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Ashley Innis

Real Estate Management MSc

After first graduating in International Business Management in 2003, Ashley returned to BCU to complete an MSc in Real Estate Management. The experience, skills and deeper understanding of his sector helped Ashley to support and challenge in his role more confidently and effectively. After thriving in his role at ̽»¨Ö±²¥ City Council, he is now Head of Land at Sanctuary. 

"I previously studied at BCU from 2000 - 2003, and my degree led me to a career working for my local council, ̽»¨Ö±²¥ City Council, where I stayed for 19 years. I had a range of different roles, from recruitment, to HR, to working with politicians in the Cabinet Office, and even project managing key developments across the city.

After years of hands-on experience, I wanted to expand my knowledge of regeneration and development. I’d gained a lot of practical experience on major projects, but I wanted to back that up with a solid theoretical foundation. So, I returned to BCU to study an MSc in Real Estate Management on a part-time basis, while continuing my full-time work. This was not an easy feat, but BCU made it worthwhile.

One of the biggest challenges was the time gap since I last studied. I was worried about balancing postgraduate study with a demanding job, especially working on the Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village at the time. But I was determined to make it work, and I’m proud that I did. I ended up achieving a distinction in every module.

I developed a much stronger understanding of the built environment and a better appreciation of how different stakeholders work, from planners to surveyors. Previously, I was involved in these processes at a high level, often just trusting updates. But now I understand the technical details and can engage, support, and challenge more confidently.

I also learned the value of speaking up. I remember during a particularly challenging module on valuation and appraisal, I raised my hand to say I was struggling. As it turned out, most of the class felt the same way, and the tutor adjusted the sessions to help us all. That confidence to ask for help is something I’ve gained over time.

Now, I work as Head of Land at Sanctuary, helping to find and acquire land for development across the UK for both housing and care. The development team is large, around 400 people, but the land team is small and spread out across the country.

There’s no such thing as a typical day for me; I could be reviewing site appraisals, managing contracts, or contributing to our equality network. It is all exciting but never the same.

Going back to university helped me to be even more organised and disciplined, especially when it came to achieving a work-life balance. I’m a Brummie who has lived and worked here all my life, so I'm proud to have attended my local university. I'm proud that I've been able to return to the place I first studied and further my career. It's brilliant that the university has such a broad range of courses.

To me, ‘I AM BCU’ is about being proud to be a part of BCU and also being an advocate of the university. I hope that I continue to embody the values of what BCU is about as a place to learn and develop; those characteristics are about striving for excellence, wanting to do the best I can, working with honesty and integrity and helping others to learn and enhance their careers through sharing knowledge and ideas. BCU is a fantastic place to learn and socialise, and I am proud to be an alumnus!"