Montagu Evans Expands Social Impact Capability with Senior Appointment

Montagu Evans has further expanded its growing social impact capability with the appointment of Kyra Kocis as Senior Adviser.

A specialist in built environment-led systems change, Kyra has recently worked with Nesta, Future of London and the National League of Cities in Washington DC. A 2020 Marshall Scholar, she has a Masters in International Urban Planning from UCL and one in Social Science Research Methods from the University of Sussex. She previously worked with the Gates Foundation and studied at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

At Montagu Evans, she will join the partnership’s social impact lead, Jasmine Ceccarelli-Drewry and Partners Jenny Rydon, Oliver Maury, Craig Blatchford and others to support planning, development and regeneration activity.

This growing area of the business uses a place-based approach to help clients integrate social impact into investment, development and planning, including overarching strategies as well as site and portfolio-specific support. Ballymore, Barratt Homes, Yoo Capital, Queen Mary University London, Lateral, Barts Health NHS Trust, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town Partnership are all social impact clients. Most recently, the team has been appointed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, with support from the One Public Estate, to explore how social value can shape estate decisions across the public estate in Wolverhampton.

Jasmine Ceccarelli-Drewry, Associate and social impact lead at Montagu Evans, said: “At its best, social impact activity should engage all involved stakeholders – including the local community. Solutions must be locally relevant, financially viable and integrated into core concepts of planning and development. Strategies should incorporate concerns ranging from the commitments of individual organisations through to how projects are equitably delivered and look further to how places drive positive impact in perpetuity from a legacy perspective.

“Anyone commissioning or delivering regeneration will increasingly need to apply relevant, appropriate methods, leverage cross-sector collaboration, and ensure a supportive, sustainable funding and policy environment to scale what works while staying responsive to societal needs.

“Our growing team is firmly rooted in place-based principles and integrated into Montagu Evans’ wider consultancy services. Kyra brings a multi-disciplinary approach which defines and will continue to help our solutions stand out, and we are delighted to welcome her to the partnership.”

Kyra Kocis, Senior Advisor at Montagu Evans, added: “Social impact goes beyond numbers – innovative methods, diverse perspectives, and deep local knowledge should all be combined to create strategies that drive lasting change. It’s not just about measuring outputs but designing and adapting interventions that meaningfully shift outcomes for the people we are working with. I’m thrilled to join the partnership at Montagu Evans to deliver social impact solutions that address our clients’ immediate needs while building long-term strategies to manage, de-risk and support sustainable development.”