Real Estate Investors PLC Directors

John Crabtree OBE,DL,D.Univ
Non Executive Chairman

John Crabtree OBE has a very wide variety of business, community and charitable interests, predominantly in the West Midlands. Until 2003, he was senior partner of Wragge & Co, the leading Birmingham based national firm of solicitors and, until recently, he was chairman of both Metalrax Group plc and Claimar Care Group plc. He is currently Chairman of SLR Management Limited, TruckEast, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust and the charity, Sense. He is also senior independent director of Staffline Holdings plc and a director of Advantage West Midlands (the regional development authority).

He is a former President of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry, was High Sheriff of the West Midlands and is currently Deputy Lieutenant. In 2004, John was voted UK lawyer of the year and was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Birmingham Law Society and in 2003 was voted West Midlands Businessman of the year.

William Wyatt
Non Executive Director

From 1988 to 1993 William Wyatt served as a cavalry officer in the British Army, before joining the Caledonia group the (FTSE 250 listed investment trust) in 1997 from Close Brothers Corporate Finance, working at Sterling industries before transferring to Caledonia’s Head Office in 1999 as an investment executive.

He was appointed an associate director in 2002 and a director in 2005, and is due to take over as CEO of Caledonia in July this year. William is a director of a number of listed businesses on behalf of Caledonia including Melrose Resources plc, Avanti Communications Plc, Terrace Hill plc and the Bristow Group inc.

Peter Lewin FRICS
Non Executive Director

Peter Lewin qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1969. Whilst working for Allsop & Co between 1964 and 1970 Peter gained experience in all aspects of estate management particularly the valuation of commercial properties. Peter progressed to Samuel Properties Ltd in 1971, and eventually joining the group board 1978.

Peter left in 1987 to establish a new property investment company, Union Group plc .and in 1994 established Newport Holdings plc. In 2002 Peter stepped down from the Board which was subsequently acquired by Mintglade Limited and taken private in 2003. In 2004 Peter Lewin established Real Estate Investors Plc.

John Jack FCMA
Deputy Chairman

John Jack qualified as a management accountant and spent his early career in financial management with IBM (UK) Limited where he was appointed property director in 1984.

Jack led the management buyout of IBM (UK) Limited’s property management division to form Procord Limited, where he became Managing Director. Procord Limited was then acquired by Johnson Controls Inc in 1994. From 1994 – 1997 Jack was chairman of Johnson Controls UK Limited and Vice President of Johnson Controls Facilities Management Europe before becoming non-executive chairman of Citex Limited, a position he held until 2002.

John Jack was also a non-executive director of AIM-quoted Screen Plc from its floatation in 1997 until 2000.

Paul Bassi CBE DL D.UNIV
Chief Executive

Mr Bassi is chairman of Bond Wolfe and Bigwood Chartered Surveyors, and was the former Regional Chairman & Strategy Advisor to Coutts Bank (West Midlands) and a member of the bank’s executive steering board. He was awarded a CBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List. Mr Bassi is also Director of the Birmingham Hippodrome and President of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 at the Asian Jewel Awards and was awarded the Lloyds TSB Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. His contribution to business in the Midlands region was recognised with him being appointed by Buckingham Palace as High Sheriff for the County of West Midlands for 2009. Mr Bassi was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of West Midlands in 2008 and in January 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University.  

Marcus Daly FCA
Finance Director

He is a Chartered Accountant and has 20 years experience in advising clients on strategic matters and corporate planning, particularly in the property sector. He has responsibility for all financial and group accounting matters together with corporate finance matters. He is a non-executive director of the Tipton & Coseley Building Society and a member of the audit committee.