Leadership  

Ground Breakers

King's Cross, aerial at dusk
 

Our leadership team has an ambitious vision and a track record delivering some of the best-loved and most successful regeneration projects of our time.

Tom Goodall, CEO of the Argent Related Tottenham Hale development

Tom Goodall

Nick Searl, Related Argent

Nick Searl

Ken Wong, Related Argent

Kenneth P. Wong

David Partridge, Related Argent

David Partridge

Morwenna Hall, Partner and COO of Argent LLP

Morwenna Hall

Mike Lightbound, Related Argent

Mike Lightbound

Andre Gibbs, Related Argent

André Gibbs

Oli Rifkind

Tom Goodall, CEO of the Argent Related Tottenham Hale development

Tom Goodall

Managing Director, Related Argent

Tom joined Argent in 2012 and became a Partner in 2020. In 2023, Tom was appointed Managing Director of Related Argent.

Prior to this, Tom was Head of Residential for Related Argent, over-seeing a pipeline of more than 8,000 new homes across London, and CEO of the Tottenham Hale development. Tom was also responsible for the residential product at the King’s Cross development including the delivery of the Gasholders apartments.

Before joining the business, Tom worked in project management consultancy and as a practising architect on numerous large-scale mixed-use schemes, including the Shard and the London 2012 Athlete’s Village. Tom is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and sits on its Housing Group.

Nick Searl, Related Argent

Nick Searl

Managing Partner, Argent and Executive Director, Related Argent

Nick joined Argent in 2007 and became a Partner in 2012. He was appointed Joint Managing Partner in 2020, alongside Robert Evans, and in 2023 became the sole Managing Partner. Nick is also an Executive Director of Related Argent, which was established in 2015. Having spent almost 10 years working on King’s Cross, where his main priority was leading the commercial team, Nick is now part of the leadership team on Related Argent’s 10 million sq ft Brent Cross Town development in north London. Nick is a trained architect and has been a member of the RIBA for over 30 years. Nick also chaired the charity Club Peloton for eight years, stepping down in 2022.

Ken Wong, Related Argent

Kenneth P. Wong

Co-Founder, Related Argent and COO, Related Companies

Ken is COO of Related Companies, the Chair of its London portfolio of businesses and co-founder of Related Argent. Ken brings over 40 years of diversified experience to our team, ensuring that global best practices are shared across Related’s many platforms. His executive experience includes development and operating companies, both public and private, bridging the worlds of real estate, entertainment, design and technology.

David Partridge, Related Argent

David Partridge

Chairman, Related Argent

David joined Argent in 1990. He was appointed Joint Chief Executive in 2006, Managing Partner of the new Argent LLP in 2012 and Senior Partner in 2019. He is now Chairman of the Related Argent Partnership.

David is currently a Trustee of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and property industry homelessness charity, LandAid. He is also Chairman of the Governance Board of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and sits on the Advisory Boards of Construct Zero and Standard Gas Technologies Ltd.

David read architecture at Cambridge and is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), serving on a number of RIBA practice committees.

Morwenna Hall, Partner and COO of Argent LLP

Morwenna Hall

COO and Partner, Argent and Executive Director, Related Argent

Morwenna Hall is the COO and Partner of Argent and Partner of Related Argent. She joined the firm in 2011 and became a Partner in 2020. In addition to her corporate leadership role, Morwenna led the design and delivery of several major projects at King’s Cross, including Coal Drops Yard. At Brent Cross Town, Morwenna is responsible for the ground plane experience, retail, leisure and public realm.

Mike Lightbound, Related Argent

Mike Lightbound

CFO and Partner, Argent and Executive Director, Related Argent

Mike joined Argent in 2007. As Chief Financial Officer, Mike oversees the financial aspects of Argent and Related Argent’s work including allocation of budgets across projects, financial reporting and raising third-party investment and debt.

Andre Gibbs, Related Argent

André Gibbs

Partner, Argent and Executive Director, Related Argent

André joined Argent in 1998. He became a Director in 2004 and a Partner in 2012. He is also a Partner of Related Argent. André is jointly-leading Related Argent’s development of Brent Cross Town. His focus is on land assembly, business planning, finance, infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

Oli Rifkind

Head of Investment and Executive Director, Related Argent

Oli joined Related Argent in 2017 and was promoted to Executive Director in 2023. As Head of Investment, Oli leads on the investment strategy, with his primary focus across the living sectors (residential, later living, co-living and PBSA). Over the last seven years, Oli has led several major projects at Brent Cross Town through design and delivery and was instrumental in closing the £600m GDV Joint Venture with Invesco Real Estate in 2022.

 

Prior to joining Related Argent, Oli was at the Canary Wharf Group working on Wood Wharf and its new business strategy.

Argent partnership non-executive team

Our management committee supports and advises the business, providing a valuable sounding board.

James Wates, Related Argent
Sir James Wates
James Wates, Related Argent

Sir James Wates

James has worked in construction for his whole career and through his numerous roles champions change in the sector. James joined Wates Construction in 1983 and the Wates Construction Board in 1994, was appointed to the Wates Group Board in 1997, and was the Group Chairman from 2013 until 2023.

James is Chairman of Family Business UK, Chairman of Vestey Holdings Ltd., and on the Board for The Princes Trust 50th Anniversary Campaign. He has served in the past as Chairman of the BRE (Building Research Establishment) Trust, CBI Construction Council, the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), Co-chair of the government-sponsored Infrastructure Exports:UK, Co-chair of Build UK, as Past President of the CIOB.

Sir James feels passionately that good business, well done, is a force for good for society. In 2018 he was appointed by the government to chair the coalition group developing corporate governance principles for large private companies (the so-called ‘Wates Principles’).

In 2012 he was awarded the CBE and in 2019 was knighted for services to business and to charity.

Jonathan Thompson, Related Argent
Jonathan Thompson
Jonathan Thompson, Related Argent

Jonathan Thompson

Jonathan joined the Board of Argent in January 2013 and became its independent chairman in 2015. He is also a non-executive director and chair of the audit and risk committees at the Government Property Agency, Phoenix Spree Deutschland PLC, Schroders European Real Estate Investment Trust PLC and is an independent member of the investment advisory board to a family wealth fund.

Previously Jonathan has also been a non-executive board member of Strutt & Parker LLP and South-West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust. He is a past chairman of the Investment Property Forum and a past board member of the British Property Federation.

An accountant by background, he spent 32 years at KPMG, including 12 years as chair of KPMG’s International Real Estate and Construction practice. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an honorary fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

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