Creative Places have announced the appointment of Liam Nicholls to the position of CEO. Liam takes over from Jonathan Burroughs, who will remain fully involved in the business, focusing on client work.
Having joined Creative Places seven years ago, Liam’s expertise and tenacity has proven invaluable to the commercial property experts, which utilises its specialist, sector specific knowledge to help clients plan, create, manage and invest in collaborative places for people involved with research, R&D and innovation. Specifically, Liam has led Creative Places’ work advising investors who have acquired real estate for R&D activity – particularly within life sciences – including Kadans, Mission Street, Oxford Properties and most recently Global Mutual. Liam also advises clients on letting space across the Golden Triangle.
Having established Creative Places in 2009 with managing partner, John Sommerville, Jonathan will continue to be fully involved in the business and will continue to work with clients across all geographies, albeit four days a week.
Liam commented of his appointment: “I hope to continue the leading-edge approach and meet the high bar previously set by Jonathan; maintaining our position as a trusted advisor to our valued clients and keeping the business at the forefront of the R&D property sector. We do our best work as a team, and I look forward to continuing to work with my exceptional colleagues at Creative Places as we grasp the enormous opportunities that face us in 2023 and beyond.”
Jonathan Burroughs added: “We’ve grown this business very significantly over the last 14 years and are now ready for the next push on. Liam is a superb professional and exactly the right person to lead the business. We are lucky to have ambitious, younger colleagues within the team that bring not just dynamism but new ways of looking at things. This approach will ensure our business stays in touch with our occupational marketplace and what’s needed for the next generation of employees in research and R&D.”
Based in Cambridge, Creative Places’ award-winning team excels in advising clients on how to develop and invest in locations that can become ‘value add’ places to all that use them. The firm’s detailed knowledge of the research and R&D sectors helps clients including Innovate UK, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Medcity and Oxford University create collaborative environments that combine the appropriate mix of services, facilities and activities to establish communities that truly exemplify their respective fields, enhancing innovation and enterprise.