Derwent London appoints Jonathan Murphy as CEO

(Sharecast News) - Derwent London said on Thursday that it has appointed Jonathan Murphy as chief executive and an executive director with effect from 1 September. The company said Murphy is an experienced CEO with a track record of strong leadership and shareholder value creation, "which is highly complementary to the skills and deep knowledge" of its existing executive team. Derwent said Murphy brings extensive listed real estate and capital markets experience, and significant operational focus.

Most recently, he was CEO of healthcare property REIT Assura between February 2017 and September 2025, having previously been finance director since January 2013. During his tenure, Assura delivered significant growth and strategic diversification of the portfolio and capital structure before its acquisition by Primary Health Properties in 2025, Derwent said.

In addition, Murphy has been a director of the British Property Federation since 2019 and served on the Advisory Board of EPRA between 2018 and 2025.

He succeeds Paul Williams, who announced his intention to retire in January. Williams will stay on as CEO until 1 September, at which point he will step down from the board before leaving the business on 22 January 2027.

Chairman Mark Breuer said: "We are delighted to appoint Jonathan as Derwent London's next chief executive. He brings a strong combination of listed real estate leadership, operational discipline and capital markets expertise, with a proven track record of responsible value creation.

"Alongside our talented executive team, he will provide strong leadership as we continue to recycle capital through disposals and position the business to deliver earnings growth and long-term returns for shareholders."

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