LIBERTYTWODEGREES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive, Liberty Two Degrees
Amelia is the Chief Executive of Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) since listing the company as a Trust REIT in December 2016 on the main board of the JSE. In 2018, Amelia led the reconstitution of L2D to a Corporate REIT as well as the alignment of the company to investor preferences, effectively positioning the business for sustainable growth.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Chief Financial Officer
Barbara is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of finance, audit, treasury, tax and controlling experience and in acquisitions and divestments projects. Her career spans across accounting and auditing profession, financial services industry and the energy sector. She has strong technical skills in accounting, tax, treasury, controlling, governance, risk and assurance.
Barbara was appointed to the L2D Board on 21 October 2020.
Job Titles:
- Asset Management Executive
Brian is a motivated and tactical Asset Management Executive and Head of Good Spaces at Liberty Two Degrees. With 28 years of experience in the South African property industry, Brian has a particular focus on extracting optimal value from some of the country's most prestigious and successful shopping centres/mixed use properties.
With a passion for the green agenda, Brian served as the Chair of the GBCSA from 2020 where he supported the CEO of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) in sustainably transforming the built environment, working with collaborators and all interested built environment stakeholders to develop market-based green solutions for the South African property industry. Brian currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the GBCSA and continues to provide support to the organisation in achieving its objectives, this is in addition to his current role at Liberty Two Degrees. Brian's previous roles include a Senior Financial Manager role in property development, Head of Finance at Liberty Properties, and Financial Manager at Investec Properties for Growthpoint. He brings to the table an expert knowledge in financial and management accounting, as well as asset management expertise.
Brian's responsibilities within Liberty Two Degrees involve managing regional shopping centres in Gauteng and the Western Cape, namely Nelson Mandela Square and Promenade Shopping Centre.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Executive
Heloise has a track record of over 20 years in Marketing and Communications with expertise in brand management, digital marketing, sponsorship management and strategic communication. She has worked across several industries including Telecommunications, Professional Services and Banking and on multiple brands such as Vodacom , Procter & Gamble and WesBank. Heloise joined Liberty Two Degrees in January 2020. Her role entails strategically positioning the L2D brand in the market, while providing insights and direction across the portfolio. She is a passionate Marketer who immerses herself into the brands she is responsible for. She enjoys travelling and is happiest when spending quality time with her family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Chief Operations Officer ( COO ) at L2D
- Member of RICS
Jonathan's experience spans 22 years in the property industry, with an excellent track record as Development Manager at Liberty Properties, Group Five and Absa prior to joining STANLIB as an Asset Manager in 2013. In 2016, Jonathan was appointed Asset Management Executive at Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) to manage Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, which today are arguably South Africa's most prestigious and iconic assets.
In 2017, Jonathan was appointed Chief Operations Officer (COO) at L2D and was instrumental in the reconstitution and listing of the company as a corporate REIT in 2018. In his role as COO, Jonathan has been largely contributary in enhancing the quality of the L2D portfolio of assets which are positioned for growth while maintaining their robust nature.
In addition to his role as COO of L2D, Jonathan is also a member of RICS. Jonathan has a BSc in Quantity Surveying from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
José Snyders - Chief Commercial Officer
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Chief Commercial Officer
José is a Chartered Accountant and a proficient dealmaker. He was appointed as the Financial Director of Liberty Two Degrees in March 2017. In his role, José is responsible for financial risk management, investment analysis and the capital structure of the REIT in addition to financial planning and record keeping. In 2018, José played a key role in the reconstitution of Liberty Two Degrees from a Trust REIT to a corporate REIT, better aligning Liberty Two Degrees to investor preferences.
Prior to joining Liberty Two Degrees, José was a dealmaker in the Real Estate Investment Banking Division of Rand Merchant Bank where he was responsible for originating and implementing various transactions in the property sector.
José completed articles at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he serviced clients in the financial services industry with a specific focus on structured finance. Outside of the office, José is an endurance sports enthusiast and enjoys spending time with his family.
Mel is an admitted attorney who, for the last 25 years, has specialised in the property industry. He played a comprehensive role virtually across every discipline within the property sector. He spent the majority of those years as an Executive Director of Liberty Properties. Mel's primary fields of value add are retail and leasing with a depth of relationship and experience with both local and international Retailers.
Mel joined Liberty Two Degrees in August 2017 as a Retail Consultant. He acts as an advisor across the portfolio and brings to bear his experience and knowledge with a view of creating sustainable earnings for the portfolio as well as a tenant mix commensurate with our leading properties.
Melinda joined L2D in July 2018 as a Development Manager where she is responsible for managing property developments across the L2D profile. Melinda's career spans 12 years in the property industry and has extensive experience in retail, hotel and office projects. Prior to joining L2D, Melinda served her 12 tenure at MLC Quantity Surveyors as an Associate.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Management Team
Nick was the chief executive of BMO Real Estate Partners, part of the Bank of Montreal Financial Group, where he was responsible for managing and growing the pan-European Real Estate Asset Management Business. Prior to that he was the Head of Retail and Investment Trusts at F&C Asset Management PLC where he managed the UK Retail Investment business and the Investment Trust business units and had executive responsibility for the property business and the Fund of Private Equity business.
Saadiyah joined Liberty Two Degrees in July 2018 as a Valuation Manager. Her previous role at JLL involved undertaking a range of property valuation and advisory services for purchase and sale, decision making, due diligence exercises, private placements on the JSE as well as shareholder reporting for REITs in South Africa. Prior to that, Saadiyah worked at Nedbank CIB Property Finance where she undertook valuations for loan security purposes. Her extensive experience in the property industry spans over seven years which includes commercial, retail, industrial, residential, specialised, hotels and development land. Saadiyah is a member of the RICS, a RICS Registered Valuer and a registered Professional Associate Valuer with the SACPVP.
Coming from a strong financial background at both ABSA Asset Management and the Public Investment Corporation SOC Limited, Sumenthree joined Liberty Two Degrees in 2017 as a Property Investment Analyst. She is skilled in financial modelling and the analysis of investment opportunities. While at ABSA, Sumenthree was part of the team that was awarded the Raging Bull for Best South African Real Estate Fund for 2016. During her eight year career, Sumenthree has performed fundamental research and analysis of companies in the listed property, retail and food producer sectors of the JSE. Her responsibilities at L2D include monitoring the operational performance of the portfolio, analysing trading patterns and financial returns against budgets and benchmarks and reporting hereon within the L2D reporting framework.
Job Titles:
- Chief People & Culture Officer
- Chief People and Culture
Yongie has more than 15 years' experience in the field of People & Culture, spanning across different industries such as Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Built & Construction Environment.
Over the years, she has enhanced her expertise in different areas of the Human Capital value chain; Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Human Capital Operations, Organisation Design, Talent Development and Management and optimizing Employee Experience through Organisational Culture and Employee Wellness.
In November 2022, Yongie was appointed as Chief People & Culture Officer for Liberty 2 Degrees. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma - Enterprise Management from the University Cape Town and a BSocSci (Organisational Psychology and Industrial Soc) from Rhodes University.