The Government Property Agency has appointed a new chief investment officer.
The new CIO, John Duckworth, was previously executive director at The Instant Group, a firm which specialises in rethinking workspaces to enable agility and operational resilience for businesses of all sizes.
He also previously held senior roles at commercial real estate and property investment specialists JLL.
Duckworth, who replaces interim CIO Jane Hunt, said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the CIO at such a pivotal time for the GPA as it steps up to deliver some critical projects which will both enhance government capability and delivery nationally, as well as catalysing economic growth in the regions.
“The GPA is a great organisation with a clear mission focused on creating a smaller, better, greener office estate which aspires to deliver change for the benefit of many. This, together with the prospect of working alongside a line-up of impressively talented people, is why I have joined the agency.
“I very much look forward to engaging with colleagues, partners, suppliers and the market as we look to transform government workspaces for the better.”
Announcing the appointment, Mark Bourgeois, the GPA’s chief executive, said he was “thrilled”.
“These are both challenging and exciting times, and in making this appointment we were looking for someone to have an immediate impact, who could work across the broad range of stakeholders, to evolve the system of strategic delivery for government and to support our department partners,” Bourgeois said.
“John’s experience will be an asset to the agency and more widely to the government property profession as we continue to deliver the vision for a smaller, better, greener government office estate.”
Since launching in 2018, the GPA has grown to manage over one million sq m of the government’s office portfolio – acting as an expert partner to departments for strategic planning and workplace services including design, property technology and workplace experience.
The agency is also responsible for the Government Hubs Programme – supporting economic growth across the UK through the redevelopment of brownfield sites or repurposing existing buildings to create efficient, sustainable and productive workplaces.