Successful Application: MD of a first-of-its-kind organisation offering art exhibition and working spaces in central London

Here the candidate clearly demonstrates the breadth of their extensive general management and sector experience, while also highlighting their excitement and passion for the organisation’s vision.

Cromwell Place, Managing Director

Cromwell Place will be the first fully flexible location for commercial galleries in London, providing exhibition spaces, offices, storage facilities and complete logistical support. Cromwell Place has been designed to address the needs of galleries and art professionals operating in an increasingly competitive, global market and sets out to create a unique exhibition hub in the heart of London. They sought to appoint an experienced Managing Director who would steer the project through its construction and early development stage and be fully responsible for the business once it is operational.

General management:

Candidates should have experience of working as a Managing Director or as part of a senior management team, or have played a defining role in an early-stage business. Please outline your most relevant experience below and include organisation names and sizes where possible.

• Commercial Director, Bursha Holdings, January 2012 - December 2015: Served as lead non-family Director managing a £250 million UK wide property (all sub-sectors) portfolio. A board position and key point of contact for the entire family. Responsible for 8 staff members as well as all external advisers and consultants.
• Managing Director, VirtualHotel, July 2013 - December 2015: Whilst working at Bursha, assumed responsibility for VirtualHotel, a related technology business which created bespoke applications for luxury hotels. Responsible for approximately 15 staff, including a development team in Estonia.

Sector expertise:

Some experience of the international art market would be useful but not a pre-requisite. Other sectors that might be relevant are fashion, luxury goods, hotels, restaurants, etc. Please describe briefly which of these sectors you know best and give evidence of your specific expertise.

During my career, I have experience in a number of sectors relevant to the role at Cromwell Place including hotels (luxury) & technology. Hotels With clients such as Dorchester Group, Belmond, Small Luxury Hotels & CityHub, I have been involved in all aspects of the business including site selection/appraisal, operator selection, operational & financial auditing, valuations, refurbishments (& related planning), and asset sales. Technology As MD at VirtualHotel, I helped to create one of the first bespoke applications for use by hotel customers. Functions included integrated room service ordering & a direct messaging platform allowing guests to notify the hotel of mid-stay requirements to name a few.

Covering letter:

The vision to provide flexible space for curators, galleries & art institutions is an extension of the revolution currently underway in the wider property sector with businesses looking to stay as lean as possible and rely on specialist operators such as WeWork to provide an "all-inclusive" property service. In 2015, These changes inspired me to leave my role as Commercial Director at Bursha Holdings to explore how I could take advantage and "leave my mark" with space maximisation/utilisation as my primary focus. My research led me to CityHub and ArtHouse, two businesses which make the most of their leased premises using clever design and providing multi-purpose facilities resulting in reduced "void" time and driving profitability. By providing offices and exhibition spaces of different sizes, it would appear Cromwell Place is also looking to maximise its space utilisation with revenue-generating activity taking place throughout the day (and night), which is a concept I am very passionate about. In addition to this shared vision, I have critical experience necessary to make the Cromwell Place development, launch & operation a success:

• West London planning & property development, including managing all aspects of delivery;
• Strategic business plan preparation (including budgets);
• External investment/fundraising;
• Site identification, appraisal & selection;
• Hospitality technology;
• Luxury branding;
• Restaurant development;
• UHNW relationship management;
• Rental portfolio management (e.g. voids);
• Managing teams

In short, my career appears to have been tailor-made for the Managing Director role at Cromwell Place. I would welcome a conversation to discuss the role in more detail. Thanks for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. 

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