City of London Corporation appoints chief surveyor

He will succeed Peter Bennett, who is retiring after 26 years. Bennett served as the deputy city surveyor for 18 years, and was named city surveyor in 2008. 

Wilkinson joins from the University of London where he is director of property and facilities management. He was previously head of property and facilities at Aviva.

The city surveyor role dates back to 1478 but since 2008 has evolved to involve the fund management of a central London commercial property portfolio totalling more than 16m sq ft.

Wilkinson will also manage the City of London Corporation’s 600 operation properties including Guildhall, The Mansion House, and the Old Bailey. 

Since 1995, the city surveyor has also managed the City Property Advisory team, which facilitates property and related business activities in the square mile.

Wilkinson said: “The City of London is a world leading financial centre, attracting businesses from across the world, and I look forward to playing my part in ensuring that the properties managed by the City of London Corporation are fit for purpose and serve businesses’ needs well.”