Heywood brings over 15 years’ experience in capital markets transactions to Bidwells, departing from Knight Frank where he was a partner in the firm’s Residential Investments team. A specialist in funding structures across the full span of operational living asset classes, Heywood has advised on transactions in excess of £2.5bn, including acquisitions, development, funding structures and operational asset disposals.
Prior to Knight Frank, Heywood worked with Cushman & Wakefield and Savills, with a focus on transactions and advisory within hotel and hospitality asset classes in the UK and Europe. Heywood also has a background in hotel operations and asset management having worked for Edwardian Hotels and coming from a family of hoteliers.
The hire comes as Bidwells looks to significantly expand its capital markets offering in the operational living sector, in line with the firm’s ambition to double the size of its business by 2030. As part of this strategy, Bidwells looks to operational living and the ‘hotelification’ of real estate as a cornerstone of its future growth, with Heywood’s appointment following the hire of COO Kelly Bream and build-to-rent veteran Iain Murray and his former team at Cortland Consult.
Commenting on the appointment, Oliver Heywood, Partner – Capital Markets at Bidwells, said: “Bidwells and its expanding partnership recognise the strategic opportunity in the operational living sector and its future growth where transactional activity continues to thrive and the emergence of new asset classes are two promising trends.
“As market liquidity improves, we’ll look to rapidly scale and integrate our investment advisory suite with the firm’s best-in-class offerings in life sciences, technology and logistics sectors, creating a highly differentiated service for our clients that covers all stages of the asset lifecycle.
“I’m excited to be joining at such a critical point in the firm’s journey, where we have the infrastructure and capability to service complex mandates.”
Heywood will report to Partner and Head of Capital Markets Andrew Groves, who is leading the expansion of the Bidwells’ investment and transactions advisory. The firm expects investor sentiment in the living sector and liquidity conditions to improve as base interest rates fall – but also anticipate new institutional capital pools as emerging asset classes in the category prove their investment case, such as co-living and senior living.
Andrew Groves, Partner and Head of Capital Markets at Bidwells, said: “Oliver’s expertise in investment, transactions and operations will be vital to our future growth as we develop out our enhanced capital markets advisory offering. We expect to make additional high-profile hires in the team in the near future, assembling a cutting edge and integrated capital markets advisory business.”
