Our team brings decades of expertise, local knowledge and global standards.

Our team brings decades of expertise across European real estate markets, with a proven track record in investment strategy, asset management, fund structuring, financing, and ESG integration. With professionals on the ground in the UK, Netherlands, and Germany, we source off-market opportunities, navigate regulatory environments, and build lasting relationships. Our experience spans prime offices, hotels, student housing, retail, and mixed-use developments, including landmark ESG-led projects and operational turnarounds. Committed to consistent performance across cycles, we create value through disciplined execution while embedding sustainability at the core of our approach, ensuring assets are future-proofed and aligned with global standards.

All - Executive - Investment - Asset Management - Operations - Finance - Property Management

Executive

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Doug Burton-Cantley

BSc (Hons) | Managing Director

  • Doug has over 26 years of experience within the commercial property environment, with strong knowledge across all sectors and aspects of the property cycle and has worked within the Avignon structure since 2010.

    In 2023 Doug was appointed as Managing Director, responsible for overseeing the daily business operations and providing leadership to the team. He is also responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans, maintaining dialog with all key stakeholder’s and driving sustainable business growth and organizational success.

    Prior to joining the Avignon team in 2010, Doug was Fund Manager at Mirvac Plc, for over 11 years and was responsible for the City Opportunities Fund, a £175m joint venture with HSBC Specialist Investments.

    Doug graduated from Portsmouth University in 1997 with a degree in Land and Estate Management.

Investment

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Floris Ledder

Director - Netherlands

  • Floris’s role as director is to manage Avignon Capital’s Dutch office and he leads the business development for Avignon in the Netherlands. He is also responsible for sourcing investment opportunities across the Netherlands and the development of asset management operations.

    He has over 12 years of multi-sector experience and has spent the past 5 years working as an interim manager for various investment and real estate companies. He specialises in organisation change and development to facilitate growth and improvement of performance.

    Floris’s knowledge and experience of the real estate sector and Dutch market will enable Avignon to further expand in the Netherlands.

    Floris graduated from the University of Utrecht in 2007 with a degree in economics and geography. He is a visiting lecturer at the Amsterdam School of Real Estate.

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Craig Ballantyne

Investment Advisor

  • Craig has over 25 years’ experience and in Investment, Asset Management and Development. Prior to setting up his own consultancy firm, CMB Consulting GmbH, in 2006, Craig was previously with Deka Immobilien and Estama. Since 2006 he has successfully transacted over EUR900m across multiple asset classes and project managed the development of assets in excess of 110,000 m²

    Craig works together with our Investment team in sourcing opportunities in the German market, as well as delivering Asset Management projects and initiatives within our German Portfolio.

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Nick Cliffe, MRICS

MSc | Associate Director – Investment Management

  • Nick is an Investment Management Associate Director who joined us in 2022.

    He previously worked at British Land for 5 years as an Asset Manager where he was responsible for managing a £800m nationwide portfolio of retail assets. His experience in creating and implementing asset level business plans together with his analytical skills, ability to run appraisals and full underwrite models, will enable him to build on this skill set in his new role as Investment Manager.

    Nick is responsible for UK client relations, sourcing, underwriting and acquiring UK assets, coordinating numerous parties including joint venture partners, external agents, lawyers and other consultants, as well as working with our European Investment Team on both new acquisitions and divestments.

    Nick graduated with an MSc Real Estate from the University of Reading in 2017.

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Joe O’Connell

MSc | Head of Investment Analytics

  • Joe is a Head of Investment Analytics who joined us in 2022.

    He has previously worked at CIT and Deloitte and prior to this he completed his Masters in Finance and Law at University of London Queen Mary College.

    Joe is responsible for leading the Analytics within the business, coordinating all the analytical requirements on new and existing assets, underwriting and executing investment opportunities.

    Joe graduated with an LLB Law from University of Southampton in 2016.

Asset Management

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Michael Lucey

Head of Property & Asset Management

  • Michael joined in 2019 and was appointed the Head of Property & Asset Management for the UK in 2021. He is responsible for overseeing the UK portfolio, managing investor relations and client reporting.

    Michael has a wealth of experience with over 15 years in real estate management including periods at Capita Real Estate, NB Real Estate and The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. Having developed a reputation for consistent and reliable delivery of services for both Corporate and Investor clients he has broad management experience of multi let offices, flag-ship shopping centres, retail parks, industrial parks, and mixed use centres incorporating residential units.

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Andrew Lambert

Senior Asset Manager

  • Andrew joined Avignon Capital in 2020 and is Senior Asset Manager, responsible for the management of the Dutch Portfolio.

