Who We Are

Meet the Team

Forty are pioneering commercial experts, working in partnership with housing associations and developers, to deliver mixed-use destinations which attract residents and support local communities. We specialise in mixed-use, providing a comprehensive range of services aimed at helping our partners conceive, deliver, and manage the non-residential elements of their developments.

Matthew Shefras

Managing Director (Development Consultancy)

Matthew is Managing Director of Forty, setting up the company in 2003. He is widely regarded as a leading advisor in non-residential consultancy, working with G15 housing associations, house builders, developers and councils. Matthew has been working closely with housing providers, using his in-depth knowledge of the practical matters affecting the development of commercial property, to assist the delivery of commercial in a mixed-use setting.

Stephen Fixman BSc MRICS

Managing Director (Commercial Agency)

Stephen has been working in various disciplines within the commercial property field for over 38 years. In 1983 he started his career at Anthony Green & Spencer where he spent 25 years dealing with general agency matters, single investment sales, portfolio investment sales and development consultancy. Stephen has since acted solely for established brands including Gail’s Bakery, who now trade from 120 units, and Gymbox.

Gail Mayhew LLB

Planning Director

Gail is a prominent British urban planning and placemaking specialist with over 30 years of experience in property regeneration. She has a demonstrated history of working in the property industry to support high-quality placemaking and architecture, and innovative mixed use solutions. Skilled in Place Making, Sustainable Development, Sustainability, Urban Planning, Strategic Planning, and Mixed-use. Graduated in Law (LLB) from The University of Edinburgh.

Mark McIvor MA MSc MRICS MRTPI

Director of Research & Studies

Mark is a qualified town planner and commercial property surveyor with 22 years’ experience in England and Scotland. He specialises in providing planning, development and valuation advice on a wide variety of complex commercial and residential development sites. His key skill is working with clients to identify opportunities to add value and clearly demonstrate the commercial and economic benefits of proposals to targeted audiences.

Paul Shefras

Creative Director

Paul has over 28 years of digital design and web development experience, having started his career designing websites as a freelancer in 1998. Early in his career, Paul spent three years at Ask Jeeves (2000-2003), one of the leading search engines of the early internet era, followed by two years at Streetmap, a pioneering UK online mapping service. He is responsible for ensuring every Forty report, proposal, and presentation reflects the same standard of polish and clarity required at the highest level.

Who we work with

Placemaking through Partnerships

We provide a comprehensive range of services aimed at helping our partners plan, deliver, and manage the non-residential elements of their developments. Our current partnerships will see us deliver over 43,000 m² of new retail, leisure and associated commercial space across schemes.