ULI appoints BlackRock’s Simon Durkin as Chief Executive Europe
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has appointed Simon Durkin as Chief Executive Officer Europe, ULI, succeeding Lisette van Doorn, commencing early March 2026.
Simon joins ULI from BlackRock senior leadership, where he held the position of Global Head of Real Estate Research and Strategy. His appointment marks a continuation of ULI’s mission and momentum, reinforcing its focus on member value, decision-making relevance and long-term impact across the built environment at a time of significant change for the industry in Europe and globally.
Simon succeeds Lisette van Doorn, who recently left ULI, after more than a decade of leadership, during which she built up a strong team and significantly strengthened ULI Europe’s profile, influence and member engagement. Simon and Lisette have previously worked alongside each other over the past 20 years, including on foundational real estate research and data initiatives.
Simon joins a strong and trusted resource, grounded in credible research, convening and leadership development across Europe. He brings more than two decades of experience spanning real estate, applied research and capital markets, with senior leadership and investment committee roles at BlackRock, BNP Paribas and DWS, and earlier experience in data and index development at IPD and PPR. He is recognised for combining analytical rigour, industry-leading capital markets experience with practical, real-world insight – an approach closely aligned with ULI’s mission and values.
In his role as CEO, Simon will work closely with the team on sharpening ULI’s value proposition for members from across the full built environment ecosystem, strengthening the clarity and coherence of its programmes and communications, and ensuring ULI’s research and insights continue to support informed decision-making across the built environment.
Additionally, Simon will join the senior leadership team of Angela Cain, the Global CEO of ULI, ensuring that the work of ULI in Europe is fully aligned with, and an integral part of, a strong global membership platform leading the built environment in best practice.
He will continue to work closely with Anne Kavanagh, ULI Europe Chair and ULI Global Board Member, and the ULI Europe Executive Committee, to ensure continuity, stability and alignment as the organisation enters its next phase. In addition, he will also collaborate with the Chairs of ULI Europe’s 15 National Councils, 14 Product Councils, and the Young Leader and NEXT groups, on strengthening the membershipvalue proposition and on growth.
Looking ahead, Simon will continue to lead ULI’s industry engagement in Europe with investors, developers, planners, designers, sustainability leaders and educators, while strengthening ULI’s long-standing commitment to leadership development through initiatives such as Young Leaders and NEXT, alongside deeper partnerships with universities, business schools and early-career programmes.
Among the many forthcoming priorities are June’s flagship ULI Europe Conference in Berlin, the launch of the ULI/PWC Emerging Trends in Real Estate Global Outlook 2026 at MIPIM, further developing the ULI Accelerator which connects the industry with innovative proptech solutions to drive environmental and social impact, and the launch of the C Change Preserve tool to help quantify the impacts of the net zero transition on real estate valuations for investment professionals.
Simon Durkin said: “ULI Europe is built on a strong foundation and has an increasingly important role to play as the real estate and built environment evolve amid structural, macroeconomic and geopolitical change. My priority is to work closely with the team, building on the legacy Lisette has created, ensuring ULI continues to adapt while remaining a trusted, credible and valuable resource for our members. That means sharpening our focus, strengthening alignment across our work, and deepening our emphasis on insight, learning and convening, creating the space for informed discussion and debate that supports better long-term decision-making and resilient value creation.”
Anne Kavanagh, European Chair and Global Board Member, ULI, said: “Simon brings deep industry knowledge, commercial understanding and a collaborative leadership style that will serve ULI Europe and its members well. He is both innovative and engaging, and I look forward to working closely with him as we build on the strong foundation established under Lisette’s leadership and continue to deliver value for our members across Europe.”
Angela Cain, Global CEO, ULI commented: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to ULI, he brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, commercial understanding and deep respect for evidence-based insight. His leadership will strengthen ULI Europe’s relevance and impact at a time when the industry needs a trusted perspective and long-term thinking, more than ever.”
Emily Bohill, Managing Partner, Bohill Partners, commented: “Bohill Partners thoroughly enjoyed supporting the ULI on the crucial hire of Simon Durkin. Throughout the process, we valued the open, thoughtful partnership of the ULI team, who approached each stage with clarity and genuine commitment. The search itself was extensive in scope, spanning multiple markets across Europe and considering talent from all corners of the industry. We look forward to hearing of the positive impact that Simon will make in his new role and the successes that the ULI in Europe will have under his leadership.”