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Kelly Palmer

Kelly Palmer

Assistant Development Manager, Gleeson

Kelly Palmer, 28, is assistant development manager at the developer and housebuilder Gleeson Regeneration. Her role involves identifying potential sites for regeneration, and working alongside public sector partners to develop those sites.

What has been your most beneficial career experience to date?
In March this year I went to the Mipim real estate conference in France. It was the first time I had attended such a big networking event, and talking to colleagues about our industry gave me a lot of confidence. Prior to that I had been office-based, just getting used to my new role; Mipim was essentially my first business development opportunity.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
You have to go through a lot of tendering processes in this job, and there's a tendency to take rejections personally. The best advice I've been given is to step back and remember it's a competitive business. You can't win everything.

What's the best training you've had?
I'm taking a certificate in neighbourhood renewal at Sheffield Hallam University right now and, although there are about 40 of us on the course, I'm the only one from the private sector. It's been interesting studying alongside people from councils and housing associations, learning about the way they work. It has also taught me a lot about policy and legislation.

What book would you recommend?
Graham Martin's Swamps and Alligators - The Future for Low-Cost Home-Ownership is great. It was a report carried out for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and is excellent at outlining the benefits of low-cost home-ownership and initiatives that can meet the demand.

What do you wish you'd known when you started out?
I'm only really at the beginning of my regeneration career, but I wish I'd known about how fast policy and legislation changes - you're learning every day, because things change that quickly.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1995: Starts working at the Rutland Hotel, Sheffield, as a receptionist.

1998: Takes on a role of administrator at the Sheffield Star newspaper

2002: Becomes a receptionist and telephonist at Gleeson Regeneration.

2003: Is promoted to technical assistant in the technical and commercial department of the company.

2006: Takes on current role in business development.

Interview by Alexandra Coxon