Living for students
DIRECTORS
Domatia is run by five directors with seasoned experience in the PBSA market, particularly in the UK and now Italy, where we have been researching, and then buying in, the market over the last four years.
WILLIAM FFORDE
Business Development &
Chairman
william.fforde@domatiaitalia.com
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Oxford graduate, FCA (KPMG)
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Worked in all sectors of UK real estate, leading to pioneer entrepreneur in UK PBSA
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Founder director of Varsity Funding (incl. the UK’s first HE PFI; exited with the UK’s first AAA-rated multi-university bond issue)
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Founder director of UniLodge, the UK’s first privately-owned, direct-let, nationwide PBSA chain, sold to Unite in 2001
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20+ years’ experience in Continental Europe (languages included)
MARK SWALLOW
ACQUISITIONS &
PROPERTY DIRECTOR
mark.swallow@domatiaitalia.com
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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The equity partner who established and ran the Student Team at Knight Frank
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Strong relationships: site finders, developers, universities, owners and key agents
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Numerous positions in PBSA for 30 years, (incl. lead agent for UniLodge)
JOHN WOOD
Development &
Asset Management
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Retailer from behind the counter to creation of spending spaces in UK/EU.
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Development Director taking The Mall Fund to £3bn+, & other retail projects.
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Founder, The Other Retail Group.
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Development Director, The Gates Shopping Centre, Durham, including 200+ PBSA rooms.
Alastair Bell
Finance &
Asset Management
alastair.bell@domatiaitalia.com
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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Property fund manager & administrator, Imry, JER
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Extensive retail & hotel experience in UK & EU
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Founder, The Other Retail Group
Keith White
Operations
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University graduate, MBA.
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A respected expert with 25 years’ experience in PBSA management & design.
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Formerly a senior executive at Nationwide’s residential investment company.
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CRM founder, 1997: the UK’s largest independent PBSA facilities manager, with approaching 30,000 rooms; now operating in the emerging Europe market.
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Sold CRM to Corestate, 2018.
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Chairman of CRM following sale to Corestate.
Detailed CVs of the directors are available to appropriate parties, on request.
Team & Consultants in Italy
We have a strong network of local professional teams including real estate agents, lawyers, architects, project managers, etc. to deliver projects, utilising local contractors & suppliers for construction and refurbishment.
Valeria Ioele
Design Architect
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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The equity partner who established and ran the Student Team at Knight Frank
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Strong relationships: site finders, developers, universities, owners and key agents
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Numerous positions in PBSA for 30 years, (incl. lead agent for UniLodge)
Matteo Fagnoni
Operations Architect
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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The equity partner who established and ran the Student Team at Knight Frank
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Strong relationships: site finders, developers, universities, owners and key agents
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Numerous positions in PBSA for 30 years, (incl. lead agent for UniLodge)
Mario Perini
Architect
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Retailer from behind the counter to creation of spending spaces in UK/EU
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Development Director taking The Mall Fund to £3bn+, & other retail projects
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Founder, The Other Retail Group
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Development Director, The Gates Shopping Centre, Durham, including 200+ PBSA rooms
Giovanni Santini
Architect
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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The equity partner who established and ran the Student Team at Knight Frank
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Strong relationships: site finders, developers, universities, owners and key agents
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Numerous positions in PBSA for 30 years, (incl. lead agent for UniLodge)
Tommaso Barni
Architect
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University graduate & Chartered Surveyor
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The equity partner who established and ran the Student Team at Knight Frank
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Strong relationships: site finders, developers, universities, owners and key agents
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Numerous positions in PBSA for 30 years, (incl. lead agent for UniLodge)
Alessandra Rossi
University Relations
alessandra.rossi@domatiaitalia.com
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University graduate
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Florentine native and fluent in English
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Over 20 years of experience with international education, including cultural activities and trip coordination
Christy Smolenski
Acquisitions
christy.smolenski@domatiaitalia.com
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University graduate
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Californian native in Florence for 13 years
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10 years of experience in international education, comprehensive of housing coordination
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Experience with Italian real estate and student housing agencies
Giovanni Marini
Lawyer
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University graduate....
Andrea Ughi
Lawyer
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University graduate...
Domatia Project Team
Sponsor Group
Management Team
DOMATIA
Operator
Domatia works with Sponsor Groups of investors, typically with substantial assets under management including a focus on private equity and real estate investment.
Typical Sponsor Groups deploy their capital across the traditional and alternative segments of the real estate market, including some or all of, for example, residential, office, PBSA & other communal living, logistics, self-storage & healthcare.
Domatia, a PBSA and communal living specialist, comprises a senior management team with extensive expertise throughout continental Europe. Our experience ranges from business development, to acquisitions, development and finance. Directors of Domatia have previously successfully set up and exited two PBSA businesses: Varsity Funding (securitised) and UniLodge (sold to Unite Group, the biggest listed PBSA owner in Europe). Domatia have a corporate alliance with PBSA-operator CRM, creating a platform that delivers the complete package of acquisition, development and/or refurbishment, marketing, letting, operations, asset management and exit.
CRM, sold to Corestate Capital in 2018, is the largest UK operator of PBSA, also active in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Poland and Italy. Established and grown by Keith White, Domatia’s Operations Director and CRM’s Chairman, CRM is spearheading Corestate’s Italian expansion.