Michael Cook is a Group Executive at Investa Property Group and is actively involved in commercial development projects, capital transactions and leasing across the business.
His entry into the property world wasn’t a standard affair. After operating as a management consultant for many years, a friend beseeched Michael’s assistance during the take-over of his national truck-stop company. The new owner turned out to be Brian Rule of Rule Industries, who quickly offered Michael a job in his property firm after they hit it off together at a first-meeting lunch.
From a self-admitted position of “not knowing very much about the property industry”, Michael’s knowledge and experience has grown considerably. He was previously a Senior Asset Manager at BT Funds Management, where he was responsible for the development and asset management of hotels, shopping centres, industrial buildings and office buildings. He then worked at AMP as the Manager of Commercial Asset Management, principally concerned with co-owned assets such as 600 Bourke Street and Darling Park. And prior to joining Investa in 2003, Michael was based in Hong Kong working on the $5 Billion International Finance Centre project.
He’s seen the ups and downs and while some might talk about the struggles of the current market, Michael is geared up and raring to go. Development Ready’s Rob Langton recently sat down for an in-depth conversation, exploring Michael’s past, present and future. Be sure to watch the interview here.