RICS in Wales

Ian Steele (Chair) FRICS

Associate, ChandlerKBS

Ian has chaired the Welsh board for 4 years as of February 2023 and became a Fellow in 2022. Outside of RICS Ian is an Associate at ChandlerKBS, based in South Wales and specialises in Project Management. He currently manages a programme which includes aviation, water and major procurement projects. “I really enjoy ...   chairing the board and working with other passionate members to promote the profession in Wales. 2023 promises to be exciting year for RICS in Wales and I’m looking forward to playing my part.” In his free time Ian coaches his son’s football team. He enjoys running, cycling and hiking. Read More

Carwyn Rees BSc Hons MRICS

Senior Surveyor, Owen and Owen

A dairy farmers’ son from Carmarthenshire who studied at Harper Adams University College and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2014, joining the practice of Owen and Owen in 2018. Carwyn’s areas of expertise include agricultural tenancy negotiations, agricultural sale and lettings, estate management, rural planning ...   and negotiations with utility companies and the renewable energy sector on behalf of landowners and farmers. He leads the office in the management of caravan park and leisure businesses, not only in the office, but also with the family business at home. Carwyn Joined the Wales Board in the autumn of 2021 and is heavily involved with the West Wales membership branch. Read More

Emma Woods BSc Hons PG Dip Surv FRICS

Director, Currie & Brown

Emma is a chartered quantity surveyor, with over 15 years’ experience across the UK, Australia and the Middle East. ‘Being a member of the Board allows me to play an integral part in contributing to RICS initiatives and providing advice to the internal RICS community. Attracting and motivating future generations ...   into the industry is an important part of my role and collaborating with various members from different specialities within the property industry, keeps the Board diverse and interesting.’ Read More

Helen Zammit-Wilson (MRICS)

Director, National Valuation Unit in the Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

Helen has worked at the VOA for over 30 years and is a highly respected expert in the area of non-domestic rating having undertaken a variety of senior leadership roles. Helen achieved the highly coveted Rating Diploma qualification in 2001 and has held the role of Chair of the RICS Rating Diploma Holders’ Section ...   in 2021 and was previously the Honorary Secretary of the Section. She is involved in the organisation and delivery of training in respect of the Rating Diploma study course – specialising in the valuation of properties utilising the contractor’s basis of valuation. She was a leading contributor to the 2nd edition of RICS valuation guidance on the Contractor's Basis of valuation for rating purposes, published in 2017. Read More

Martyn Osborne MRICS

Owner, Borne Consult Ltd

I have been a member of the RICS since the early 90’s and in 2018 joined the Board here in Wales. For most of my career I have worked on the contracting side of the industry with both major Plc’s and smaller Ltd businesses. I’ve been fortunate to work with some exceptionally talented people across all sectors and ...   have always been keen to help develop young talent, supporting people wherever I can. This was one of the reasons why I accepted a Board role with the RICS. It has always been a great strength of our profession to be actively supporting and encouraging members to be more visible across all disciplines and sectors. This in turn provides many opportunities. I believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure that young people making early career decisions are fully informed of the fantastic roles that exist across such a diverse and exiting industry as ours, particularly here in Wales. In recent years I've become involved with business' focusing on sustainable energy which is particularly important to the Welsh economy. Read More

Matt Haynes BSc (Hons) MRICS

Senior Quantity Surveyor, Glyndwr Consulting Ltd

Matt is a chartered quantity surveyor and is currently employed as a Senior Quantity Surveyor at Glyndwr Consulting Limited, based in South Wales. Matt has experience within the Health, Blue Light, Education and Residential sectors. Matt is the Regional Chair for Matrics Wales and currently chairs the RICS ...   South Wales Matrics local Committee. ‘As chair I am responsible for guiding the committee providing leadership and direction. I ensure that the committee is continually moving forward and achieving its objectives. The committee aims to organise interprofessional networking and social events giving Matrics members an opportunity to build their contacts. The committee also provides APC support and organises CPD events for APC candidates.’ Read More

Miranda Thomas MRICS

Senior Lecturer & Course Leader, University of South Wales

I am currently working as Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at the University of South Wales and work within the School of Engineering in the Civil Engineering and Built Environment team. I am a chartered project manager and lecture predominantly on RICS accredited Project and Contract Management modules, both ...   at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am also course leader for the Building Surveying undergraduate degree which I helped launch in 2020 and is growing year on year in terms of numbers. I came into academia in 2019 following a career as consultant project manager for firms such as Arcadis and Gleeds where I worked both within public and private sectors on projects in corporate real estate, retail, education, and defence. I now thoroughly enjoy engaging with the future talent of our industry and mentoring students through their early professional and academic journey. I am counsellor to several APC candidates, some of which are students at USW and am a qualified APC assessor. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with the family. My husband and I have two children and shih tzu to keep us busy. As a keen runner I have also done several half marathons in the past. Read More

Neal O'Leary BSc (Hons) MRICS

Programme Director, Welsh Government

Neal is a Chartered Building Surveyor and an RICS Wales Awards Judge with over 30 years’ experience in property investment, construction and estate management across private, public and third sector organisations. Currently employed as Programme Director for the Welsh Government’s £3.8bn Sustainable Communities ...   for Learning Programme (formerly the 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme) he has responsibility for the leadership and management of all infrastructure investment for education in Wales. Prior to returning to Education Infrastructure in 2019, Neal spent 11 years heading up Cadw’s Properties in Care, leading on conservation, strategic capital investment, FM and asset management. During this time he developed and implemented a strategy achieving a 43% reduction (2010-2019) in carbon emissions across 130 historic sites whilst visitor numbers and income generation reached record numbers. A member of Historic Scotland’s Estates Peer Review Board and a member of Ystadau Cymru Board. A former director (2010-2016) and Board Chair of Cambria Maintenance Services Ltd., leading the company through incorporation to one of industry recognised success, employing 130 staff delivering over £20m services. Neal sits on the Welsh Government’s ministerial-led Construction Forum and chairs the Buildings Sub-group leading the Decarbonisation and Procurement Sectoral Working Groups. Read More

Nicola Hall MRICS

Senior Policy Manager, Welsh Government

Since qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor in 2005, Nicola has been employed by District Valuer Services (the specialist property arm of the Valuation Office Agency), providing independent, impartial valuation and professional advice across the entire public sector. Nicola has a wealth of knowledge and experience in ...   the valuation of land and property across the North Wales region. Nicola has recently taken a new role at the Welsh Government applying her skill in the Local Government Finance Reform Division. Nicola has supported many graduate surveyors during her career and thoroughly enjoys naturing candidates through their APC journey to achieving full RICS membership. She is focused on raising awareness and promoting the surveying profession. Read More

Oisin Fitzpatrick (FRICS)

Commercial Director

Oisin is a Commercial Director at an international consultancy primarily working in infrastructure. He has long been passionate about our profession and sees the RICS Wales board as a conduit for members to have their voices heard and priorities addressed. He looks forward to collaborating with the board on achieving ...   the RICS ambitions and encouraging the future generation of surveyors in Wales. Read More

Ryan Harris MRICS

Account Director / Global lead for Opex Efficiency, Arcadis

I am a Commercial Director and Quantity Surveyor by background with experience of working across the infrastructure, industrial and utilities sectors. I’m currently fulfilling a global role with the majority of my clients sitting outside of the UK. Still residing in Wales, my roots are firmly fixed here and I get ...   huge pleasure in supporting our Wales board and our community. I’m hugely focused on supporting our members and also our future talent here in Wales. Read More

Sam Acres MRICS

Regional Director, Faithful+Gould

I’m a Chartered Building Surveyor by background, having progressed through the ranks at Faithful+Gould where I started as a graduate, I’m now a Regional Director responsible for a brilliant team of Building Surveyors, Building Services engineers and Programme Managers for Faithful+Gould in Wales. Aside from business ...   unit responsibilities I spend most of my time leading programmes for the NatWest Group across the UK&NI, these involve the management of teams of Programme Managers, Project Managers, Building Surveyors and H&S teams to help the bank deliver first class facilities for their customers and colleagues. I also have experience working with the public sector, most notably MoJ where I was consulted to their capital projects team leading a team to develop existing sites to increase prison capacity. I also have extensive experience working with defence contractors to help improve the service personnel accommodation estate through the provision of surveying and technical advisory services. Read More

Elizabeth Fox MRICS

Elizabeth qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2016 and has since been employed by District Valuer Services (the specialist property arm of the Valuation Office Agency), providing independent, impartial valuation and professional advice. Elizabeth has several years’ experience in the valuation of land and property, ...   working pan Wales for a variety of public sector clients. Elizabeth has recently taken a temporary position managing a team of Chartered Surveyors working across the Southwest of England while continuing to undertake valuation work in Wales. Elizabeth is an APC Assessor having sat on her first panel in 2018 and has supported many graduates and apprentices through their APC journey to achieving full RICS membership; something which she finds incredibly rewarding. Elizabeth is a fluent Welsh speaker. Read More

