Our team
Nikodem Szumilo
Nikodem is an Associate Professor at UCL - University College London and the Director of the Bartlett Real Estate Institute, housed within the world's top-ranked faculty of built environment according to QS 2023.
Nikodem previously worked at the London School of Economics after completing his PhD at Cambridge University. He also holds the position of an academic visitor at the Bank of England and serves as a Research Affiliate at the UCL Centre for Finance.
In addition to being published in leading academic outlets, his work has been featured in leading non-academic outlets such as the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, World Economic Forum - Strategic Intelligence, the Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek or IPE Magazine.
Thomas Wiegelmann
Dr. Thomas Wiegelmann FRICS has over 25 years of experience in real estate, spanning investment and asset management as well as consultancy and corporate finance/M&A. In 2009, Thomas co-founded BLUE Asset Management, a real estate investment boutique serving managed accounts and AIFM-regulated structures while developing and executing investment strategies for international and domestic clients for their capital allocation in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH region). Established without external financial backing, BLUE evolved into an established privately-owned platform, with more than €1.2 billion in AuM by YE 2018. In Q1 2019, Schroders Group acquired BLUE as part of its strategy to strengthen and expand its private assets capabilities. Following the acquisition, Thomas continued as Managing Director at Schroders until October 2024.
Thomas serves as an Honorary Professor at University College London. He enjoys lecturing and publishing on negotiation, investment and asset management as well as genAI in real estate. Thomas is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (OPM - Owner/President Management Program) and INSEAD (IDP - International Directors Program). He holds a PhD from Bond University and a postgraduate degree in real estate economics from the European Business School. He is a certified Business Mediator (RICS). Thomas serves on the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Board and is an Advisor to a global early-stage venture capital firm.
Monika Szumilo
Monika is a Physics Lecturer at University College London, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with a passion for teaching practical AI and advancing Machine Learning algorithms. She has been teaching practical AI as well as developing Machine Learning algorithms for research at Imperial College London and UCL since 2020.
Monika's educational background includes completing her MPhil and PhD at the University of Cambridge. She has also taught at institutions such as Imperial College London and City, University of London. Through her diverse teaching experiences, Monika has successfully delivered complex concepts in Data Science, programming, and mathematics to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her expertise spans across a wide array of disciplines, encompassing Physics, Astronomy, Aerospace Engineering, as well as Business and Management.
Chris Urwin
Chris Urwin is a renowned global real estate expert, recognised for his expertise in developing successful investment strategies through quantitative approaches. He has extensive experience in building predictive models and producing influential research, enhancing investment performance and business outcomes.
As the founder of Real Global Advantage, he blends institutional expertise with pioneering data analytics. Chris's extensive experience in real estate investment management and advisory roles has established him as a respected voice in the industry.