A new U.K. living platform led by student accommodation pioneer Tim Butler has appointed Richard Simpson as managing director – investment.
Simpson’s appointment reflects an ambition to build an experienced leadership team to grow and manage the platform under Butler, the founder and co-investor of Student Roost and one of the founding shareholders and main board directors of UNITE Group plc.
The platform is sponsored by Australia’s biggest pension fund, AustralianSuper, with a A$1.1 billion ($770 million) commitment made in October 2025.
The platform aims to become one of the top five operators of U.K. rental homes in the next five years.
Simpson joins from his role as CEO of Olympian Homes where he directed the delivery of a £700 million ($942 million) student accommodation and residential pipeline across the United Kingdom.
He has more than 20 years of student accommodation and residential development and managem
