Savills Oxford has announced the appointment of director, Simon Hillier to its multidisciplinary rural team, further enhancing its capabilities in rural portfolio management.
Simon brings more than 12 years’ specialist experience in asset management, acting for large institutional funds and private clients in the east of England. In his recent role, Simon managed portfolios comprising around 30 development projects at varying stages of the lifecycle.
He has strong expertise in negotiating Option Agreements on behalf of landowners, and structuring Promotion Agreements and associated partnerships, including conditional contracts. He has also led on the capital aspects of land ownership, along with overall portfolio performance, including tenancy management, rental matters and compliance with health and safety requirements.
In his new position with Savills, Simon will advise institutional clients on matters including maximising land value through strategic asset management, promotion agreements and development partnerships.
Savills rural team of 31 offers a wide range of specialist services to the sector including rural sales and lettings, food and farming, forestry and professional farm and estate management. The team has a strong geographical reach primarily across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire.
Nick Pain, head of Savills Oxford Rural, said, “Simon’s experience and skillset align very well with our ambitions for growth and continued strengthening of our offer to clients - we are thrilled to have him as part of our team. We remain committed to providing best in class service and outcomes for our retained client base.”
Commenting on his appointment, Simon said, “I am delighted to be joining the highly regarded team at Savills and to support our well-established institutional clients to achieve their portfolio objectives and responsibilities. Our clients have unique and strategically important property portfolios which must be carefully managed to achieve optimised performance within an ever-changing and challenging environment. I look forward to working closely with the team and our clients to realise the full potential of these estate assets.”
Simon is an active member of the Country Land and Business Association’s (CLA) and its Institutional Landowners Group, and maintains a keen interest in economic trends and urban design. He holds a degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management from Harper Adams University and a qualification in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge.