Governing Council elections

Lead the future of our profession

RICS Governing Council Elections 2024 are now closed. Meet the newly elected Governing Council members.

Professional seats

David Hourihan FRICS

Commercial Property

David qualified as a chartered surveyor in Dublin, Ireland in 1994 under the mentorship of John Oliver Costello at Costello Commercial. He has over fifteen years of industry experience in office agency, shopping centre asset management and commercial property valuations in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. During this time, he worked with several leading real estate firms such as JLL and Colliers International and other firms which have since been subsumed into international firms such as CBRE and Deloitte. In 2011 David became a full-time academic at the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) specialising in property investment, valuation, property asset management and property agency in the commercial property sector. He is the programme leader for the MSc Real Estate. He is a knowledge expert at UCEM on the subject of ‘Ethics’ and a member of the institution’s EDI and apprenticeships working groups. UCEM is the leading provider of supported online education for the built environment. He is an APC assessor/chair for both the RICS and SCSI (Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland) and a member of the ‘Education and CPD’ standing committee at the SCSI. Between 2017-2020 he was an External Examiner for the BSc Auctioneering, Valuation & Estate Agency degree programme at the Technological University Dublin and an External Adviser for the BSc (Hons) Real Estate and MSc Real Estate at Liverpool John Moores University in 2022. David regularly runs a series of ‘Introduction to Office Investment’ webinars at Bayfield Training in which he and industry guest speakers review office investment dynamics in cities such as Budapest, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Lyon and Paris. He has also provided webinars for the École Supérieure des Professions Immobilières (ESPI), France and Northern Business School (NBS), Germany in 2021/2022.

Jason Hardman MRICS

Valuation

Jason is a London based Executive Director in CBRE’s Valuation and Advisory Services Department and Head of Loan and Advisory Valuation Services covering all property sectors. He is a member of CBRE’s UK Residential Board and the Valuation and Advisory Executive Group. Between 2008 and May 2024, Jason focussed on the Living Sectors. Markets covered include build to rent, single family housing, large scale developments, strategic land, masterplans, prime central London and affordable housing. He led the growth of this part of CBRE’s business from a team of 6 to more than 70 professionals across the UK. Jason was the Chair and Technical Author of the RICS Red Book Professional Standard for Valuing Residential Property Purpose Built for Renting (2018). He has been actively involved with the British Property Federation for more than 10 years and is a member of the Living Sectors Board. He also serves on sector groups for the Association of Rental Living and Investment Property Forum. Jason is currently working with LandAid to support its BTR initiative to help source subsidised housing specifically for young people to combat homelessness.

Graham Jones FRICS

Construction

Graham is a Chartered Surveyor of some 26 years standing, having originally qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in 1998; qualifying further as a Chartered Project Management Surveyor following completion of an MSc at The Bartlett, UCL in 2007. Graham was elected to Fellowship in 2014. In terms of his role within the industry, Graham is a Director within the London Commercial Developer team at Turner & Townsend, delivering real estate project management for key industry clients, such as: UK Parliamentary Estate, Earls Court Development Company and The Crown Estate. Graham has been actively engaged since first becoming Chartered, having acted as both APC Supervisor and Counsellor on several occasions and has gone on to serve the maximum two terms on the London Regional Board; firstly between 2013-16 and secondly between 2019-2023. In November 2023, Graham was successful in joining the first cohort constituting the ‘Construction – Professional Group Panel’. Further afield, Graham is also an active Member of The British Council for Offices, having recently joined their NextGen programme as mentor.

Geographic seats

Victoria Clapp FRICS

UK&I

Victoria Clapp is the Cost, Commercial and Quantity Surveying Technical Director at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management and development consultancy. She is a Fellow of the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and member of the RICS Matrics UK Board. A finalist in the RICS Young Surveyor of the Year (2022), she strives to shape best practice and has a unquenching passion for promoting our profession and supporting the next generation of surveyors. With lived experience of neurodiversity, she co-leads the RICS Matrics UK board strategy for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).

