02 May, London, UK, - Following the recent £35 million investment in the data centre market with the MK DataVault, commercial real estate and leisure investment group PMB Holdings is promoting director Ed Jones to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Jones’ unusual blend of investment trading, finance and property development experience give him the credentials to lead the business as the UK crawls out of the recession, taking well-judged speculative development risk at a time when few others are able to take advantage of the lack of development pipeline.
Peter Beckwith, who founded the company in 1992 following the sale of London & Edinburgh Trust Plc, will continue to take an active role in the company, serving as Executive Chairman of the Board.
Jones, who has built a strong reputation for delivering consistently high returns for the business, has backed his own judgement by investing his own capital into all PMBH’s deals over the past decade. He is known for spotting opportunities in new markets, and for identifying under-performing assets that can be transformed with property expertise and the judicious use of capital. Joining the company in 2000, Jones has been responsible for the Group’s investment and development business in the UK since 2002.
Ed Jones said: “We continue to strengthen our position in the market by investing in new areas, bringing projects like the MK DataVault to fruition. Many firms are unable to invest as the effects of the recession continue to linger, but I believe it is important to maintain investment and create more business in the UK. We remain in a strong position following the sale of 75 per cent of our portfolio just before the economic downturn in 2007 and intend to continue to make good use of this capital by taking advantage of interesting opportunities in the market.”
Peter Beckwith, founder and chairman of PMB Holdings, added: “I have absolute confidence in Ed’s performance as CEO. His strong character, creativity and experience in property, finance and investment has brought huge success to the company over the past decade, adding value to projects and taking smart investment decisions at the right time. Whilst the rest of the market is sleeping, we are out there taking risks and continuing to see excellent returns on our investments.”
Ed was educated at Radley College and Reading University graduating from the latter in 1988 with a BSc (Hons) in Land Management, Planning and Property Development. He has since left his mark on the town, having developed The Blade, Reading’s tallest building, which has become an iconic landmark for the capital of Thames Valley.
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About PMB Holdings
PMB Holdings, founded and chaired by Peter Beckwith, is a substantial commercial real estate and leisure investment group headquartered in London. It invests throughout the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, and has delivered strong returns to shareholders and co-investors over the last fifteen years.
The company’s strength over the last ten years has been purchasing under-managed, non-institutional assets and transforming them through vigorous hands-on management and redevelopment into institutionally acceptable investments.
The Group’s activity is primarily concentrated in commercial real estate in the United Kingdom; health and leisure clubs in Italy, Germany and Belgium; and major London and regional theatres.
The Group sold the bulk of its portfolio in 2006/2007 and began to reinvest in the UK commercial property market in 2009 and is continuing to seek high quality real estate investment opportunities throughout the country.
Website: http://www.pmbh.com/
For further information please contact:
Peter Beck / Charity Winfield / Matt Brown
Berkeley PR: 0118 909 0909
PMBH@berleleypr.co.uk