Grosvenor has appointed Jamie Whitty-Lewis as chief executive of its UK property business, effective from December, handing the finance specialist the reins at a pivotal moment for the estate’s development pipeline and climate ambitions. He succeeds James Raynor, who in September became CEO of Grosvenor’s international property business.
Whitty-Lewis steps up from his role as executive director of finance at Grosvenor Property UK. He had been due to become CFO from April 2026, but following his promotion Debbie Lee will continue as CFO while a successor is selected; she will then replace Rob Davis, the group’s retiring CFO, in summer 2026.
A familiar figure across the estate, Whitty-Lewis has held several senior positions since joining Grosvenor, including group reporting director with responsibility for strategic planning for Grosvenor Property, and previously strategy director and head of finance for the London Estate. Before Grosvenor he worked in PepsiCo’s European headquarters following three years in BDO’s external audit practice.
Announcing the move, James Raynor said: “I am delighted to have Jamie succeed me in the role of CEO of our UK property business. He has a deep understanding of our London Estate… and a natural leadership style that I am confident will guide the business through its continued growth trajectory, supported by an exceptionally strong executive team.”
For developers, contractors and designers active in the capital, the leadership change lands as Grosvenor progresses two of the West End’s most closely watched projects. At South Molton, the estate is curating what it calls the West End’s largest mixed-use development, blending workspace, retail and leisure with a strong public-realm focus. In nearby Mayfair, plans to re-imagine Grosvenor Square will deliver a biodiverse urban garden through a significant voluntary contribution, with ambitions to enhance air quality, urban cooling and community amenity while improving pedestrian permeability.
Whitty-Lewis signalled continuity with pace. “I am honoured to take up the role of CEO of Grosvenor Property UK… We have some outstanding projects to deliver, including the creation of South Molton… and the transformation of Grosvenor Square,” he said. “I am also excited about the further growth of our private credit business, funding projects that boost housing supply and help decarbonise the built environment.”
For the construction supply chain, the message is twofold: Grosvenor’s West End programme will continue to prize quality design, heritage sensitivity and low-carbon outcomes; and the group expects to play a broader role in enabling sustainable development beyond its own estate through its private credit platform. That financing activity is targeted at schemes that can evidence measurable social and environmental value alongside long-term resilience, aligning with tightening occupier requirements for efficient, future-proofed buildings.
Grosvenor’s UK property arm remains a bellwether for the city’s retrofit-first agenda. Expect the coming year to feature continued emphasis on circular materials, operational energy reduction and landscape-led placemaking across the estate, with procurement partners increasingly assessed on their ability to de-risk delivery while hitting embodied-carbon checkpoints.
With Whitty-Lewis bringing a strong financial and strategic background to the top job, and with Debbie Lee ensuring continuity in the finance function, the reshaped leadership team is set to steer Grosvenor’s London Estate through its next phase of mixed-use regeneration and climate action. For the industry, that points to a steady pipeline of complex, design-led projects where collaboration, performance data and verifiable ESG outcomes will determine who gets the nod.
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