Alison Cosa MRICS

UK&I

Alison Cosa (formerly Westwood) graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2010 having gained a Master’s degree in Property Investment and Management before becoming a Graduate Property Surveyor at Pendragon PLC, where she undertook a sabbatical at Innes England to broaden her experience. In 2014, following a move to London, she joined GVA (now Avison Young) as Assistant Surveyor gaining experience managing prime retail estate in Mayfair and Knightsbridge including retail, office and residential assets. She undertook the APC whilst at GVA and became a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) in 2015 having completed rotations in Property Management, Leasing, Rating and Valuation. In late 2015, Alison joined JLL as Senior Surveyor in the PAM (Property and Asset Management) department and was promoted to Associate Director in 2017 having gained experience as lead PM for a prestigious Property Unit Trust portfolio consisting prime office, retail and industrial assets. A move client side followed, to Capital and Counties (Capco) now known as Shaftesbury Capital as a Senior Property Manager for the world class Covent Garden Estate. Today Alison is Director of Property Management for one of the world’s top REITS, Realty Income (an S&P 500 Company – NYSE: O) and oversees the Property Management operations for the UK and EU portfolios totalling c. £ 10bn. Alison is an RICS APC Assessor and also volunteers for two charities being a long standing Ambassador for LandAid (the property industry’s charity) for 10 years, and Ambassador for RICS LionHeart for the last 3 years.

Johanna Gill MRICS

UK&I

Johanna is a Chartered Surveyor with over 28 years’ experience working in Oxford, Birmingham, London and Dublin. Johanna is Head of Real Estate in TMF Fund Management Ireland where she works with a team of Investment Managers delivering the discretionary management function for regulated property funds. She joined TMF in September 2023 when TMF acquired Goodbody Fund Management. Prior to that, Johanna worked for Cushman & Wakefield in Dublin since her return from the UK in 2005. There she was Deputy Head of the Valuation & Advisory team and she was responsible for building the C&W Irish fund valuation business. In addition, she advised banks and other financial institutions and corporates. Having served on the Board of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland for 2 years, Johanna took on the role of President of SCSI in May 2019, and served her term until August 2020. She continues to be involved in SCSI as a member of the Sustainability Working Group and is on the RICS Ireland Board.

Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS

UK&I

Lynda Rawsthorne was appointed Government Head of Property Profession and Director, Property Capability, Sponsorship & Standards, in August 2023. Lynda is head of the Government Property Profession, the community of property professionals across government. She provides professional leadership across a diverse range of government departments and arms-length bodies which deliver the government’s property ambitions. Lynda is responsible for the Government Property Strategy and the Government Property Functional Standard. The strategy sets out the government’s plans for a public sector estate for public benefit, ensuring it enables the best possible public services, is efficient and sustainable and supports the government’s levelling up ambitions. The Functional Standard sets expectations for how government property is acquired, managed and disposed of. Lynda has over 25 years’ professional experience across the property lifecycle including valuation, managing estates as well as delivering transformational and construction-based programmes. A Fellow of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Project Management, Lynda is a graduate of the Major Project Leadership Academy at the University of Oxford. Lynda joined the Cabinet Office from the Department of Transport where she was Director of Programme Integration within High Speed Rail Group, leading the land and property interface. Her previous roles include Prison Infrastructure Director at Ministry of Justice, leading delivery of the 15,000 additional places construction and transformation programme, and Programme Director of the £4.4bn Priority School Building Programme at the Department for Education. Starting her career in Local Government, she then worked predominantly in the Valuation Office Agency which she joined on the graduate programme, serving as a Valuation Officer, Head of Customer Services and Chief of Staff. Lynda grew up in Milton Keynes but as a military wife has travelled extensively, with married quarters in four countries. She juggled three children and a variety of working patterns while continuing her career.

Uche Obi FRICS

Americas

With over 25 years of experience in the real estate sectors across the UK and the Caribbean, Uche Obi is a highly respected Chartered Valuation Surveyor and Director of the Lands & Survey Department for the Cayman Islands Government. He oversees key national functions, including the Land Registry, Valuation and Estates Office, Survey Section, and National Geographical Information Systems, ensuring high-quality service delivery through innovation. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Uche specializes in property valuation, compulsory acquisition, and strategic planning. He represents the Americas on the RICS Global Governing Council and has held leadership roles such as Chair of the RICS Cayman Chapter and member of the RICS Caribbean Advisory Group. His commitment to governance was demonstrated through his work on the Levitt Review steering committee, ensuring transparency at RICS. Uche also chairs the Credit Committee of CICSA Credit Union and serves as an APC Counsellor and former Licensed Assessor Trainer, mentoring future surveyors. He holds a Bachelor’s in Estate Management, a Master’s in Property Valuation and Law, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Systems Analysis from City University, London. Uche champions diversity, equity, and inclusion across his teams.

