MetaConnex is proud to have appointed Dr. Shamir Ghumra as a Director to help lead its next phase of growth across masterplanning, housing and infrastructure delivered through smart technologies and data. Shamir brings two decades of experience translating ESG ambition into hard delivery; from running sustainability for 2,600+ NHS sites to shaping global standards like BREEAM. He joins MetaConnex to turn data and technology within the built environment into long-term value for investors, cities, and the public sector.

Shamir’s arrival marks a step-change. As MetaConnex expands its work across large-scale regeneration, national estate strategy, and ESG-led investment, his leadership brings the rigour needed to embed responsibility into every layer of delivery. This isn’t just about meeting targets; it’s about reshaping how infrastructure, capital, and long-term outcomes are planned and delivered.

Previously Global Head of Building Performance BRE, Shamir led BREEAM, Smartwaste, and SAP, advancing the global benchmarks for sustainable buildings across 80 countries. At his role with the NHS Property Services, he directs sustainability, social value, and governance across one of the UK’s largest asset portfolios. He is a Chartered Environmentalist, Visiting Professor, and Fellow of IEMA, and was recently recognised on the 2025 ENDS Power List for his leadership in environmental governance. 

As Managing Director, Shamir will lead delivery across ESG, investment strategy, and national growth; supporting MetaConnex’s mission to deliver smarter, more sustainable regeneration across the UK and beyond.

Q&A with Dr. Shamir Ghumra: In His Own Words 

1. Your career has spanned construction materials, global certification, public health estates, and now digital twin urbanism with MetaConnex; what thread connects it all? What’s the “why” behind your career path? 

“I would like to think that all the roles I have had and sectors I have worked in have made a positive difference to the natural environment and to people's lives. I guess that is why there is a strong theme of 'responsibility' that connects my roles over the past 20 years. We all have a defined time and if we can each make things better for others and keep our sense of humanity that is a good thing.”

2. If BREEAM was your “first act” and NHSPS your “second,” how would you describe your “third act” at MetaConnex? 

“Blimey, that sounds very dramatic! I see these as interconnecting parts of a bigger story, one that is about my own growth, learning and hopefully impact. To use your analogy the third act should be the build up to the big reveal!”

3. You’re part of an Executive Team that oversees 2,600+ assets; how do you approach scaling impact without losing sight of individual places or people? 

“A good question! I often talk about the long term societal changes that happen as a result of strategy deployment; often we aren't around to see how 20, 30 years hence that place and community has been transformed. Telling the story and sharing the vision of why we are doing what we are is a key part of not losing sight of the specifics. These details matter at an individual level; how we see the world is shaped by how we experience it - so it always matters.”

4. What’s one sustainability myth you wish would disappear forever? (Be honest, we’ll back you.) 

“I have heard so many times that we need the 'business case' for sustainable investment; if the narrative and 'why' is clear then the business case is always easy. We need to get better at articulating the specific benefits and outcomes we are going to get; too often we look at the outputs and think that is the answer.” 

5. Everyone talks ESG, but what does good ESG feel like on the ground, in a community? 

“If we get the balance right then everyone feels better, not just financially but there is a sense of wellbeing in a place; how green spaces are used, how we treat each other, all the smallest of things that make a place somewhere you want to be, you want your friends and family to come to visit. We have become accustomed to a mutual rivalry of stuff amplified by social media but a sense of place comes from the things that aren't on TikTok.”

6. You’ve worked with legacy systems and cutting-edge tech, what excites you most about MetaConnex’s live data + digital twin approach? 

“The way in which we are playing the long term game is really exciting. We are building an entire ecosystem based on live data, digital twins and AI; but the outcomes we are creating is the really cool thing; tech is amazing but if channelled and used with the right intention it can create wonderful places for decades to come.”

7. What’s your go-to strategy when aligning stakeholders with wildly different priorities — planners, funders, engineers, residents? 

“A shared belief is compelling and a very powerful force. I have been fortunate enough to have worked across many sectors and different stakeholders; when you get people on a 1:1 conversation it is so often the case that we all want the same thing; the routes need alignment and we really have to listen and absorb each perspective. I have learned so much from people around me and it has helped shape my own view of how to appreciate the views of others.”

8. Looking at 2030 — what do you hope your work with MetaConnex has achieved by then?

“In a short 5 years from now we will do great things; I see MetaConnex being adopted by multiple countries around the world in towns and cities within them; not just to create better places for generations to come but to have changed the stories of millions of people in ways they won't talk about the technology just a nice place to be.”