Умер Майк Слейд, легендарный руководитель компании Helical и филантроп британской недвижимости

Mike Slade OBE, former Helical chief executive and “titan of the industry”, has died. In a tribute, Helical described him as a defining figure in the company’s history and a highly influential leader in the UK property industry. Slade, born in Port Isaac, Cornwall, in 1946, led the company for 35 years, including over three decades as chief executive followed by three years as chairman, before retiring from the board in 2019. His pioneering property career began in 1972, aged just 26, when he formed a joint venture with Equity & Law Life and began developing commercial buildings across Europe. His association with Helical began in 1984, when he reversed his private property business into Helical Bar, then a quoted company whose principal activity was the manufacture of steel reinforcement for the construction industry. In 1986 the steel business was sold to its management and Helical moved fully into property. Under Slade’s leadership, the business was transformed from a company with a market capitalisation of approximately £500,000 into a substantial listed property group with a market value of many hundreds of millions when he retired. Slade was inducted into the Property Week Hall of Fame in 2018. “Mike was a titan of the property industry, whose energy and entrepreneurial spirit helped create the business that Helical is today,” said Robert Fowlds, chairman of Helical. “This was matched by his enthusiasm and generosity, which made an indelible mark on the people he worked with and the numerous charitable causes he championed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.” Slade’s commitment to philanthropy saw him grow LandAid as the principal charitable cause of the UK property industry, raising about £20m during his tenure as president. He also chaired the appeal to build the Oak Cancer Centre at The Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton, south London, which opened in 2023 following a £70m fundraising campaign. Matthew Bonning-Snook, chief executive of Helical, said: “Mike was a truly inspiring leader and a force of nature. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent almost a quarter of a century working alongside him in what felt like an endless adventure. His infectious personality, humour and boundless energy created a culture at Helical that everyone wanted to be a part of.” He added: “He was quite simply one of the most respected and loved people in the industry and he will be greatly missed by everyone that had the privilege of knowing him.” Known for his love of sailing and his 100ft yacht Leopard 3, Slade was a keen race competitor, serial winner and record-breaker. Leopard 3 became one of the world’s most successful racing super-maxis, achieving 15 world speed and race records and numerous line-honours victories, including the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Round the Island Race.