Senior hire for Cushman & Wakefield’s Bristol office

Sophia Sham

Cushman & Wakefield is further expanding its recently-created UK Healthcare Advisory team, led by Martin Robb, with Sophia Sham joining as Associate.

Sophia joins Cushman & Wakefield’s Bristol office where she has considerable local experience and expertise in the sector, launching her career in 2012 by joining Edward Symmons’ Healthcare, Hotel and Leisure team, focusing on healthcare across the South-West and Wales.

Following Edwards Symmons’ acquisition by Lambert Smith Hampton in 2015, Sophia worked exclusively in healthcare, undertaking feasibility studies and providing valuation advice on new developments and existing assets.

Latterly, Sophia was part of the Savills’ healthcare team providing valuation and consultancy advice to lenders, operators and developers across the social care, retirement and primary care sectors.

Sophia’s arrival is another boost to Cushman & Wakefield’s healthcare team, which despite only having been formed in April last year is going from strength to strength and has already valued or advised on in excess of £1bn worth of assets in just 10 months.

Martin Robb, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of Healthcare Advisory, said: “Sophia’s arrival means we now have four dedicated and specialist professionals in our team. Her experience means she’s ideally placed to hit the ground running and help keep up our momentum.

“When we started trading 10 months ago our aim was to build the best team offering the best service to the best clients, initially on the advisory side and then on transactions. Thanks to James Hanson and Tom Robinson, who joined from JLL and Savills respectively, we achieved this. Now with Sophia’s experience in valuation and consultancy across the whole of the healthcare spectrum, we’re ideally-placed for continued growth.

“We have already valued or advised on over £1bn of asset value, inspecting over 10,100 registered beds in the long term care sector. Our clients include banks, private equity investors, REITS and operators. We advise on a diverse range of projects from private hospitals to diagnostics clinics, GP surgeries, care homes, NHS Trusts, local authorities and specialist care facilities.

“The long-term demographic changes we will see across the UK and Europe mean our growth prospects are excellent.”

Sophia Sham, said; “My four years’ experience has confirmed to me what I thought at the outset of my career – that the healthcare sector is a truly exciting sector to work in and destined to continue growing rapidly. I want to capitalise on this so joining the Cushman & Wakefield team, which feels exactly the way I do, is absolutely perfect for me.”

Healthcare Advisory is part of Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Valuation & Advisory team. Comprising approximately 240 professionals in 10 locations, the team valued 59,000 properties worth a combined £549bn – including £18bn worth of alternative investments – in 2015 and retained its position as the market leader in several sectors including retail, Central London, business space, outlet malls and self-storage.