Team

Sean Slade

Founding Director
Sean is CEO of Appley and has over 30 years of extensive and broad experience, at a senior level, across all sectors of the UK property market. Before founding Appley, previous positions held include Richard Ellis (now CBRE), Fund Manager of two entrepreneurial property funds at Hill Samuel Asset Management, main Board Director at FTSE 250 Grainger plc –Former European Property Company of the Year. Sean has extensive contacts across the market and a clear vision and focus in repositioning assets and driving performance through development and asset management strategies.

Tom Marsden

Director
Tom has extensive transactional and asset management experience in the UK and Europe. Tom previously held real estate private equity positions at Hudson Advisors (Lone Star Funds) and Longmead Capital, specialising in the investment and asset management of cross-sector, commercial and residential portfolios –including the work out of three multibillion-pound loan books. Tom is responsible for Appley’s investment activities. He is a specialist in sourcing and underwriting opportunities, with an aptitude for driving value through innovative real estate strategies.

Mark Hatcher

Director
Mark has over 23 years of private equity investment management experience, with a deep and highly specialised understanding of the UK real estate market. Mark previously held senior roles at Moorfield Group and Ares Management Ltd, where he was responsible for sourcing, executing and managing complex real estate investments across sectors and strategies. Mark is widely recognised as one of the most established and well-known figures in UK real estate. His expertise spans capital deployment, portfolio optimisation and value-driven repositioning, supported by a rigorous investment approach and an extensive network across the UK. At Appley, Mark drives capital raising, origination and investment strategy.

Benedict De Grandis

Senior Asset Manager
Benedict is a Chartered Surveyor with experience in commercial asset and development management, working on central London multi-sector assets. Benedict previously worked within the Welcome team at Workman, providing strategic advice and enhanced customer service to both clients and tenants. Prior to this, Benedict completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. His passion for sustainability combined with his knowledge and experience is instrumental in guiding Landlords toward implementing successful ESG strategies, as the demand for transitioning assets toward net zero increases.

Caroline Becker

Senior Analyst

Caroline plays a key role in underwriting and investment analysis for Appley’s acquisition strategies. She assists in the analysis of investments and contributes to value creation through strategic real estate insights. Caroline previously worked for Ellandi (now NewRiver), where she worked on both the Asset Management and Investment & Debt teams. She has a strong interest in sustainability, placemaking, and finding value-add opportunities. Caroline holds an MSc in Real Estate Economics and Investment Analysis from UCL, for which her dissertation was recognized by the Society for Location Analysis.

Alex Mills

Asset Manager
Alex is a Chartered Surveyor who is responsible for the formation and execution of asset management strategies across the Central London portfolio. He previously worked within the Asset Management team at Workman, gaining hands-on experience managing commercial assets across multiple sectors and engaging with occupiers. Alex holds a BSc (Hons) in Real Estate from the University College of Estate Management and specialises in enhancing value and driving performance across real estate investments.

Philip Neale

Analyst
Philip supports Appley’s investment and asset management teams with research, analysis, and asset evaluation, helping to inform decision-making and portfolio strategies. His work enhances the team’s ability to identify opportunities and track market trends. He is a graduate of the University of Reading’s Real Estate BSc programme and has a strong interest in the Central London office market. He is focused on developing his skills in investment and asset management strategies.