Joining the proptech revolution

You’ve just joined Velis Real Estate Tech as an advisor to the management board after a long stint at DTZ and (after the merger of the two consultancies) as chair of Cushman & Wakefield Poland. How did this switch in your career from real estate agency to the proptech sector come about? Alan Colquhoun, advisor to the management board, Velis Real Estate: It’s almost 5 years since I left C&W and returned to the UK. After starting a small outsourcing firm and working briefly at a tech start-up – both of which were in the residential sector – I was keen to get back into the commercial property sphere, where all my contacts and experience were. The opportunity arose when Adam Penkala, one of the founders of Velis, who I knew from my time at DTZ, contacted me earlier this year suggesting that I join in an advisory role. I believe it’s a good fit for both parties as it brings some useful property advisory knowledge into Velis as well as some representati