Vanessa worked in Real Estate for 15 years, most recently as Senior Asset Manager for Stanhope Plc, a property developer and investor who deliver large scale commercial and mixed use construction projects across the UK. Prior to joining Stanhope Vanessa spent 10 years specialising in Property Management focussing on delivering operational excellence across high-end commercial portfolios, stand-alone assets and mixed-use estates. With a non-cognate degree and no connections to the surveying world, her first few years working in property were particularly challenging. The difficulty of building a network from scratch and the lack of access to senior female leadership was the inspiration behind The Circle Partnership, an organisation that Vanessa founded in 2020 to provide support and guidance for junior women in the industry from women in senior leadership roles. Vanessa trained as a professional coach and oversees the operational management of the business. She runs the organisation with friend and business partner Ceri Moyers and together they are focussed on delivering lasting change to the long- term composition, culture and capacity of the Built Environment