Ric Lewis and Marion Waller win ULI European Leadership Awards

Ric Lewis.

Tristan Capital Partners founder Ric Lewis and Marion Waller, advisor to the Mayor of Paris, have won the 2021 ULI European Leadership Awards as part of the ULI’s Europe Conference which is being staged virtually.

While Ric Lewis has won the 2021 ULI European Leader Award, Marion Waller has been announced as the winner of this year’s ULI European Talent Award for real estate professionals aged 40 or under.

Marion Waller.

The awards recognise industry leaders in Europe whose contributions to urban development and real estate, along with civic and social endeavours, exemplify the spirit and mission of ULI.

Allianz Real Estate CEO François Trausch, The ULI European Leadership Awards chairman, highlighted their achievements during an online ceremony as part of the 2021 ULI Virtual Europe Conference on Tuesday 9 February.

“Ric really exemplifies the values of leadership and vision,” said Trausch. “He has built an impressive real estate business comprising a loyal global investor base and been an inspiration for many people looking to enter the industry. His commitment to increasing diversity in real estate and helping others from less fortunate backgrounds makes him a very worthy winner of the ULI European Leader Award.”

Advocate for less advantaged children

Ric Lewis is a passionate advocate for improving less advantaged children’s access to quality education and he established The Black Heart Foundation, which has endowed more than 250 scholarships and made more than £5 million in grants and awards. He has also funded ULI UK’s UrbanPlan which teaches high school students about the forces of urban regeneration.

“I think it’s important for me to be a role model and a trail blazer,” said Lewis. “The real estate industry does not have enough diversity, whether that’s by gender or ethnicity or background, and it’s a priority for me to demonstrate that the industry can be inclusive. It is a great honour to be recognised by my peers for winning the ULI European Leader Award and it will spur me on to even greater action – I feel like I’m just getting started.”

Marion Waller, who is 28, has made a significant contribution to urban regeneration in the French capital. She previously worked as advisor to the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of urban planning and architecture and helped deploy “Reinventing Paris”, the international call for innovative urban projects that was then exported to other European cities.

She is a specialist in the relationship between people and the planet, and has played a prominent role in innovations such as the implementation of the 15-minute city in Paris. She is recognised for her academic work, as well as her career at Paris City Hall, and in 2016 published her first book, Ârtefacts Naturels, about ecological restoration and ways of “reinhabiting” nature.

 “Marion has already achieved so much at such a young age,” said Trausch. “She is well-respected by senior figures in the real estate industry from both the public and private sectors, which she has helped bring together.”

Shaping the city

“I love the idea of shaping the city, shaping buildings, and having a positive impact on the environment through action,” said Waller. “It’s fantastic to be recognised with the ULI European Talent Award for something which has become a great passion to me. What I would like to achieve is to continue empowering other people to help make positive change and fight for a better urban world for us all.”

ULI Europe Chairman, Marnix Galle, said that Lewis, “has been able to combine great success with incredible generosity and warmth”. He added that Waller, “has demonstrated that age is not an impediment to making a serious impact in the industry”.

A new award category will be included in next year’s ULI European Leadership Awards in honour of the late Trish Barrigan, co-founder and managing partner of Benson Elliot Capital Management and a ULI key leader.

New Trish Barrigan Award announced

The ULI European Trish Barrigan Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will be awarded to an individual standing out for his or her leadership and contribution in advancing and promoting DEI in the real estate industry and broader community in Europe.

“Trish was an inspirational leader and a role model for many in the real estate industry,” said ULI Europe CEO Lisette van Doorn. “She was an incredibly generous supporter and mentor for women and the younger generations, and we want to commemorate her work in this area. She was a passionate advocate of all aspects of diversity and we believe that while Trish’s life was tragically cut short, her legacy will live on through the ULI European Leadership Awards.”

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