What is your current role, and where do you work?
I am the Co-Founder and Chairman of Oliver Landon Limited, the fourth largest provider of temporary accommodation in London. Our organization specializes in delivering emergency housing solutions for asylum seekers and the homeless, while also functioning as a social landlord across the UK.
In addition to my role at Oliver Landon, I am an angel investor focused on land acquisition and the development of residential apartments in Larnaca. Furthermore, I have invested in and served as an executive producer for two feature-length films, both of which have been successfully acquired by major platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Additionally, we hold shares in Ellipsis Pharma, an innovative cancer research platform. This organization employs highly experienced international physicians to conduct trials for stem cell therapies and medications aimed at combating cancer.
Can you share a bit about your personal and educational background?
I did attend university but did not excel in it as I was never academic, I learned everything from experience in dealings with people and studying other business models, understanding Economics and how to scale a business. I built my career and wealth by applying my knowledge of understanding people, previous work experiences that anchored me to be streetwise and I educated myself by doing own research, meeting successful entrepreneurs that were also nonacademic. You need to train yourself and one of them is how to create wealth and use money as a tool.
How did your career path unfold from graduation to where you are today?
Upon arriving in London in 1996, I found myself unemployed and took on various jobs to make ends meet. I worked as a doorman at a nightclub, a limousine driver for high-net-worth individuals, a bartender, and even a door-to-door salesman selling gas and electricity to households. Eventually, I managed to gain admission to a university to study law, but I ultimately dropped out.
After leaving university, I secured a part-time position at a law firm. My tasks were quite basic—I mostly made tea, sorted mail, and conducted property searches for acquisitions. However, after six months, I was laid off, with HR citing that I was “not the correct candidate.” This rejection was disheartening, but I pressed on.
By chance, I found employment as an estate agent through the job center. I had three options: trainee plumber, bookstore salesman, and trainee estate agent. I chose the latter and quickly discovered my passion for selling London properties. Remarkably, I began to outperform even the most experienced sales agents. Within six months, I was promoted to head of sales, and after a year, I became the office manager. Despite my professional success, I struggled to maintain stability in my roles, often facing layoffs or suspensions due to my difficulty in accepting orders—a trait that had lingered since my days with the American Academy.
Once again, I was laid off, but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Drawing on the knowledge and skills I had acquired throughout my various jobs, I decided to start my own estate agency. The challenge was that I had no capital to invest. I began working from my bedroom, conducting meetings in hotel lobbies or cafés. Gradually, things started to improve, and I asked my father if I could use a storage room, he had as an office. Initially, he refused, but after my mother pleaded on my behalf, he finally agreed.
With just a landline shared with another tenant in the building, I managed to establish my business. Whenever a client called, the tenant would run back to inform me—an amusing but necessary arrangement.
Today, I am proud to say that we are the fourth largest temporary accommodation provider in London. We hold multiple government housing contracts and manage a substantial property portfolio, overseeing over 2,000 households.
What professional achievement are you most proud of and why?
Graduating from the American Academy was a major achievement for me. I won the 2025 Real Estate award for the Diaspora, have achieved numerous accolades within the real estate industry, member of the UK landlord association and Estates Gazette had issued an article on us in 2017 as an award-winning Social Housing Provider.
How did your experience with AAL contribute to your personal or professional growth?
Because I wasn’t a very academic student due to my undiagnosed dyslexia I was always struggling with my exams and couldn’t follow the lessons in a compliant manner. Basically, I was a nuisance, but I think this frustration developed me to who I am today.
Here are four key pieces of advice I would offer:
