GOOD TO SEE that Aidan O’Hogan is staying in the property business, even if he has retired as chairman and director of Savills. After 40 years in the business – 31 of them in Savills (previously known as Hamilton Osborne King) – O’Hogan is much sought after by investors and developers who see him as one of the soundest heads in town.

Though his expertise has been in retail, he has a thorough grasp of the industry generally and was one of the first to anticipate a downturn as far back 2006.

Having orchestrated the €50 million sale of HOK to the international group Savills, he has been guiding the new company through some difficult times.

However, having retired formally, he’s now ready to offer “some extra grey hair advice” to the firm, and will stay on as a consultant for large scale projects.