    Prior to joining Avignon Capital, Andrew spent almost 6 years with UK PropCo, TCN UK where he was Director of Asset Management, responsible for the London and regional portfolio of Creative Office Campus’ and ancillary schemes.

    Prior to this, Andrew spent 6 years at CBRE as Associate Director in the Asset Services team where he was responsible for the delivery of Asset Services to clients with a portfolio value of £2bn across the UK, covering all property sectors. In addition, Andrew spent time with the Corporate Real Estate team, working on the UK and off shore island occupancy portfolio of a large UK based financial institution.

    Andrew is a graduate of D.I.T. Dublin (now Technological University Dublin) and has over 20 years of experience in the Irish and UK Property markets.

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Charlie Averill

Asset Manager

  • Charlie Averill is Asset Manager for the UK portfolio and joined in 2022. He is responsible for, lease renewals/re-gears, managing CAPEX projects, including refurbishment/redevelopment, as well as conducting regular site inspections, ensuring health and safety compliance, and managing contractors and suppliers.

    In addition, Charlie manages tenant relationships, maintains accurate records of all activity on site and working with the team in preparing service charge and property maintenance schedules.

Operations

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Lauren Baczala

BA (Hons) | Chief of Staff

  • Lauren joined Avignon 2016 and was appointed as Chief of Staff in 2025. Her former roles included Real Estate & ESG Operations Manager and Executive Assistant.

    In her current role, Lauren supports the CEO and leadership team by overseeing operations, managing key projects, and ensuring the successful execution of strategic objectives. She is responsible for facilitating effective coordination and communication across the organisation, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring that strategic initiatives are implemented successfully. Lauren plays a critical role in optimising time, information flow, and decision-making processes across the business. She works closely with the CEO and leadership team to develop and implement strategic initiatives aligned with company goals and also oversees ESG performance and standards across departments.

    Lauren has undertaken a Mini MBA at LSE and a Leading Sustainable Corporations certificate at The University of Oxford.

    Prior to joining Avignon, Lauren honed her skills in various executive and team support positions in the UK and Australia and graduated from The University of Sheffield in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology.

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Zohra Alidji

MSc | Executive Support Assistant

  • Zohra is our Executive Support Assistant who joined us in 2022.

    She previously worked at Workstories as the Office Manager where she provided a wide range of admin support to the team, and was the main contact for suppliers and contractors and also worked in various customer facing roles, such as being a brand ambassador for Deceim and as a PA to a Social Media Influencer. Prior to this she gained a 1st class degree in Business Management and a Masters in Middle East in Global Politics.

    Zohra is responsible for organising all the administrative activities that facilitate the smooth running of the London office and global team including ensuring that office equipment is maintained, relevant records are up to date and that all administration processes work effectively. In addition, she works with the Ops team to arrange events, corporate gifting and employee volunteering days.

Finance

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Darragh Comer, FCCA

BA (Hons) FCCA | FCCA | Finance Director

  • Darragh was appointed Finance Director at Avignon in 2021, having joined in 2017 as Financial Controller. He has over 15 years’ experience working in the real estate industry and has strong knowledge and understanding of accounting standards / processes.

    He is responsible for supervising the finance department, together with monitoring business performance, cash flows and budgets and strategic business planning.

    Darragh is skilled in Cash Flows, Fixed Assets, Financial Accounting, Consolidation, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and AML compliance.

    Darragh holds a B.A. (Hons) Accounting & Finance from Manchester Metropolitan University and is an FCCA Chartered Certified Accountant (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).

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Ehshanul Hoque

BA (Hons) | Accounts Assistant

  • Ehshanul joined in 2025 and is responsible for handling client queries, managing weekly BACS payment runs, processing supplier invoices, and updating bank activity on a daily basis. He also prepares management accounts and assists with year-end audit queries.

    Ehshanul brings six years of experience working in accounts. Before joining Avignon, Ehshanul spent a significant period at Ryan Tax, where he worked in the accounts department focusing on research and development and capital allowances. He also gained experience at Dnata Catering UK, one of the largest airline service providers, where he managed two key accounts with high invoice volumes, reaching values in the millions.

    Ehshanul holds a degree in Accounting and Finance.

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Sean McPhail, ACCA

ACCA | Financial Controller

  • Sean was appointed Group Accountant in 2021, having joined in 2016 as Accounts Assistant.

    He has strong financial reporting and financial analysis skills and oversees the company’s finances, including reporting, financial forecasting, consolidations and liaising with external auditors.

    He is an ACCA qualified accountant with over five years’ experience working in real estate management.

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Dylan Carey

BA (Hons) | Accounts Assistant

  • Dylan joined in 2020 and is responsible for dealing with client queries, doing weekly BACS payment runs,  processing supplier invoices and updating bank activity on a daily basis. He is also responsible for preparing our client KPI reporting, preparing management accounts, reviewing expenses and assisting with year end audit queries.

