The leadership team

The leadership team at AEM Living brings decades of experience across the integrated retirement communities sector, guiding Audley Villages, Elysian Residences and Mayfield Villages with the same steady commitment to long-term stewardship — of our communities, and of the people who call them home.

Gavin Stein, CEO and Founder AEM Living

Gavin Stein

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Nick Sanderson, Chairman, AEM Living Audley Villages Mayfield Villages

Nick Sanderson

Founder

Christian Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer, AEM Living

Christian Armstrong

Chief Operating Officer

Sandy Spencer, Director of Strategy, Customer and Brand, AEM Living

Sandy Spencer

Director of Strategy, Customer and Brand

Ian Gibbs, Director of Commercial Operations, AEM Living

Ian Gibbs

Director of Commercial Operations

Giles Stevens, Director of Transactions and Investment, AEM Living

Giles Stevens

Director of Transactions and Investments

Mark Curry, Planning and Development Director

Mark Curry

Planning and Development Director

Mark Sadler, General Counsel, AEM Living

Mark Sadler

General Counsel

A little more about us

The leadership team at AEM Living brings decades of experience across the integrated retirement communities sector, guiding Audley Villages, Elysian Residences and Mayfield Villages with the same steady commitment to long-term stewardship — of our communities, and of the people who call them home.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Gavin Stein

Gavin has 15 years of experience in real estate investment and development, working for institutional investment and development firms. Gavin was an Associate Partner at real estate private equity fund Brockton Capital LLP in London (£1.3bn assets under management), specialising over a seven-year period on development management for high-end residential developments, and multiple operating businesses owned by Brockton funds. Prior to Brockton, Gavin was a Senior Vice President at Mesirow Financial Real Estate in Chicago ($70bn Assets under management), responsible over a four-year period for residential and mixed-use developments.

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Founder

Nick Sanderson

Nick Sanderson is the founder of Audley Villages and Mayfield Villages. In the 1980s he founded, operated and then sold Beaumont Healthcare, one of the first corporate providers of private pay nursing care homes.

Nick created Audley to develop a portfolio of private retirement villages and as one of the founders of the retirement village sector in the UK, he has acted as an adviser to public and private sector organisations. Nick is also Chair of the Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO).

Nick Sanderson, Chairman, AEM Living Audley Villages Mayfield Villages

Chief Operating Officer

Christian Armstrong

Christian has over 25 years of experience in operations and senior leadership roles in hospitality and real estate. After his time in hospitality (Trusthouse Forte, IHG, Thistle Hotels and Macdonald Hotels & Resorts), Christian transitioned to real estate via Build to Rent/Multifamily with Get Living. Throughout his career, he has held senior roles in Operations, Technology, Brand Marketing & Customer functions, ranging from single site operations to multisite and head office support. With experience of working both across the United Kingdom and Internationally, Christian brings a wealth of experience to Elysian.

His responsibilities at Elysian include providing “hands-on” executive oversight, strategy and support, relating to the day-to-day operations of the business.

Christian Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer, AEM Living

Director of Strategy, Customer and Brand

Sandy Spencer

Director of Commercial Operations

Ian Gibbs

Director of Transactions and Investment

Giles Stevens

Giles spent five years at Jones Lang LaSalle in the Central London Capital Markets team. He was responsible for the acquisition and disposal of c. £500m of commercial property during that period. His responsibilities at Elysian Residences focus on leading the acquisition of new projects, working alongside Elysian’s debt/equity partners and also overseeing the financial analysis of existing and potential projects. Giles is a Chartered Surveyor and a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors having qualified in 2013.

Giles Stevens, Director of Transactions and Investment, AEM Living

Planning and Development Director

Mark Currie

Mark joined from Grosvenor, where he had a 12 year career as a Development Director. Mark has worked on major mixed use developments including a 12-acre site in Bermondsey, achieving planning permission for a new £500m Peninsula Hotel and Residences at Hyde Park Corner and Liverpool One, a 42-acre, £1bn mixed use scheme. The focus has been on shaping great places through the design development and planning process. Prior to joining Grosvenor Mark qualified as a solicitor with Ashurst.

Mark Currie, Development and Planning, AEM Living

General Counsel

Mark Sadler