Matt Phillips, managing partner of the Knight Frank office in Cardiff, has become an equity partner in the global property consultancy.
The limited liability partnership has promoted Matt to become one of its proprietary partners. He is one of only a select few based in the UK regions, and only the second Welsh person to gain proprietary partnership status.
Knight Frank and its New York-based global partner, Newmark Knight Frank, operate from 207 offices in 43 countries, with more than 6,340 professionals handling over £594 billion worth of commercial, agricultural and residential real estate each year.
Matt Phillips, who is 45 years old, has been with Knight Frank for 13 years. He started life at Knight Frank as an associate partner in the agency team, progressed through to partner in 2003, and was then promoted as office head in 2006.
Phillips is recognised as one of the foremost office agency and development specialists in South Wales and has been at the forefront of many of the major deals in the region.
He said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been asked to join the proprietary partnership and consider it a real honour. Knight Frank is a tremendous company and I look forward to contributing wherever I can going forward. I think it is a testament to the team in Cardiff that I have been recognised in this way. The Cardiff office has been at the forefront of so many aspects of the property scene in the region, which is down to the calibre of people we have in the office and their very strong work ethic which ensures that our clients’ expectations are consistently met and exceeded.”
The Knight Frank office in Cardiff is widely regarded as one of the strongest commercial property consultancies in the City and has been involved in a number of high profile instructions including MEPC’s Callaghan Square in Cardiff city centre, Aviva’s Cardiff Waterside estate and JR Smart’s Capital Quarter 7 acre mixed use scheme in Cardiff City centre. Knight Frank also advised Admiral Insurance plc on its new 200,000 sq ft HQ which is currently being constructed on St David Street.
Other key schemes include the Welsh Government’s SA1 Swansea Waterfront mixed use development, the Celtic Springs Business Park in Newport and Igloo’s Porth Teigr 37 acre site in Cardiff Bay.
Outside of work, Matt Phillips is married with four children and his main passion is cricket where he plays and is Chairman of Cardiff Cricket Club, is the Wales Area Representative for Marylebone Cricket Club and is on the committee at Glamorgan Cricket Club.
Alistair Elliott, senior partner elect, Knight Frank: “Matt’s promotion to Proprietary partner is testament to his continued hard work and dedication to the Cardiff office, and Knight Frank as a whole. He has been head of the office since 2006 and it has gone from strength to strength under his leadership, we are delighted that his efforts have been recognised.”