For a second year running, The Urban Developer’s Awards for Industry Excellence recognised the best of urban development from across Australia and New Zealand.
This year's event will saw 24 awards acknowledged across two streams: Industry Excellence Awards and Development of the Year Awards.
The awards showcased superior examples of projects in property development as well as investment, marketing and technology used across a broad range of sectors and design disciplines.
Twenty-eight experts from across the built environment made up the judging panel for the 2019 awards.
The winners were announced at a gala dinner on Wednesday at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane.
Read on to learn more about our panel of judges and their expertise.
As director for Second Century Ventures | REACH Accelerator for Australia and Southeast Asia, Isaac works directly with some of the countries top Proptech Scale ups and knows what it takes to scale a company globally. Prior to becoming Director, Isaac was the General Manager for Fishburners, Australia’s largest community of tech startups with physical locations in Brisbane, Sydney and Shanghai.
Antonia Mercorella is the powerhouse CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland. As the REIQ’s first female CEO, and it’s youngest, Antonia has transformed the 100 year old plus Institute into the one of most progressive and high profile real estate industry organisations in Australia. She is an accomplished CEO and solicitor with more than twenty years experience across senior management, law and real estate.
Dani is the Head of People, Culture and Operations at Everledger, an emerging technology enterprise that tracks the provenance of authenticated high-value assets on a global digital ledger. Prior to Earthport, Dani held marketing and operations roles in management consulting, higher education and economic development including Brisbane Marketing, where she led the international Choose Brisbane B2B campaign in the lead up to the 2014 G20 Summit.
Shane specialises in the provision of end-to-end sales and marketing solutions that help leading Australian property developers realise the maximum value of their projects. Starting his career in general residential sales, Shane progressed to specialize in large scale residential mixed use developments whilst in national senior management roles – most recently for Stockland & Leighton Properties.
Angus is a highly experienced town planning consultant with a particular expertise in urban regeneration approvals across the New South Wales and Queensland planning systems. Angus’ extensive statutory planning experience and his ability to think beyond the standard town planning process has seen him help deliver a number of significant urban projects across all sectors.
Malcolm Middleton was appointed as Queensland’s third Government Architect in July 2011 and in this role he is an advocate for the recognition of the value to all projects through well considered design processes. He provides project advice and undertakes design reviews for projects across many areas of government as well as chairing the Queensland Urban Design and Places Panel.
With over 13 years with the firm, Caitlin’s expertise in 5D Cost Planning Quantity Surveying combined with her in depth knowledge of the construction and development industry has seen her play an integral role within the Mitchell Brandtman’s largest and most challenging projects. Caitlin has been involved in the delivery of projects varying in range from local townhouse developments through to aged care facilities, multi residential developments and infrastructure projects.
Hyunbum (Joe) Cho is a lecturer in Property at the University of South Australia with 16 years working as an experienced investment professional who has worked across investment markets in Australia and Korea Joe’s has worked as an investment analyst for a major property consulting firm where he conducted feasibility studies for more than $1 billion worth of residential and mixed-use development projects.
As an experienced Architect with over 25 years’ experience across Australia and internationally. Naveen is passionate about creating projects that respond to their local context and transform the location into one that will continue to thrive into the future. This can be seen through his involvement in the notable Queen’s Wharf project where Naveen has the opportunity to influence and shape Brisbane into a “New World City”.
For over thirty years the team at Future Food lead by Founder and Managing Director Francis Loughran specialises in understanding consumer need states and buying patterns and creates food and hospitality strategies aligned to the positioning of the retail development for every project they work on.
A storyteller at heart, Robert is pre-occupied with clarity of intent, alignment of execution and simple, compelling communication. As editor of Boutique Developer magazine, as well as founder and Creative Director of 630 Agency, a specialist design group with a focus on the real estate sector. Since establishing 630 Agency, the studio has produced work for leading industry organisations, such as Capitel Group, Rebel Property Group, Cornerstone and Koichi Takada.
Ben has been in a variety of roles over his career, from Institututional Property Banking to Property and Finance Consulting and University Education. He enjoys working on problem soving within the property and finance sector and helping to educate the next generation of industry professionals.