Stephen Ballesty FRICS

Asia Pacific

Stephen is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a Chartered Facilities Management (FM) Surveyor with over 40 years of professional consulting experience across the property, construction and facilities industry. Stephen is the founder of In-Touch Advisory. His technical expertise includes project delivery, quantity surveying, cost prediction, due diligence, asset/facilities management, risk assessment, value engineering, life cycle analysis and sustainability. He has contributed to multiple publications for the RICS and regularly presents at industry conferences internationally. Stephen is a member of the RICS Australasian Regional Advisory Board. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Standards Australia MB-022 committee, and an Australian delegate to ISO/TC 267 developing the ISO 41000 series and liaising on the ISO 55000 series. Also since 2021, he served as the Regional Director for Australasia & Southeast Asia for IFMA's FM Consultant Council. In addition to being FRICS, he also holds FAIQS and IFMA Fellow designations and is an FMA Australia Life Member (fellow). Stephen has served on multiple built environment industry boards over an extended period holding various leadership positions with the Australian Government FM Action Agenda, FMA Australia, Property Council of Australia, IFMA Foundation, IFMA, and the ISO.

Jagath Keerthisooriya FRICS

MEA

Jagath Keerthisooriya is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 24 years of international experience in the construction industry, specializing in contract and commercial management, procurement, and quantity surveying. His career has seen him hold roles with semi-government organizations, international project managers and consultants, and leading contractors across Sri Lanka, the UAE, Qatar, and New Zealand. He has been a key player in delivering high-profile infrastructure and civil projects, making significant contributions to some of the region's most notable developments. Currently, Jagath serves as Lead Cost Manager at Turner & Townsend in Abu Dhabi, where he provides expert cost consultancy, contract administration, and strategic advice on complex contractual issues. His deep expertise and leadership make him a trusted advisor in managing and resolving intricate project challenges. Jagath is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ). He is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS) and holds a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying from the University of Reading, UK. Currently, he is pursuing an LLM/MSc in Construction Law and Arbitration at Robert Gordon University, Scotland. Beyond his professional work, Jagath is a dedicated CPD speaker and trainer, actively contributing to the development of aspiring Chartered Quantity Surveyors in the region. He is also a trained RICS Counsellor and Chairperson, providing mentorship and assessments to guide and shape future professionals. Jagath previously held the role of Secretary of the Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors Forum in the UAE and currently serves as Chairman of the Sri Lankan Professionals Association in the UAE. This diverse organization includes professionals from various fields, such as quantity surveying, IT, engineering, banking, hospitality, and business management. With his leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to professional development, Jagath remains a key figure in shaping the future of quantity surveying and the broader construction industry globally.

RICS Governing Council Elections 2024 results

Overall voter turnout: 6.53%

Voter turnout for the geographic seats:

UK & Ireland 3.60%

Asia Pacific 5.85%

Americas 15.54%

Middle East & Africa 20.32%

Newly elected members will take their seats on 1 January 2025.

Seat	Total number of candidates	Candidate elected	Percentage of vote
Commercial Property	14	David Hourihan FRICS	14.7%
Construction	37	Graham Jones FRICS	8%
Valuation	17	Jason Hardman MRICS	16.9%
UK&I	30	Victoria Clapp FRICS	6%
UK&I	30	Alison Cosa MRICS	4.4%
UK&I	30	Johanna Gill MRICS	5.9%
UK&I	30	Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS	6.1%
Americas	9	Uche Obi FRICS	36.4%
Asia Pacific	16	Stephen Ballesty FRICS	20.2%
MEA	20	Jagath Keerthisooriya FRICS	20.9%

RICS Governing Council elections 2025

RICS will be running elections to its Governing Council in 2025 offering another opportunity for members to influence the future direction of RICS and have their say on who should represent their interests.

Being elected to Governing Council is a superb chance to help shape the future of the profession and play a vital role in delivering RICS’ strategy to achieve a built and natural environment that is sustainable, resilient and inclusive for all.

The following seats are expected to be up for election in 2025:

Professional Group – Residential Property
Professional Group – Building Surveying and Building Control (the seat is currently vacant)
Professional Group – Land and Natural Resources
Geographic – UK and Ireland (four seats)
Geographic – Asia Pacific
Geographic – Europe
NextGen seat

All seats are open to all Chartered Members (FRICS/MRICS) and AssocRICS in good standing, subject to areas of expertise (Professional Group seats) and geographical location (Geographic seats).

The elections are expected to open in early summer 2025 and follow the below schedule:

Key dates
Accepting applications	June - August
Elections open	September
Elections close	October
Attend Governing Council meeting	November
Term starts	January 2026

If you are interested in standing for election to Governing Council in 2025 and would like to be notified when RICS is accepting applications, please register your interest below:

Express your interest

Equal opportunities principles

We are committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality. Our appointments processes adhere to equal opportunities principles. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, and we particularly welcome applications from groups that are currently under-represented in the profession.

RICS will offer support to help you perform effectively in your role as a Governing Council member. You will benefit from the expertise of existing GC members, all of whom will help you familiarise yourself with RICS’ approach to governance and decision making.