Who We Are

Andrew is a founding partner of Civitas and has been in the social housing and social infrastructure sectors for more than 25 years, including being part of the team that established the housing investment company FAH. He was the adviser to and founder of The PFI Infrastructure Co, which in 2004 became the first publicly traded company in London dedicated to investment in social infrastructure. Andrew has worked in a senior capacity in the financial sector for over 30 years. He was previously Co-Head of Capital Markets at Société Générale in London. He has also been actively engaged in other property activities in the UK and internationally. He holds a BSc in Geography from Queen Mary University of London and is a Chartered Accountant.

Tom is a founding partner of Civitas and has been involved in real estate fund management and investment for over 20 years, having originated, underwritten, financed and asset-managed a wide range of properties within the UK and internationally through both equity and mezzanine investment. He was part of the team that established the housing investment company FAH and is a director of Beaufort Capital Management Limited, a lender to the UK real estate development market. Tom was formerly a solicitor at Norton Rose Fulbright, specialising in corporate finance and investment funds. He holds an LLB from Queen Mary University of London.

Vivienne has over 15 years of experience within the healthcare sector, including advising leading sector operators and significant institutional and private equity investors. She has a detailed understanding of the operation of the healthcare sector in the UK and more recently Europe, including the initial appraisal of, and the detailed structuring of, transactions. She was a senior member of the award-winning Deloitte UK Healthcare M&A team for more than thirteen years and is a well-known and well-regarded figure within the sector. Vivienne graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Port Elizabeth and is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa).

Lisa joined Civitas in 2023 as Head of Investor Relations responsible for global capital formation and investor relations for all Civitas sponsored funds. Lisa has over 25 years of experience in real estate fund management and global capital-raising. Prior to joining Civitas, Lisa was a Partner at Orion Capital Managers, responsible for capital raising and investor relations. Previously, Lisa worked at Lehman Brothers, Grove International Partners, AIG Global Real Estate and Jones Lang LaSalle. Lisa is a trained architect and holds a Bachelors in Architecture from McGill University and a Masters in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver.

Siu-Wai has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. Prior to joining Civitas, Siu-Wai was Partner, Global Head of Product Development and member of the Executive Committee at BlueBay Asset Management, an alternative fixed income manager. Siu-Wai has significant expertise in bringing products to market and building business platforms in both public and private asset classes. She is a seasoned investment fund director and has in-depth understanding of corporate governance issues. Siu-Wai started her career with Mercer Investment Consulting in Hong Kong before moving to London, subsequently joining JP Morgan Asset Management. Siu-Wai holds an M.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University. Siu-Wai is a Chartered Financial Analyst and an INSEAD certified International Director. Outside of work, she is a Trustee of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and an investment committee member of the Salvation Army.

Nikolay has 17 years experience in the real estate sector in Continental Europe focusing on acquisitions and asset management. Prior to CIM, Nikolay was a Managing Director at Tristan Capital Partners where he was responsible for equity investments on behalf of core+ and value add funds. During his 10 years at Tristan Capital Partners, Nikolay has sourced and closed transactions over €3bn with primary focus on Germany/Austria, Iberia as well as CEE. Before that, Nikolay spent five years at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing in Frankfurt, Germany in acquisitions and asset management across core and opportunistic strategies.

Simon has more than 25 years’ experience in the real estate sector within the UK and Europe. Prior to joining Civitas, Simon was a Director of Pradera, where he led a team responsible for raising, investing and managing a German-domiciled, open-ended institutional spezialfonds focused on retail property across Europe. During his 17-year tenure at Pradera, Simon was also a member of Pradera’s executive committee, a country head, head of debt finance, as well as acquisitions manager and asset manager for various Pradera funds. Simon graduated from the University of Reading with a BSc (Hons) in Land Management and is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Outside of work, Simon is a trustee (treasurer) of a charity supporting children with dyslexia.