Gareth Davies FRICS

Gareth is Senior Director within ChandlerKBS with over 27 years’ experience in the industry. Gareth has been involved in a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, blue light, leisure, regeneration, nuclear and education. Gareth became a Fellow of the RICS in 2024 following his Chartership in 2013. Gareth ...   leads a team of Cost and Project Managers delivering key services across the UK and is focussed on supporting the RICS community and future talent in Wales. Read More

Simon Yates FRICS

Simon is a dual qualified Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, with over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry. He is a Director at Rowfield Commercial, a firm that specialises in providing Commercial Management, Dispute Resolution and Project Services to ...   the construction industry. Simon is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ Wales Board and the current Vice Chair of the Wales Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Chair 2020-2024). Prior to establishing Rowfield Commercial, Simon specialised in contract administration experiencing a range of project sectors and was appointed Contract Administrator on many projects with contract sums in excess of £100m and single projects up to £1bn. Simon is an experienced negotiator and dispute resolver and has a solid understanding of all of the major forms of construction contract including NEC, JCT and FIDIC. Where disputes occur, he favours using his in-depth contractual and legal knowledge to achieve amicable solutions. Simon is both a panel adjudicator, and a capable adjudication party representative and has acted in many disputes, drafting submissions, citing relevant case law and preparing quantum and extension of time claims. He is also an RICS Registered Expert Witness, having been certified by the RICS as both a competent author of independent expert reports and comfortable under cross examination. Academically, Simon holds a University Diploma in Surveying Practice, a Degree in Quantity Surveying, and a Master of Laws Degree in Construction Law and Adjudication with Distinction. He is also on the Approved Faculty List of Tutors (Adjudication Pathway) for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is a member of the Society of Construction Law and on the Adjudication Society’s South West Sub-Committee. Read More

Tim Davies

T. R. DAVIES LTD

Tim is the practice principal and founder with over 38 years’ experience working in the property and construction professions. He established the practice in 1998. Tim is a fully qualified chartered building surveyor, rics accredited valuer and expert witness. Tim also previously qualified as a chartered insurer, ...   and of more recent times, qualified by examination for the cardiff university/bond solon certificate in both civil and criminal expert witness practice. Tim was previously an examiner on the rics accredited foundation degree in the reading university of estate management, (2015-2021). Tim has acted in the role of single joint and party appointed expert witness in a range of both civil and criminal cases. He is a registered property expert with the national crime agency (nca), and has worked with police and trading standards officers in wales and throughout the uk, principally dealing with rogue trader incidents. Tim has worked in the uk and abroad throughout his career. In addition to his academic qualifications, he has a considerable knowlede base that enables him to specialise in the field of civil/criminal expert witness work in addition to the other surveying services his practice can offer. Tim has been an active member of the rics wales branch and lectures to students, cpd candidates and fellow chartered surveyors. Tim is an experienced practitioner, well regarded by his peers. He has, on many occasions also provided expert advice to the press and media with regular appearances on bbc wales “x-ray”, bbc1 “one show”, bbc radio wales and various channel 4 productions. When not in work, tim enjoys an active family life, and when time permits – river and surf kayaking. He is also an experienced “self-builder”. Having completed four houses and an 18th century barn conversion. Read More

Sam Rees

Senior Public Affairs Officer, RICS

Sam is the RICS Senior Public Affairs Officer for Wales, working with Welsh Government and stakeholders to address the challenges facing the built environment. This includes focusing on decarbonising Wales, creating safer buildings, and supporting future talent in the profession. He is also responsible for managing ...   the RICS UK policy on housing and sustainability, working to ensure the profession is at the forefront of tackling the challenges of climate change, including the need to create more than 30 million energy efficient and low-carbon homes. Read More

Graham Craven

Member Engagement Lead, RICS

Graham joined RICS in July 2022 as Market Engagement Lead – Wales and his focus has been on engaging members across the whole of Wales and is currently active in helping to establish a local group in North Wales. Graham is looking forward to being involved in setting up a new office in Cardiff as well as helping ...   to deliver the RICS Cardiff Conference in June 2023. Graham is a keen jogger and will be amongst the team of 10 RICS Members and Staff who will be running the Cardiff Half Marathon in October 2023 to raise money for LionHeart. Graham is the conduit between members and RICS, which often means advocating for members and maintaining clear and transparent lines of communication. Read More