Over the past 13 years, Anthony Laser has worked alongside managing agents, developers and landlords across residential and commercial property. From helping grow a specialist concierge business from a team of three into an established operation of 20, to leading a 300-person business through a merger and organisational change, his career has been shaped by an entrepreneurial instinct to build, connect and create something bigger than what was there before. As Director of Business Development at Innovus, he works with organisations across the property sector, bringing together the expertise they need to tackle complex property challenges.
That entrepreneurial streak was evident early in Anthony's career. His first sales job was in London's financial district, joining as a graduate just as the financial crash hit. It was a challenging introduction to working life, but it taught him early on the importance of resilience, adaptability and keeping a positive outlook when circumstances are outside your control. He then spent five years working in fundraising for a charity, an experience that gave him a different perspective on what it means to build relationships and create meaningful outcomes. Among other things, he hosted fundraising events for high-net-worth individuals including those within the property sector, giving him an early connection to the industry he would later make his career.
Anthony joined the property sector in 2012 as part of a small team tasked with growing a specialist concierge, lifestyle and front of house reception staffing business. Over the following 13 years, he progressed to becomes Business Development Director and helped expand the business across both commercial and residential property, as Build to Rent and hospitality-led living gathered momentum. Along the way, he worked with many of the UK's leading managing agents, developers and landlords, including Savills, CBRE and Knight Frank, while delivering projects at landmark developments such as The Shard, Heron Tower, White Collar Factory, Battersea Power Station, Television Centre and Cadogan Estate.
Looking back, Anthony believes those experiences taught him as much about people as they did about property. Working closely with clients showed him that every organisation has different priorities and measures success differently. The most valuable conversations weren't the ones that started with a sales pitch, but the ones that started by listening.
"I love the consultative side of it. It's about understanding the challenge, the objective and how we can help, rather than leading with, 'This is what we do,'" he says.
That philosophy has remained constant throughout his career. In service-led businesses, winning a contract is only the beginning. Lasting partnerships are built by delivering consistently, adapting as clients' priorities change and earning trust over time.
The pandemic tested those relationships in ways nobody could have expected. As offices became quieter and people's homes became the centre of everyday life, Anthony was helping clients navigate the Furlough programme while supporting colleagues through constant change. As for many it was one of the most challenging periods of his career, reinforcing the importance of resilience, adaptability and clear communication.
"It was definitely one of the most stressful periods," he says. "our Concierge in residential sites were having to go in to work every day as key workers, dealing with full buildings and parcel deliveries like it was Christmas all year round, whereas our teams usually in offices were at home isolating as the office buildings were empty. Leading management teams working around the clock to keep things ticking over was hugely challenging, but at the end of it all incredibly rewarding in terms of team building and knowing that whatever comes next can’t be as hard!” ."
Following the pandemic, Anthony stepped into the role of Managing Director and then supported the business as it merged with a facilities management business. Taking responsibility for operations, finance, HR, technology and organisational change gave him a completely different perspective, broadening his understanding of what it takes not just to win business, but to lead and deliver it.
Joining Innovus has allowed Anthony to broaden his property services expertise, while continuing to work with many of the managing agents, landlords and property professionals he'd built relationships with throughout his career. Just as importantly, it offered the opportunity to help shape the future of the business development function, combining an entrepreneurial challenge with the backing of a business whose expertise spans Building Safety & Compliance, Surveying Services, Business Services and Asset Management.
Today, Anthony is motivated by solving problems. He enjoys understanding what clients are trying to achieve, connecting them with the right expertise from across Innovus and helping turn ideas into reality. For him, business development is about creating lasting value, helping clients make better decisions, manage buildings more effectively and ultimately deliver safer, better properties.
"I love winning business because you've been part of actually creating something," he says. "It’s about creating new opportunities for our operational teams to show what they can do, and drive the continual evolution and growth of the business."
That same optimism and determination extends beyond his working life. Anthony is also involved in campaigning for reform of the Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) system, after experiencing first-hand the challenges families can face when trying to secure appropriate support and specialist education for their children.
Earlier this year, he went to Parliament to take part in a roundtable discussion on the Government's proposed SEND reforms, having contacted his local MP to raise concerns about the proposed changes. He had the opportunity to speak directly with the Schools Minister, sharing his own experience and concerns around parental rights when it comes to specialist school placements.
For Anthony, it was important not simply to raise his own concerns as a parent to an autistic daughter with complex needs, but to use the experience to support other families going through the system. He now volunteers his time as an advocate for other parents navigating the process.
"For me, if I’ve been through something difficult and learned from it, there's a responsibility to try and make that experience a little easier for someone else. You don't know whether one conversation will change something, but it's worth having it."
Outside of work, Anthony is a proud dad of two, a lifelong Arsenal supporter and enjoys travelling, discovering great food and making the most of family life.