The Crown Estate picks Tristan Capital founder as preferred chair
The Crown Estate has announced that Tristan Capital Partners founder Ric Lewis has been chosen as its preferred pick for the position of chair.
In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing The Crown Estate’s £16bn marine, urban, and rural portfolio in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Subject to formal approval, Lewis will succeed Sir Robin Budenberg, who has held the position of chair since August 2016. Budenburg will continue as chair until Spring 2025, when the changeover is expected to be finalised.
Lewis has over 35 years of experience in the real estate investment sector and is currently the executive chair and co-chief investment officer at Tristan Capital Partners, which he founded in 2009.
In the late 1990s, he moved to London from the USA to become the chief investment officer and board director of AEW Europe, before going on to found London-based real estate investment company Curzon Global Partners, where he served for several years as chief executive officer.
He also currently serves on a number of boards including at Legal and General Group, the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation, Imperial College London and Dartmouth College (USA). In 2024, he joined the board of trustees of The Earthshot Prize.
Sir Robin Budenberg CBE, chair of The Crown Estate, said: “Ric is an outstanding leader whose experience and values align strongly with The Crown Estate. Under Ric’s leadership, I am confident the board will continue to ensure The Crown Estate delivers the best outcomes for the nation.”
Ric Lewis added: “It is an honour to be chosen for the role of chair of the board of this unique business and a privilege to act as a custodian of a historic yet forward-thinking organisation which places the national interest at the core of its work. It is an organisation I have always greatly admired and with which I feel a strong affinity in terms of its ethos, ambition and motivation. I am looking forward to working closely with the board, including chief executive Dan Labbad, and his wider team to oversee the next chapter of its story.”