September 21, 2022
Ryan Unsworth, Director of Yorkshire-based property development company, Opus North – one of Fiera Real Estate UK’s Operating Partners – has purchased a 33% shareholding in the business, becoming joint owner alongside Managing Director, Andrew Duncan, and London-based Investment Manager, Fiera Real Estate UK.
Ryan joined Opus North in 2019 from Keyland Developments and has since been directly involved in the acquisition and delivery of several of Opus North’s major projects, across a variety of sectors. Most recently, Ryan has focused on the delivery of 12 King Street, the 54,000 sq ft Grade A office redevelopment in Leeds City Centre, in addition to four industrial-led mixed-use schemes, totalling in excess of 2.4m sq ft of Grade A space; Dalton 49, Harrogate 47, Interchange 26 and City Fields, Wakefield.
Ryan’s move to shareholder provides the business with the energy and drive to pursue further growth opportunities, ensuring the continuation of Opus North’s reputation as one of Yorkshire’s leading and most active property development companies.
Ryan Unsworth, Director of Opus North, commented: “I am thrilled to be working with such a great team, paving the way for the future of real estate in Yorkshire. Opus North is an exceptional business, dedicated to developing high-quality real estate designed with health, wellbeing and sustainability in mind, and I am honoured to be part of the next stage of the firm’s growth.”
Andrew Duncan, Managing Director of Opus North, commented: “Ryan has been a fantastic addition to the Opus North team and his recent transition to shareholder was certainly the natural course for the business. Ryan is a dedicated individual who has worked hard over the past few years to grow the Opus North pipeline, deliver a number of high-quality schemes for our clients and partners, and source an array of new opportunities for the business. There is plenty more to come from our new shareholder!”
Charles Allen, Head of UK Real Estate at Fiera Real Estate, commented: “I have worked with the Opus North team for almost a decade, and when Ryan joined the firm in 2019, it was clear that he was a great fit to help the business on its ambitious growth journey. Since then, Ryan has continued to push the boundaries, bringing the firm’s current pipeline to more than £250m of high-quality, sustainable real estate across a range of sectors. Ryan’s move to shareholder marks the next exciting chapter for the Opus North team, and I am looking forward to working with him to help bring his vision to life.”
Opus North remains focused on redeveloping underutilised sites in and around the north of England, into best-in-class, sustainable real estate. Opus North continues to actively acquire sites across all sectors with significant funds available from Fiera Real Estate UK’s logistics fund, FRELD, and a range of other funding partners.