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Mark Bourgeois has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Government Property Agency (GPA), after holding the interim seat for 10 months.
Bourgeois brings to the role more than 30 years’ experience in strategic and operational leadership across the fields of investment, development and asset management within commercial real estate.
He is a former Managing Director for the UK and Ireland division at FTSE listed developer and investor Hammerson plc, and prior to that Executive Director at Capital & Regional plc. He also has extensive expertise in regeneration in partnership with local and city authorities, including acting as Interim Corporate Director for City Development at Liverpool City Council.
Pat Ritchie CBE, the GPA’s Chair, said of the appointment: “I am delighted to confirm Mark in the permanent role, he has already had a huge impact on the leadership of the GPA.
“Working closely with the board and executive team, Mark will continue to play a fundamental role in the way property is managed across government and creating great places to work for civil servants, supporting economic growth and local communities.
“He and the executive team will further build the agency’s commercial organisational culture, with our client and customer needs being at the heart of this. With Mark’s experience in real estate and building, inspiring and developing teams, he is the ideal leader to take the GPA to the next stage of our development.”
Bourgeois said: “I am thrilled to be appointed as the permanent CEO at such a pivotal time for the GPA. During my time as interim, the collaborative support from departmental clients has been excellent and I’m hugely grateful to impressively talented colleagues for all their continued dedication and commitment. We’re well placed to further strengthen the GPA culture, deliver financial efficiencies and productivity gains across the civil service, all in support of the Government’s missions. I’m looking forward to the continued challenge.”
Since launching in 2018, the GPA has grown to manage around one million sq m of the government’s office portfolio – acting as an expert partner to departments for strategic planning and workplace services including design, property technology and workplace experience.
The agency is also responsible for the Government Hubs Programme – bringing civil service teams closer to the communities they serve across the UK. Recent milestones within the programme have included the opening of the Peterborough hub last year which last month was awarded Leesman+, and acquiring 5.5 acres of the former Central Retail Park at Ancoats in Manchester earlier this year which is currently the subject of a public consultation on the future development of Manchester Digital Campus.
