant...

In this episode of Development Diaries, host John Guest sits down with Harry Knibb, Vice President of Development at Oxford Properties and Non- Executive Director at the Academy of Urbanism, whose career spans project management, Residential led mixed-use development, and high-quality London office across some of the world's most ambitious real estate portfolios. Harry shares his journey from a ph...

In this episode of Development Diaries, host John Guest sits down with industry legend David Partridge, former senior partner and chairman of Argent and Related Argent, whose 35-year career has shaped some of the UK's most iconic developments including King's Cross, Brindley Place, and Manchester Piccadilly - spanning over 21 million square feet of transformative real estate. David shares his jour...