Ely Strengthens Management Team

Ely Property Group ('Ely'), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newcourt Group plc (ISE: NEW.I), is pleased to announce that it has strengthened its management team to capitalise on the growth opportunities within the student accommodation sector. Ely is the largest provider of student accommodation in Ireland with a growing presence in the UK. Ely currently has 1,610 student beds under management and a strong pipeline for growth. Ely has appointed Mr David Campbell as Managing Director of UK Student Accommodation, Mr John Grayer as Head of UK Acquisitions and Mr Brian Winters as in-house legal counsel for Ely. Managing Director of UK Student Accommodation David Campbell will lead Ely’s UK Student Accommodation business. David joined Ely as part of the recent acquisition of BHE Developments Limited. BHE is a promoter, developer and facilitator of student accommodation in the UK and has a significant pipeline of developments for delivery from 2009 onwards. David has worked extensively in the public sector for the past 13 years and has gained a great deal of expertise in the development and management of student & affordable housing. David also has extensive knowledge of local authority negotiation and strategic management having worked for the London Borough of Islington in the past. David is a Board member of catalyst housing association and is a member of the Chartered Institution of Housing and the National Housing Federation. Head of UK Acquisitions John Grayer has been appointed as Head of Acquisitions for Ely. Together with David Campbell, John will lead Ely’s UK student accommodation business with a specific focus on rapidly growing the number of beds under management. John has almost 30 years experience in the UK property industry working for major property funds, property management companies and developers. He has experience across all sectors of the property market including commercial developments, offices, retail and residential. John was most recently on the acquisition team at Opal Property Group, a specialist developer and operator of student accommodation. Opal is the UK’s largest private provider of student accommodation and the company currently has 17,000 student beds in operation or development. In-House Legal Counsel Brian Winters has been appointed as in-house legal counsel to satisfy the demands of Ely’s growing business, particularly in student accommodation. Brian has extensive experience in commercial conveyancing, planning and commercial litigation. He was most recently a member of the commercial property department at O’Rourke Reid, a leading provider of risk management and legal services in Ireland and the UK. Prior to his position at O’Rourke Reid, Brian acted as in-house legal counsel for Glenkerrin Homes, a leading Irish residential and commercial property developer. Mr Philip Marley, CEO, Ely Property commented: "We are delighted to announce the appointments of David Campbell, John Grayer and Brian Winters to the Ely team. Ely is focused on building on its leading position in student accommodation in Ireland and on continuing to build its position as a provider of best-in-class student accommodation in the UK. Student accommodation presents an exciting business opportunity in both Ireland and the UK and offers defensive growth in difficult market conditions. We welcome Brian as our in-house legal counsel and he brings significant sector specific legal experience to our team. We are also delighted to welcome David & John to our team to lead our UK student accommodation business. Their combined knowledge of the UK property sector and, in particular, the student accommodation market will be a key component of our strategy to deliver growth.” About Newcourt Group plc Newcourt is a leading provider of support services, employing over 3,200 staff throughout the island of Ireland. The Group has four operating divisions: Support Services, Student Accommodation, Recruitment and Aviation Outsourcing. About Ely Property Group Ely Property Group is engaged in the development and management of student accommodation in Ireland and the UK.