Tom began his career as a Housing Project Officer with Worcestershire County Council with responsibility for the commissioning of the type of property that is acquired by Civitas. In this role he was responsible for the oversight regarding the delivery of schemes to ensure they met the needs of residents within the care system. Tom then became the Project Manager – New Build Development and then Group Property Manager for a leading national specialist care provider. Tom is a well-known figure within the healthcare-based housing sector in the UK, and his breadth of experience is drawn upon by Civitas’ housing and care partners. Tom is a Certified Practitioner of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIHCP).

Claire has over 15 years’ experience across the real estate and property development sectors, including housebuilding and real estate consulting. Prior to joining Civitas, Claire was responsible for the financial control function within a UK housebuilder, leading on financial reporting, audit, group forecasts and performance management. Previously, Claire worked within fund accounting at Savills Investment Management, AEW Europe and Jones Lang Lasalle. She is a Chartered Accountant.

Cynthia has over 19 years compliance experience in the financial services industry, specialising in the sectors of real estate and private equity. Prior to joining Civitas, Cynthia was the Deputy Global Head of Risk and Compliance at Savills Investment Management, a real estate investment manager, and held the SMF16 – Compliance Oversight function for its two UK regulated entities. Prior to Savills Investment Management, Cynthia was the Head of UK Compliance for Hudson Advisors and Lone Star. During her compliance career, Cynthia has gained extensive regulatory knowledge and expertise in the creation, implementation and enhancement of global risk and compliance control frameworks. Cynthia is a fellow member of the International Compliance Association.

Eleanor is Head of Transactions at Civitas and has more than 15 years’ experience in various aspects of real estate management, investment development and finance. Prior to joining Civitas in 2018, Eleanor worked in the corporate real estate team at Lloyds Banking Group. Eleanor graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MA in History and is a qualified solicitor.

Tayo worked with the Founding Partners at FAH and joined Civitas in September 2019. Tayo has over 30 years’ experience in the origination, development and asset management of properties within the social affordable housing sector with a particular focus on the social and environmental impact that can be delivered. Previously he was an Executive Director at Housing 21. Tayo holds a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Architecture, an MSc in Construction Management, and an MBA. In 2023 Tayo earned a doctoral degree from Cranfield University for his thesis exploring the potential deployment of private funds through impact investing to promote circular economy principles and support the UNSDGs.

The Rt Hon Sir Brandon Lewis CBE MP has been the Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth in Norfolk since 2010.

As a Member of the British Government, he has held a number of Ministerial and Secretary of State positions, most recently, until October 2022, as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, in which he was involved in the Accession Ceremony for King Charles III, and bought about a swift resolution to the barristers strike, whilst also opening discussions for a legal services agreement with India and rolling out more tagging for prison leavers. Prior to that, he spent two and a half years as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, dealing with issues around the Northern Ireland protocol and power sharing at Stormont, and introducing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill to the House of Commons, as well as introducing equal access to healthcare for women in Northern Ireland.

In July 2019 Brandon was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office, with responsibility for national security and deputy for Brexit preparations. Before that, he held the position of Chairman of the Conservative Party & Minister Without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office, overseeing the modernisation & centralisation of the Party membership and data, as well as a record growth in membership and fundraising. He has also served as Minister of State for Housing & Planning and Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service.

He received a Knighthood in the Kings Birthday Honours List in June 2023.

Away from Parliament, Brandon originally qualified as a barrister and has a BSc Economics and LLB Hons (Law) from the University of Buckingham and an LLM in Commercial Law from King’s College London. Married with two children, Brandon relaxes in his limited free time by enjoying a variety of sports with a focus on cycling, reading, his dog and travel. Always ready to take a personal challenge he completed the London Marathon in 2005 and 2008 and took up triathlon in 2011. During the 2020 Covid Lockdown Brandon completed a Castle Series virtual half ironman event (21.1km run, 90km bike, 10km run) and raised almost £20,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.