I started in property in 1996. In my 22-year career I have spent time in a number of facets of the property industry and one thing that has been consistent in my career is my association with Atterbury. Let me explain.
After a rather long and checkered academic career that I won’t get into, I was unable to join the Roberts tradition of being a chartered accountant at the family practice in Umhlali – you see, you have to pass the board to be a CA… I have often thought my lack of academic ability was a blessing in disguise as I was forced to choose another career outside of the accounting profession. I chose banking.
After two years with Absa in Durban I moved up to Gauteng in 1996 with Syfrets. I was a property finance banker specialising in structured finance and one of the first big deals I ever did was to lend Atterbury money for the Atterbury Value Mart. And so started what is a 20-year association with Louis, James and the group. Quite soon after Atterbury Value Mart, I believe I also lent Atterbury money for the Greenfields Office Park. The loan, by the way, for the Atterbury Value Mart was R80 million!
I remained in banking with Atterbury as one of my main clients until 2009. That year I left banking to start Genesis Properties; and during the next eight years Genesis did a number of JV deals with Atterbury and I worked closely with James and got to know the development and legal team. I am still involved with Genesis, and the Sterland, Pick n Pay and Falls land JVs are still very much alive.
In August last year RMH approached me to run their property business. RMH Properties bought half of Genesis so I could maintain my interests in Genesis while getting involved in challenging and interesting deals with Atterbury. It has to be said that RMH’s shareholding in Atterbury is what attracted me most to the new role I have now as CEO of RMH Properties. So far, in seven months, we have grown our association through a significant investment in Atterbury Europe and there is more to come.
My association with the group is growing and my long-standing belief that the group is the leading private property company in South Africa is constantly justified.
On a personal note, I am a surfer from Salt Rock (as Louis always reminds me). I pride myself on my work-life balance and my goal in life is to be a good dad to Josh (13) and Megan (11), a good husband to Luelle, a reasonably talented surfer and SUP’er (for a 50-year-old) and a good partner to all of RMH Properties’ investments. That keeps me reasonably busy…
Brian Roberts is CEO, RMH Properties and Board member APF and APH
