Experienced development leader Matthew Carpen has been appointed as chief executive of the Mayor of London’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation.
The OPDC, which is delivering London’s largest brownfield development around the new High Speed 2 station at Old Oak Common, describes Carpen as having a "long background in strategic planning and infrastructure delivery", spending 22 years working in London on major projects.
He is managing director of Barking Riverside, a joint venture between the Mayor of London and L&Q. In the role Carpen has overseen a new masterplan set to deliver up to 20,000 homes and has secured more than £300 million in public and private investment.
Carpen has been a board member of OPDC since 2022 and is a member of the organisation's development, investment and sustainability committee. He will replace current chief executive, David Lunts, who announced in December that he would step down after six years in the role, reported here.
Carpen joins OPDC’s leadership team under the newly appointed chair of the OPDC Board, Dame Karen Buck, who took up the position in January after she was chosen as the preferred candidate in November, read here.
She said in a statement: "The breadth of Matthew’s experience and the leadership and vision he has brought to previous roles in regeneration in London are an excellent match for the important work we must do to create new affordable homes, a dynamic local economy and transformed public realm at Old Oak and Park Royal.
"Alongside welcoming Matthew, I would like to pay tribute to outgoing CEO David Lunts for the extraordinary contribution he has made to London’s development over the past 20 years, both at OPDC and before this at the Greater London Authority.
"I am confident that through a seamless transition between David and Matthew we are equipped to make strong progress to achieve our goals."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: "Alongside Chair Dame Karen Buck, Matt will lead OPDC to deliver transformational change, with thousands of new homes and jobs already in the pipeline as we work to build a better and more prosperous London for everyone."
The OPDC confirmed that Carpen will take up his role later this year, with Lunts continuing in post until then. Carpen said in a statement: "It has been a privilege to have led Barking Riverside for the past decade and I am hugely excited to be joining OPDC to lead the organisation as it moves into a significant delivery phase.
"As a board member I have seen first-hand the enormous potential the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common brings to this part of the capital. I look forward to working with chair, Karen Buck, the wider Board and the exceptional OPDC team to realise this potential and create a whole new urban district for West London in Old Oak and Park Royal."