News

Craigard welcomes a new addition to the team, Matthew Barker, who joins as an Investment and Asset Manager.

Matthew arrived at Craigard with considerable experience – starting his career out of University with Vail Williams, initially in its business space team and then to its National Investment and Funding Team.

Matthew was then invited to join LSH in its Capital Markets team. “This was an exciting opportunity for me to gain exposure to different deal types and market participants,” Matthew comments. Over the course of his time at LSH, Matthew was involved in transacting on a number of the South Coast region’s highest profile and complex deals. “Lockdown was a moment of reflection for everyone really,” Matthew continues. “My plan was always to go client-side but I wasn’t going to jump into anything. It was about being patient. The fact that the right opportunity came along when it did was total luck!”

Matthew joins David Foster who took over the business from his father Paul Foster six years ago. “It was a big decision to bring someone into what has effectively been a family business for the last 20 or so years,” comments David. “After Paul took a step back from the daily business of Craigard, we’ve continued to grow and I needed an extra pair of hands. Choosing that person wasn’t going to be a simple task – they needed to be reliable and someone we could trust with our investors, some of which we have built relationships with over many years. Matthew and I work well together – whilst it’s been a learning experience for both of us, it’s definitely added an edge to the business. Our decision-making process is streamlined and we bounce off each other.”

Matthew adds: “Over the years in my previous role I acted on both the buy and sell side for Craigard and I always enjoyed working with them – for one, they always did what they said they would. Their reputation and profile meant that when I was approached by David, it was an easy decision for me. This was the sort of firm I wanted to work for but I never thought the opportunity would arise.”

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to join David and what is effectively a family business, and now look forward to learning the ‘Craigard Rules’ and working towards building on what is already a reputable and successful business.”