A seasoned corporate with more than 30 years of experience in property funds and investment management, property valuation, property acquisitions and divestments, development feasibility, business management/administration and investment advisory. Mark now operates his own investment advisory practice, where he combines his suite of skills along with sourcing off-market property investment opportunities for his clients.
Cameron is the National Lead Partner of Deloitte Real Estate. Cameron is a qualified valuer and town planner and has in excess of 25 years’ experience in the property industry, working predominantly in development advisory, real estate consultancy and valuation across a broad range of property sectors including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, rural, special purpose and mixed use.
Grey is a passionate and creative filmmaker, marketer & online professional with over 20 years experience of which 10 years have been spent in real estate. Grey holds a wealth of B2B and B2C sales and marketing experience, working with a wide range of nationally and internationally recognised brands and businesses.
Sophie has over twenty years' experience in marketing, communications & public relations industry spanning in-house, consultancy and publishing, across a diverse range of industries. A thought-leader with a passion for developing innovative communication solutions and creating strategies necessary to build brand equity and support growth and expansion.
Alexandra Conroy is a founder of Reliant Healthcare, an ACHS-accredited business focused on providing professional and heartfelt care to communities in need. She has extensive experience as a company director leading and advising organisations that operate commercially and provide a tangible social benefit.
Tim holds 30 years of experience as a Corporate, Development and NFP real estate leader, developer, advisor and valuer. Experienced in all sectors from residential, commercial, retail, industrial to hotels and new and emerging asset classes such as build-to-rent and land lease communities. Tim's specialist knowledge and experience includes sectors such as property-based PPPs, development, joint-venture formation and introductions to debt and equity solutions.
Ken McBryde is a multi-award winning independent consulting architect. He has extensive international experience in the design of highly innovative public & cultural places, hospitality, retail, commercial, residential and infrastructure projects. In 2013, Ken founded the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in NSW, and is on the Australian Board.
As the CEO of the Property Industry Foundation for 18 years, Rosemary Smithson developed and led the growth of the organisation from a one-person business to a national business meeting stakeholder needs; developed strategic plans comprising effective goals, strategies and operational plans, maintained a highly-regarded donor program.
Jason joined Domain as Chief Consumer Officer in April 2019. He was previously the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of LJ Hooker Avnu and prior to that, he was the Asia Pacific Managing Director for Houzz. Jason has spent over 15 years growing and scaling international technology businesses, with a focus on strategy, sales and marketing with Etsy, eHarmony and Google.
Adam is an architect, designer and creative force behind FreeState, and has been responsible for storyboarding some of the world’s greatest brands. Obsessed with the importance of putting people first, he builds experiences for some of the most exciting clients in the world, from Sony and Samsung to Virgin Atlantic and MTV to Brookfield Property and the City of Blackpool.
Shaun is the founding architect of Carter Williamson Architects. He is the Principal Architect of the practice, overseeing all projects, large or small. Shaun came to architecture with a Structural Engineering degree and many years working in the construction industry.
Kate holds more than twenty five years of experience working across seventeen cities in four continents. She regards mass transit as fundamental to the future social and economic success of cities and has enjoyed working at the confluence of transport and city future for the last twenty years leading thinking about projects in London, San Jose, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Martin Established Cooper & Associates is based in Parnell, Auckland in 2014. The company has quickly forged a reputation within the property industry, specialising in the delivery of residential and commercial real estate in the wider Auckland region.
Anthony has 16 years working in the property marketing industry. His deep understanding of media, branding and the digital space have ensured he has always remained at the forefront of new trends, advising clients how to extract maximum results from their investments.
Shaun Basset in the Investment Manager for Pie Lab's first fund, Real Estate Industry Venture Capital Fund 2016, a $20 million fund whose mandate is to invest in businesses that service the real estate industry. Shaun's past experience is in banking with the National Australia bank and Macquarie group
Christopher has worked extensively in this sector both locally and abroad. As head of a specialist business development unit, Christopher consults to several high growth companies seeking to build, protect and realise their value. He also works closely across KPMG’s local, regional and global network to ensure KPMG clients access the strategic expertise needed with a focus on product/service expansion.