Common Ground, a newly launched consulting firm dedicated to improving diversity in the built environment, has appointed Mike Strong and Sue Brown as its first two board members.
Strong joins the board as chair, bringing more than 40 years of leadership experience across global commercial real estate, public sector estates and corporate governance.
He previously spent 15 years in senior leadership at CBRE, serving as executive chairman, chief executive and president of EMEA, where he managed a workforce of more than 20,000 people across 40 countries.
Since 2016, he has worked as an independent adviser and has held chair roles at organisations such as Granger Reis and LocatED.
Meanwhile, Brown joins with four decades of experience in business, property and economic development. She was formerly managing director of Real Estate Balance, where she focused on creating inclusive workplace cultures.
She was the driving force behind the launch of Mipim and co-founded REWIRE, a network for women in property.
In 2026, she was awarded an honorary MBA from the University of the Built Environment for her contributions to the sector.
Lara Newman, founder of Common Ground, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mike and Sue to the Common Ground family. Their combined experience and deep industry insights will be instrumental in driving our success and guiding our mission. People in charge of creating places and communities, including major public building projects, schools, hospitals and social housing, should reflect the communities they serve.
“Diversity must mean more than just replacing one gender for another or ‘token’ hires; it’s about opening up routes to successful careers for people who have, until now, been ignored, excluded or discriminated against, either because they are from the ‘wrong’ class, have been in care, are disabled, are LGBTQ+ or neurodiverse. I believe that challenging these deep-rooted, outdated attitudes will lead to industry-leading inclusion and benefit both the sector and society as a whole.”
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