    ​Dylan holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance.

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Caitlin Bacon

AAT | Accounts Assistant

  • Caitlin joined in 2022 as Accounts Assistant and is responsible for dealing with supplier and tenant queries, doing weekly BACS payment runs,  processing supplier invoices and updating bank activity on a daily basis.

    She is also responsible for arrears management, coordinating our monthly reporting, preparing management account packs and assisting with year-end audit queries.

    Caitlin is qualified to AAT Level 3 and is currently studying towards her AAT Level 4, with aspirations to move on to complete her ACCA in the future.

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Colin Moore

Tax Consultant (CIOT & Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners)

  • Colin has been consulting for Avignon for over 5 years.

    At Avignon Colin is responsible for providing the team with sophisticated tax and structuring advice across the different jurisdictions the company has exposure to. His advice always takes into account the circumstance of the specific client.

    Colin has over 30 years’ experience in the tax profession and advises international investors about their wealth structuring requirements.

    Our clients benefit from Colin’s extensive network of professional contacts to ensure that any property acquisition are structured effectively on a local and an international basis.

Property Management

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Michael Lucey

Head of Property & Asset Management

  • Michael joined in 2019 and was appointed the Head of Property & Asset Management for the UK in 2021. He is responsible for overseeing the UK portfolio, managing investor relations and client reporting.

    Michael has a wealth of experience with over 15 years in real estate management including periods at Capita Real Estate, NB Real Estate and The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. Having developed a reputation for consistent and reliable delivery of services for both Corporate and Investor clients he has broad management experience of multi let offices, flag-ship shopping centres, retail parks, industrial parks, and mixed use centres incorporating residential units.

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Samantha Harrison-Smith

Property Manager

  • Samantha has been working in the Property Industry for 20 years. Prior to joining the team at Avignon she worked with St Modwen Properties in their in-house management team. She has managed a wide and diverse mix of properties including shopping centres, residential and Industrial logistics estate across the South East.

    At Avignon, she oversees the UK multi-let portfolio, managing all aspects of the properties. Her responsibilities include liaising with tenants and contractors, ensuring services are delivered according to contract specifications, conducting regular site inspections, coordinating and tracking maintenance and repair schedules, and establishing and monitoring forecasts and service charge budgets.

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Charlie Averill

Asset Manager

  • Charlie Averill is Asset Manager for the UK portfolio and joined in 2022. He is responsible for, lease renewals/re-gears, managing CAPEX projects, including refurbishment/redevelopment, as well as conducting regular site inspections, ensuring health and safety compliance, and managing contractors and suppliers.

    In addition, Charlie manages tenant relationships, maintains accurate records of all activity on site and working with the team in preparing service charge and property maintenance schedules.

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Inez Hickman

BA Hons | Property Manager

  • Inez has been working in the Property Industry for over 5 years. Prior to joining Avignon, she worked as an Estate Manager at Lee Valley Estates where she was responsible for looking after facilities, property and landscape management for both residential and commercial units.

    At Avignon she is responsible for the UK multi-let portfolio, where she manages all aspects of the properties from tenant and contractor liaison, ensuring services are delivered in line with the contract scope, conducting regular site inspections, arranging and monitoring maintenance and repair schedules, and establishing and monitoring forecasts and service charge budgets.

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Gordon Rolfe

FIFireE / IFSM / FRACS (44) | Fire Safety Consultant

  • Gordon joined in 2021 as Fire Safety Consultant. He is responsible for conducting Fire Risk Assessments in the buildings we manage and issuing these reports to  clients and tenants throughout our UK Portfolio.

    Gordon previously worked as an Associate Director for Fire Safety at CAPITA Property and Infrastructure and previous to that was at the London Fire Brigade for over 30 years. He therefore brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in this specialist field.

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Wim den Boer

Senior Technical Manager

  • Wim is the Senior Technical Manager and is responsible for project management, contractor
    management, including managing and supervising maintenance of the properties.

    He is qualified in engineering from the Royal Dutch Navy and has also studied energy performance of
    buildings, Manager UAV 2012 and is a member of Liftinstituut.

    Wim is an experienced technical manager with a proven track record in property management and
    contractor project management.

    He takes a keen interest in new innovations which can help to provide the best solution for both
    tenants and clients.

Work with us

Work, Play, Stay – Our employees are incredibly valuable and Avignon Capital foster a work hard, play hard culture that ensures our people are both productive and happy, and therefore want to stay with the company for the long term.

We have a strong focus on teamwork and our lean organization offers exciting opportunities and career development.

To enquire about opportunities at Avignon please contact people@avignoncapital.com