Dan Labbad

Spear’s Review

There are very few names in the property world that carry the same weight as The Crown Estate.

For much of its history, The Crown Estate – established in 1760 when George III surrendered control over his land revenues to the Treasury – has controlled vast swaths of the British countryside, as well as an extensive portfolio of London property. Now it has a major stake in the UK’s expanding wind power industry too.

Overseeing this huge operation – a £16 billion portfolio of land and property – is Dan Labbad. A former chief operating officer at the Australian firm Lendlease, Labbad was appointed as chief executive of The Crown Estate in December 2019, and was unanimously re-elected to a second four-year term from the start of 2024, reportedly receiving a 20 per cent pay increase to £1.9 million.

The Australian national has made much of his passion for sustainability, having previously chaired the UK Green Building Council.