Duncan Garrood

Inquirer
DISC Type : cd

Chief Executive Officer at Riverstone Living

London Area, United Kingdom

Overview

Duncan Garrood is a multi-role executive, serving as CEO of Empiric Student Property and Chairman of Tortilla Mexican Grill. His extensive career includes senior roles at Unilever, Punch Taverns, and Bills Restaurants. Educated at Imperial College London, he is passionate about delivering results through exceptional customer experiences and highly motivated teams.

In his youth, Duncan was an avid reader and enjoyed sports, even captaining his basketball team. His professional life shows a clear passion for the food, beverage, and hospitality sectors, demonstrated by his leadership roles and his chairmanship of the Small Beer Brew Co. , an independent low-alcohol brewer.

Interesting fact: Duncan holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College London, a unique academic background for a leader in the property and hospitality industries.

Personality Overview

Hard To Convince

Judgemental

Demanding

They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.  They can be nudged to make faster decisions by offering what they value. They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.

Topics They Care About

Customer Experience
His focus is on "delivering stellar results through great and memorable Customer Experiences" and fostering highly valued and motivated teams to achieve this.
Student Property Sector
As CEO of Empiric Student Property, a £1 Billion+ FTSE 250 portfolio, he frequently speaks on the challenges and strategies within the UK student accommodation market.
Omni-Channel Strategy
He is a firm believer in combining the power of digital engagements with outstanding personal interactions to drive business growth and customer satisfaction.

Media Appearances

Tortilla Mexican Grill PLC Appoints Duncan Garrood As Non‑Executive Chair. Featured in Reuters

See Now

Work History

2-2026
Chief Executive Officer at Riverstone Living
12-2025
Chairman at Tortilla Mexican Grill plc
6-2024
Senior Independent Non Executive Director at The Brighton Pier Group PLC
5-2022 - 5-2024
Senior Business Advisor at Blue Crescent Capital
9-2020 - 2-2026
Chief Executive Officer at Empiric Student Property plc

Education

1977 - 1983
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD from Imperial College London
1970 - 1977
A levels from Westcliff High School for Boys

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 43 Location : London Area, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Executive Officer at Riverstone Living
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Duncan

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to testimonials from others in similar positions
  • Tell them that you are there to help them create visible impact within their organization
  • Make sure that you you respond to any queries from them quickly

DONT's

  • Don’t expect them to change their mind quickly if they say no once
  • Refrain from asking too many questions
  • Don't try too hard to get friendly, let it happen with time

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Duncan is

  • Belief in the product plays an important role, followed by objective proof and testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Duncan

  • They may hesitate slightly, but if they are not convinced, they will say no.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Duncan move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Duncan take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks only after they have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages.

You And Duncan

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.