Thomas White Oxford Ltd, the development company of St John’s College, has appointed Victoria Collett as development director to deliver Oxford North, Oxford, UK, the £700 million new global innovation district.

Victoria has joined Thomas White Oxford from Legal & General Capital, where she headed development for its Suburban Build to Rent business, building-up a portfolio of projects with its sister companies and local authority partners including the North Horsham masterplan in West Sussex.

Victoria is a chartered surveyor with 18 years’ development and regeneration experience specialising in development management and financial advisory for the public and private sectors.

Victoria has worked across England and Wales as a consultant, including at CBRE and Navigant Consulting, acting for many public bodies and third sector organisations, to achieve their real estate objectives through projects including the Canning Town & Custom House masterplan and the regeneration of South Kilburn.

More recently she spent eight years in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as lead advisor to Abu Dhabi Municipality’s Investment Office, with a development portfolio of more than forty projects. She delivered projects including Al Qana and Sheikha Fatima Park, which represented step-changes in the city’s real estate offer.

Thomas White Oxford recently entered into a 50:50 joint venture partnership with Canadian-based Cadillac Fairview, the real estate arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with developer Stanhope to deliver one million sq ft of laboratories and workspace, along with amenities and infrastructure on Central and Eastside. This is in addition to its residential development partnership with Hill Group to deliver 317 new homes on Canalside, to the south of the A40.

William Donger, chief executive, Thomas White Oxford said: “We warmly welcome Victoria who has joined the team at a significant moment in the delivery of this globally ambitious project. Her standout breadth of experience in masterplanning and placemaking and how commercial and residential work in such districts to enable pioneering science and technology companies to accelerate their growth, will be highly beneficial as we work with our partners to continue to deliver this new place for Oxford.”

Victoria Collett, development director, Thomas White Oxford added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Oxford North project at this exciting stage, working with august institutions to deliver this unique opportunity to create a thriving and sustainable district for the future of the city.”

Visit www.oxfordnorth.com to view the project.