Meet the team
Connect with the senior 'Invest Waltham Forest' team at the Council.
For broader information about investment opportunities in the borough, please contact invest@walthamforest.gov.uk.
Stewart Murray
Strategic Director of Place
Telephone: 020 8496 4660
Email: stewart.murray@walthamforest.gov.uk
Stewart is Strategic Director of Economic Growth and Housing Delivery. With a 30-year career in the public sector, he leads on property, asset management, regeneration, planning and development.
Jonathan Martin, BSc, MRICS
Director for Inward Investment and Higher Education Academic Relationships
Telephone: 020 8496 6749
Email: jonathan.martin@walthamforest.gov.uk
Jonathan is a Chartered Surveyor and his current role focuses on securing Inward Investment across the borough, within the Economic Growth team, including, regeneration, business, property, and housing.
Ian Rae
Corporate Director for Regeneration, Planning and Delivery
Email: ian.rae@walthamforest.gov.uk
Ian is a Chartered Town Planner with almost 20 years of public sector experience. He is responsible for leading teams to deliver the Council’s Growth Strategy, including Planning, Culture, Regeneration, and Employment, Business and Skills.
Aiden McManus
Commercial Director, Property and Delivery
Telephone: 0208 496 8060
Email: aiden.mcmanus@walthamforest.gov.uk
Aiden is a Chartered Surveyor with over 30 years of public sector experience, including on major regeneration projects such as Canary Wharf and Bluewater. He leads on Capital Delivery and Strategy, Commercial Investment and Asset Management.
Will Teasdale
Director of Area Regeneration Delivery
Telephone: 020 8496 4207
Email: will.teasdale@walthamforest.gov.uk
Will leads a team focused on securing economic growth, mixed-use development, regeneration, transport and sustainable infrastructure projects across the borough’s growth areas and town centres.
Sarah Parsons
Assistant Director, Place and Design
Telephone: 07570167985
Email: sarah.parsons@walthamforest.gov.uk
Sarah leads the Place and Design Team, focused on strategic planning across the borough. With almost 20 years’ experience across the public and private sectors, she leads on planning policy, area based planning and master planning, infrastructure planning, raising design quality, and ensuring the preservation and enhancement of our built and natural assets.
James Leay
Corporate Director of Destinations
Email: james.leay@walthamforest.gov.uk
James has over 15 years’ experience in the culture, leisure and hospitality sectors, most recently as founder and CEO of Pop Brixton, Peckham Levels and Hackney Bridge. James leads on Destinations and Culture at Waltham Forest, focused on developing cultural sites and creating a world class cultural offer.
Rebecca Davey
Assistant Director, Employment Business and Skills
Telephone: 020 8496 6619
Email: rebecca.davey@walthamforest.gov.uk
Rebecca has over 20 years of experience in economic development and regeneration. Currently she is working on strategies to ‘Keep, Seed and Grow’ Waltham Forest’s business base.
Fay Cannings
Senior Inward Investment Manager
Email: fay.cannings@walthamforest.gov.uk
Fay has over 20 years experience in regeneration, community investment and small business growth in the public and private sector. Fay is part of the IWF team focusing on growth of the service and establishing the innovation hub.