Nick Cook set up ikon in 2005 as a joint venture with Watts, originally trading as Watts Regeneration. Nick had previously managed his own consultancy business and prior to that was Group Director of Development and Deputy to the Chief Executive at Moat Housing Group, a major housing association.

Nick has experience as client and consultant delivering major regeneration projects. He has substantial residential development experience for housing associations, the private sector and public agencies. Particular skills include strategic direction of major initiatives, project management, financial structuring and appraisal, development partner selection and relationship management. ikon is part of the Watts Group and provides a full range of services to the urban regeneration market, focusing in particular on mixed use development.

Chris Knott is Managing Director of Watts’ London business, a member of the Group Plc Management Board, and has been Chairman of ikon since its inception in 2005.

Chris is a quantity surveyor by discipline and joined Watts as an Equity Partner in 1994. He brings extensive experience of working on major capital projects to ikon and has worked with Nick for 20 years. Particular skills include: leading major teams; project planning and strategy; cost and project management; and risk and value management.

Chris Cheeseman joined ikon in May 2006 from Moat Housing Group, a major housing association, where he had been Director of Development and New Business since 2002. Prior to that, he was Director of Moat Home Ownership, one of the leading providers of low cost home ownership and key worker housing in the UK.

Chris has substantial residential development experience, working with housing associations, local authorities and public agencies, such as English Partnerships, on a range of projects including mixed use regeneration projects, housing private finance initiative (PFI) and progression of land lead development with major public sector bodies.

Chris has market-leading key-worker experience, having set up a Zone Agency covering a significant portion of London and the South East. In particular, Chris led NHS’s key worker programme for South London since 2002. In addition, he has successfully marketed around 5,000 low cost and intermediate homes for sale.

Sarah Hackney has extensive experience of affordable housing, regeneration and mixed-tenure developments, gained from working with housing associations, the Housing Corporation and as a freelance consultant. Before joining ikon, Sarah was Director of Development Services at Dominion Housing Group, where she was responsible for delivering a development pipeline of more than 4,000 new homes. She has experience of developing homes for rent, low-cost home ownership, outright sale, student and key-worker accommodation and commercial property. Sarah also has a track record in programme management and delivery, bids and new business, financial appraisal and organisational systems and procedures.

Alun Dawson is a qualified project manager and joined Watts in January 2002. In 2006, he moved to ikon to head up project management of commercial schemes forming part of major mixed-use regeneration projects.

Alun has considerable experience of development funding and procurement, in part gained by working on Framework Agreements with British Airways, and more recently, by working with blue chip clients as part of his commercial project management duties when with Watts. He has a strong understanding of the operation of funding agreements and special purpose vehicles (SPVs) within the construction and development process.

Amanda joined ikon in February 2008 following extensive experience at English Partnerships in the London and Thames Gateway and Central Policy teams. Amanda was a senior member of the team delivering the London Wide (Key Worker Housing) Initiative. This involved completing a £100m land acquisition programme and delivering over 5,000 new homes across London, using Modern Methods of Construction, as well as new, innovative forms of tenure.

Amanda is project managing the production of Outline Business Cases for pilot authorities Bristol, Dacorum, Harlow and Wakefield.

Rob Sully is both a chartered building surveyor and qualified project manager. He joined Watts in April 2001 and now, with ikon, is responsible for the project management of major mixed-use development projects. He has a proven track record in project delivery in the commercial, retail and residential sectors and has a particularly strong accord with private and affordable housing.

Rob has a strong practical knowledge of urban design, originating in estate regeneration, urban renewal and regeneration projects. He has a clear understanding of major mixed-use projects, regularly acting for funds, investors, developers, purchasers, government agencies and housing associations.

Niamh O’Brien joined ikon in 2007 as a project manager in the London office. Since joining ikon Niamh has been working on a range of regeneration schemes both in the social housing and retail sectors. Niamh is an experienced project manager with a proven track record of completing projects on time and on budget. Her experience to-date scopes from small-scale residential schemes to large-scale urban regeneration developments, ranging in value from £3 million - £67 million. They have varied from options appraisals to projects that are at construction stage with private clients, housing associations and public agencies such as English Partnerships. With a background in Architecture Niamh has a strong understanding of the design and technical issues that arise during the construction process.

Cullum Alexander joined ikon in September 2007 as an Associate. Cullum previously worked in other Project Management consultancies, construction management in Australia for four years, as well as carrying out roles as a project engineer and project coordinator in the UK. These varied roles have given Cullum a strong and diverse knowledge of the construction process.

Cullum specialises in project management and strategic advice and has been involved in a number of different sectors, including leisure, arts, industrial, infrastructure, and master planning. Cullum has a strong interest in sustainability and is currently working with the Watts Group on their sustainability policy.

Irene Chan joined the ikon team in early 2007 as a project manager coming from a background of construction management in main contracting. Her practical and communication skills, and her engineering background, bring a detailed technical resource to ikon.

Cindy Mann joined Watts in 2005 and transferred to ikon in 2006. She has a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology: Microbiology and Physiology. Cindy previously worked for The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames in the Planning Policy department. As team secretary, Cindy is involved with all general administration of projects.