![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/John-Hitchox-YOO-Group-resized.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tThursday 02 July 2026 6:01 am
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tWednesday 01 July 2026 2:29 pm\n\t<\/p>\n
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Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the great and good. Today, property hotshot John Hitchcox tells us about his career, from doing up flats in his twenties to now leading the \u00a31.3bn regeneration of Olympia London in Square Mile and Me<\/a><\/p>\n CV Job title:\u00a0Founder and chairman of YOO Group<\/p>\n Previous roles: Co-founder of Manhattan Loft Corporation<\/p>\n Age:\u00a064<\/p>\n Born: Christchurch\u00a0<\/p>\n Lives:\u00a0London and the Cotswolds<\/p>\n Studied:\u00a0Business and marketing \u2013 but most of my education came from building companies<\/p>\n Talents:\u00a0Trying hard<\/p>\n Motto:\u00a0Create places that people love<\/p>\n Biggest perk of the job? Watching an idea become part of a city\u2019s fabric<\/p>\n Coffee order: Cortado<\/p>\n Cocktail order:\u00a0I don\u2019t drink alcohol, but I\u2019ll happily have sparkling water<\/p>\n Favourite book:\u00a0Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari I\u2019ve always enjoyed working. Like most people, I started with Saturday jobs, paper rounds caddying, petrol pumps. I quickly realised I was more interested in creating businesses than working in them. By my early twenties I was buying and renovating small properties, and I\u2019ve never really stopped.<\/p>\n What was your first role in property?<\/p>\n I started with tiny houses in London that I converted into flats. Every project was a lesson because I couldn\u2019t afford to get things wrong. Those early years taught me that property isn\u2019t just about buildings, it\u2019s about understanding finance, design, marketing and, above all, people.<\/p>\n When did you know you wanted to build a career in real estate?\u00a0<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t ever set out to build a career in property. I wanted to create places. Property led me into design, which led me into branding and then hospitality, and today YOO creates destinations globally. The buildings have changed, but the ambition hasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one thing you love about the City of London?\u00a0<\/p>\n Its optimism. For centuries, ambitious people have come to London to build businesses, take risks and reinvent themselves. That spirit remains, and it\u2019s one of the reasons London continues to outperform many other global cities.<\/p>\n \t\tAnd one thing you would change?\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019d make it much easier to build. Britain needs more homes, investment and better workplaces, but our planning system too often rewards delay over delivery. If we want growth, we must back those prepared to create it. Beyond this, we need to create the optimal economic environment, celebrate entrepreneurship and invite businesses to our country.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been your most memorable day on the job?\u00a0<\/p>\n Walking around Olympia before the redevelopment began. You could see the extraordinary 140-year history, but you could also see its future. Helping transform one of London\u2019s great landmarks into a new destination for culture, entertainment, hospitality and business has been one of the great privileges of my career.<\/p>\n And any business faux pas?\u00a0<\/p>\n Hundreds! Early in my career I thought leadership meant having all the answers. Age has taught me that it\u2019s about asking the right questions and surrounding yourself with people who are better than you.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been your proudest moment?<\/p>\n I\u2019m incredibly proud of building YOO into a British brand recognised around the world. I\u2019m equally proud of projects like Olympia<\/a> and The Lakes by YOO because they aren\u2019t simply developments, they\u2019re places that become part of people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n And who do you look up to?<\/p>\n My father was an architect and, although I never met my grandfather, he was a builder. I\u2019d like to think I inherited some of his DNA. One represented imagination, the other craftsmanship, and I\u2019ve spent my career trying to bring those two qualities together.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n
\nName:\u00a0John Hitchcox<\/p>\n
\nWhat was your first job?\u00a0<\/p>\n