Joanne McNamara is a UK-based commercial real estate investor and executive who has helped build Oxford Properties into one of Europe’s most significant institutional property investors. Over more than two decades in the industry, she has been involved in billions of pounds of transactions spanning offices, logistics, retail and residential property, including some of London’s most prominent commercial developments.
As Executive Vice President, Europe at Oxford Properties, the real estate arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), Joanne McNamara played a central role in building a European business with approximately £8 billion in assets under management. Her career at Oxford included investments in landmark properties such as The Leadenhall Building, London Wall Place and The Post Building, as well as the expansion of the company’s logistics platform across continental Europe.
In June 2026, British Land appointed Joanne McNamara as its next Chief Executive Officer, a role that becomes effective in fall 2026. The appointment places her at the head of one of the UK’s largest listed commercial property companies and brings together more than 20 years of experience across property investment, development and institutional capital.
Early Life and Education
Joanne McNamara grew up in a small industrial town in South Wales and attended a comprehensive state school. Raised by a single mother, she did not grow up around the commercial property industry and has described her eventual career in real estate as something she largely “fell into.”
She studied mathematics at Cardiff University and later completed a Master of Science in International Real Estate at Oxford Brookes University. After a period of work experience in Cardiff introduced her to the property industry, she joined the graduate program at DTZ and became a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
McNamara has said she was drawn to real estate because it combined numbers and investing with tangible assets and relationships, a combination that would go on to shape the rest of her career.
Building a Career in Commercial Real Estate
Joanne McNamara began her career in DTZ’s corporate finance team before moving to Hammerson, where she worked in development and new business. Those early roles gave her experience across both the financial and operational sides of commercial property.
Her defining move came in 2010, when she joined Oxford Properties in London as one of the first members of its team there. She quickly became involved in major acquisitions and developments as Oxford expanded its European business.
By 2020, she had completed more than £10 billion of transactions for Oxford. Her work included investments in prominent London properties such as Paternoster Square, The Royal Exchange, London Wall Place, The Post Building and New Bond Street.
One of the most visible was The Leadenhall Building, the 225-meter City of London skyscraper widely known as the “Cheesegrater.” Oxford developed the building in partnership with British Land, creating one of the defining additions to London’s financial district.
As McNamara progressed through Oxford, her role shifted from executing individual deals to shaping the company’s wider European strategy. She became responsible for investment, development and portfolio management across multiple sectors, while helping Oxford broaden its exposure beyond major office assets.
Logistics became one of the most important areas of expansion. In 2021, Oxford acquired M7 Real Estate, a specialist investment and asset management business with a strong presence in European multi-let industrial and urban logistics. The acquisition gave Oxford an established platform through which to accelerate investment in those sectors across the continent.
McNamara was also involved in expanding Oxford’s exposure to residential property and other sectors shaped by long-term changes in demographics, technology and consumer behavior. Rather than focusing on one asset class, her approach has centered on identifying where durable demand is emerging and finding the right way to invest behind it.
That strategy helped establish Oxford as a major force in European commercial property. By 2026, its European operation employed more than 70 people and managed approximately £8 billion of assets across office, retail, logistics and residential real estate.
Leadership and British Land
Joanne McNamara became a member of Oxford’s Global Executive Committee and Investment Committee, as well as the OMERS Portfolio Management Committee, as her responsibilities within the business grew. She also spent time overseeing Oxford’s activities in Asia-Pacific and served as a Non-Executive Director of ESR Group, one of the region’s largest real estate platforms.
Her work has earned her recognition across the commercial property industry. Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) named her European Industry Figure of the Year in 2021 and has also recognized her as a Woman of Influence. She has additionally served as a trustee of LandAid, the UK property industry charity focused on youth homelessness.
Joanne McNamara’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer of British Land marks the most significant move of her career to date. The company is one of the best-known names in UK commercial real estate, with a portfolio centered on London campuses, retail parks and other large-scale property assets.
The role also brings McNamara back to a company she already knows well. Oxford and British Land worked together on The Leadenhall Building during the earlier stages of her career, when Oxford was establishing itself as a major investor in London.
At British Land, her remit moves beyond allocating institutional capital and building investment platforms. She takes responsibility for leading a publicly listed property company that owns, develops and operates commercial real estate directly.
For Joanne McNamara, the appointment is the latest step in a career that began without any obvious connection to the industry. From a comprehensive school in South Wales to overseeing billions of pounds of property investment, she has built her career around the combination that first attracted her to real estate: numbers, investment, tangible assets and people.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
Joanne McNamara is married and has two children. Away from work, she has described spending much of her free time with family, including taking her children to sports and spending time outdoors. A longtime sports enthusiast, she particularly enjoys netball and has continued to play with her former London club when time allows.
McNamara is also closely involved with LandAid, the UK property industry charity focused on youth homelessness, and serves as a trustee of the organization. She has supported its fundraising initiatives and has spoken about the role the property industry can play in using its resources and expertise to support young people facing homelessness.
