Richard Kirby, MRICS, joined Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate Partners (formerly BMO Real Estate Partners) in 1990. He has been a fund manager since 1995 and has experience of managing commercial property portfolios across all sectors for open-ended, closed-ended and life fund clients. Richard has been lead manager of the Balanced Commercial Property Trust since launch in 2005 where his responsibilities include advising on and implementing property portfolio strategy, sales, acquisitions, asset enhancement and management. He is a director and sits on both the Executive Committee and Investment Committee of Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate Partners. He is a Chartered Surveyor and a member of the Investment Property Forum and the British Council of Offices.