Nicolaas is the Global Head of Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) at ING. From 2018-2022, Global Head of CRE Portfolio Management & Strategy. Prior to ING, he spent 5 years in New York, working for MetLife and JP Morgan Chase in their corporate real estate departments. Between 2006-2013, Nicolaas worked as consultant with Buck Consultants International helping corporate clients, real estate investors/developers and governments specialized in real estate/investment strategies. Started as research manager for Dutch broker firm Dynamis 2003-2006.

Simon recently joined the Urban Land Institute (ULI) as Vice President, Research & Advisory Services, where he is responsible for managing its innovative research agenda covering the key issues shaping the future of the real estate industry including climate change and sustainability, investment and development trends and shifts in demography and technological change. Prior to joining ULI, Simon specialised in research on global cities and real estate for Grosvenor, one of the world’s largest privately-owned international property businesses. Simon’s role involved undertaking analysis on global city developments to inform the company’s long-term strategy and thinking on cities. He has undertaken major research projects on megatrends for real estate, examining topics such as urbanisation, demographic change, digital disruption and climate change. Simon also has previous experience working in urban planning, economic development and strategic consulting for the retail sector. He holds an MSc in Urban Economic Development from The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University College London.

Jens Böhnlein is Global Head of Asset Management at Commerz Real and as General Manager he is also responsible for all sustainability activities. Thus he is responsible for the management and develop-ment of the global real estate portfolio of the asset and investment management company with a value of more than 14 billion euros. His remit also includes pushing ahead with the digitalisation of the assets and holistic approaches to their sustainable management. Jens Böhnlein came to Commerz Real in June 2018. Before joining the company the graduate architect was employed as Global Head Office Solutions & Designs at the Austrian company CA Immo AG from 2017 onwards, and prior to this had held various management positions at Cushman & Wakefield. He has also gathered experience at EY Real Estate, DTZ Zadelhof Tue Leung and JLL.

Steven joined The Instant Group in 2020 to oversee Instant’s business in France and other core European markets, ensuring enhanced client service and delivery. He has over 20 years of real estate experience with expertise in real estate consulting, transaction management, account management, project management, and workplace strategy and design. Prior to Instant, Steven worked at JLL where he was most recently Head of the Strategic Consulting, Corporate Accounts, and Tenant Representation teams for JLL’s French business, winning several Enterprise clients in the Energy, Finance, and Beauty sectors. Steven also led the JLL EMEA Transaction Management platform.

As chief executive of ULI Europe, Lisette van Doorn is responsible for the development of the Institute’s activities across the region, including its renowned pan-European conferences and over 250 local meetings and events across 14 countries. She is responsible for working with ULI’s staff both locally and globally to deliver more high profile content and reports; coordinating Advisory Services panels and Urban Plan; and expanding the Institute’s thought leadership across Europe. Van Doorn joined ULI in January 2015 from LIRE, her own consultancy business, which advises international institutional real estate investors and fund managers on strategy, organisational optimisation and portfolio structuring. Prior to this, van Doorn was country manager for CBRE Global Investors where she managed a €1.6bn portfolio of assets in Italy and fund manager of two shopping centre funds (€ 1.3 billion) with assets in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Before joining CBRE Global Investors, van Doorn was founding chief executive for INREV, the European association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles for four and a half years. Van Doorn started her career at ING Investment Management, where she held account manager and assistant controller positions before being made managing director of research & strategy for ING Real Estate Investment Management Europe.