Avison Young appoints Simon Young as CEO for MENA region

Global real estate consultancy Avison Young has appointed Simon Townsend as its new Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Effective from the start of this month, Simon Townsend will lead Avison Young’s footprint across the region, which spans operations and mandates in multiple MENA countries. Based out of Abu Dhabi, he will oversee business development, client management, project delivery, as well as internal practice development.

Townsend brings a wealth of experience to his new role, with a career spanning over three decades in the real estate sector. Prior to joining Avison Young, Townsend held the position of CEO at Ellington Capital Limited in Dubai, and before that, he spent seven years at rival real estate consultancies CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield, where he held senior roles in their Middle East business.

Earlier in his career, he worked for Barwa Real Estate Group and The First Investor, had a first spell at CBRE and worked for Cluttons, a UK-based property consultancy firm and broker.

Headquartered in Toronto, Avison Young has 100+ offices in 20 countries. The company was founded in 1978.