Placefirst CEO David Mawson to transition to Executive Chair as part of planned retirement 

  • As part of the first step in his planned retirement, Placefirst CEO David Mawson will move from CEO to the position of Executive Chair.
  • Mawson will take on the new role in February, having served as CEO for almost six years.
  • Chief Investment Officer Anna Hwang and Chief Financial Officer Lukman Sabir will lead the business day-to-day whilst a successor is appointed.

Placefirst, the build-to-rent developer-operator and single-family housing specialist, has announced that David Mawson will step into the role of Executive Chair in February 2026, marking the first stage of his planned retirement.

Mawson has served as CEO of Placefirst for almost six years, overseeing significant growth and positioning the business as a leading operator in the UK single-family BTR market. Under his leadership, Placefirst has built a nationwide portfolio and is on track to deliver and operate 10,000 homes through a combination of direct development, joint ventures and forward funded deals.

Day-to-day leadership will be managed by Chief Investment Officer Anna Hwang and Chief Financial Officer Lukman Sabir while the search for a new CEO is underway.

Anna Hwang and Lukman Sabir comment:

“David has been instrumental in Placefirst’s strategic growth and success. We’re delighted he will continue to guide the business as Executive Chair and look forward to announcing his successor in due course. On behalf of everyone at Placefirst, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to David for his strong leadership and invaluable contribution to the strategic growth of the company over the past six years.”

David Mawson, Executive Chair, Placefirst comments:

“After nearly six years of continued growth, I am now stepping into a new role as Executive Chair. Placefirst is in a strong position as one of the leading operators in the single-family BTR market, and I look forward to continuing to support the business as it progresses toward its target of 10,000 homes. While I will be stepping back from day-to-day leadership, I will remain closely involved in guiding the company through its next phase. I would like to thank Matter Real Estate for the opportunity to continue contributing to Placefirst’s growth, and to express my appreciation to the talented team at Placefirst, which I have been extremely fortunate to work with, and their continued commitment to the business’s ongoing success.”

Matter Real Estate, a London-based investment manager, acquired a controlling stake in Placefirst in 2015, when the platform had just 50 units. Since then, Matter Real Estate has expanded operations across the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Ireland, managing €1 billion of assets under management and over 10,700 residential units across its Pan-European portfolio.