Knight Frank has appointed Joan Henry as its new chief economist and head of research.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the areas of banking, consultancy and property, Ms Henry brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She previously worked as head of research both with Savills Ireland and BNP Paribas Real Estate and is credited with having built both companies’ research capabilities and their respective profiles with clients and the media.
Ms Henry’s experience and expertise covers all property sectors; the investment market, the occupier markets – offices, retail and industrial as well as new homes and residential. She also holds a PSRA licence.
She holds a first-class honours masters in economics and was research assistant for the late Peter Sutherland, the ex-European commissioner and former chairman of AIB, before joining KPMG Management Consulting. She spent several years as an economist in the treasury division of Bank of Ireland and then as a management consultant with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (focusing mostly on the delivery of projects for clients in the financial sector), before moving into property in 2005.
Commenting on her appointment, Ms Henry said: “I am delighted to be joining Knight Frank at this challenging time for both the global economy and real estate markets. Given the scale and level of expertise within the company, I look forward to working with the teams to leverage the opportunities and innovations that will emerge for all real estate sectors as the market evolves and recovers over the coming years.”
Declan O’Reilly, director at Knight Frank said: “Our research has always been a point of difference for us and Joan’s depth of knowledge is unrivalled. She is recognised in the marketplace as one of the thought leaders in the industry. Her appointment is timely, given the challenges the industry will face over the next 12 months as accurate data, analysis and advice has never been more important for both us and our clients.”
