Property development group Southern Grove has appointed Tarek Jumah as Chief Operating Officer as the company enters a year of rapid expansion. 

Since being founded in 2013, Southern Grove has predominantly specialised in residential developments and student accommodation through its PBSA arm, Future Generation. 

However, it now also encompasses the Evolution premium Co-Living brand and Mast, a Build To Rent offering, which were both launched last month and are set to be responsible for much of the organisation’s new project pipeline this year.

Tarek, who is a RICS chartered project and development manager, was formerly the company’s Head of PBSA Development but will now take on day-to-day responsibility for all development activity across the business, as well as joint ventures and the operational aspects of the growing business.  

He joined Southern Grove at the start of 2019 but, prior to that, had spent five years at a global consultancy gaining valuable experience advising banks, funds and investors on their development finance, forward funding commitments and acquisitions.

Andrew Southern, Chairman of Southern Grove Group, commented:

“Tarek is a force to be reckoned with in property development and has proved his ability to lead a team time and again. Having helped lead Future Generation through a raft of challenges last year, there’s no doubt he has the experience and wisdom to guide the Group’s activities in all these different areas.”

Tarek Jumah, COO of Southern Grove Group, said: 

“There couldn’t be a better time for me to step up to COO given we’re expanding into two entirely new business areas this year, and are set for our biggest year yet for Future Generation. The mood in the industry is still one of opportunity and, if anything, we’re expecting Mast and Evolution to benefit from the emerging trends in the housing market caused by the pandemic.”