Mipim chief on future of event; M7 signs off key hire in Spain; Cushman names EMEA living cap markets head

Mipim chief Nicolas Kozubek told me you should "never take the weather for granted" ahead of this year's conference. While the beginning of the week started off with a few grey clouds, the sun is now shining over Cannes.

For a taster of what you can expect from this year's event, take a look at this interview with Kozubek, here, or you can read what global property leaders are hoping to get out of the conference, here.

As well as speaking about MIPIM 2025, Kozubek revealed what direction the event could take in future years, telling CoStar News that more people were using the event as a learning opportunity, alongside dealmaking.

He said: "There is real appetite for people to learn and this was not something that was so obvious pre-COVID. Every week there is a real estate decision maker from France or across the world... [asking to] know what they can learn.

"It is an important shift, I didn’t have that sort of request and conversation in the past, especially because we saw last year a surge in the attendance of conferences overall, which was very good for us.

"So let’s use this opportunity to meet new people, to learn new things. We are here, so let's do it in a very cool way because it’s a very good place to go for a week."

Kozubek added his team is also looking to attract human resources professionals to the conference in future editions, with one of the key themes this year being "talent".

"I have been pushing my team to create a brand-new talent tent at MIPIM – we may do it next year – but it has to do with encouraging HR professionals to come to the show. They are not the usual participant, but I feel it is key we go in that direction."

M7 Real Estate has appointed Marina Breda as head of transactions in Spain. With 11 years' real estate experience, Breda will spearhead its transaction activities across the country, "focusing on strategic acquisitions and driving value for investors". She joins from Segro, where she was responsible for logistics acquisitions, land operations and development. She spent five years at Meridia Capital BUT started her career at JLL, where she specialised in offices. At M7, she will be responsible for executing acquisition strategies and managing key transactions across Spain. The hire is in line with the firm's ambition to expand its operations in the country.

Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Patrick Hogan as head of EMEA living capital markets. Hogan, who has been with the agency for a decade, is an adviser in build-to-rent investment and operation, as well as student accommodation, seniors housing and coliving. He will succeed Stephen Screene, who is relocating to the Middle East and joining a client in the region. Hogan will perform the EMEA role alongside his responsibilities as head of living in Ireland and work with cross-border living capital markets partner Emily Marks, country level sector heads and other senior leaders in the EMEA capital markets team. James Dunne also joined the living team this month.

Paul Broad has been promoted to the role of managing director of Avison Young's national offices team. With more than 20 years' experience working across the UK regional office markets, Broad is described as a leading adviser in Scotland and the UK. He joined the firm as a director and became a principal in 2022, before becoming regional managing director for Glasgow. Broad will lead 35 advisors across the firm's regional offices, providing support to landlords, investors, developers, and occupiers.

Nuveen has recruited Nicolas Biganzoli, the former executive director at Flying Point Real Estate, to be managing director and head of investments in France. Based in Paris, Biganzoli will oversee the firm's real estate investment activity in the country.

The global investment manager, which has $147 billion in assets under management worldwide, has identified France as a strategic market for its development, and recently bought the YouFirst student accommodation portfolio from Gecina.

He was at Flying Point Real Estate, the asset management company founded by Pascal Duhamel and Nathan Vandekerckhove, for two and a half years in the investment team. He is a graduate of the prestigious ESSEC Business School and Sciences Po, in Paris, and began his career with Deutsche Bank, before joining the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, where he spent more than seven years as senior investment manager.

The British Council for Offices has appointed Samantha McClary, former editor of commercial real estate publication Estates Gazette, as chief executive. McClary will take up the role from 6 May and succeeds Richard Kauntze, who has served for more than 25 years. McClary has circa 20 years’ experience in the real estate sector working at Estates Gazette, with the BCO saying she will seek to build on Kauntze’s achievements by working to grow the membership further and to amplify its role as a guiding light for the workspace sector. BCO president Peter Crowther said: "I look forward to working alongside Sam as we continue the BCO’s work of helping the sector achieve its best."