Mr. Forrest has advised on several of the industry’s largest recent transactions, including: Village Hotels, a portfolio of 33 hybrid hotel, gym, and food and beverage assets, successfully acquired by Blackstone for circa £800 million; The Social Hub (formerly The Student Hotel), successfully acquired by GIC and APG at a valuation of €2.1 billion; and numerous other buy- and sell-side engagements. 

Mr. Forrest’s other main areas of focus are market and commercial analysis, growth strategy, and advising on early-stage hospitality and leisure developments, including complex feasibility and market analyses, business plan development, and operator search and selection processes. He has worked on strategy and development projects across the U.K., EMEA, Asia, and North America.

Working with other leaders in the practice, Mr. Forrest is also frequently involved in financing and restructuring engagements, as well as performance improvement and operational transformation work. Notable cases include the definition of a £400 million cost-efficiency program for a FTSE 100 hospitality company and target operating model design for a large European hotel owner-operator.

Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Forrest spent seven years in the Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Advisory team at Deloitte.

Mr. Forrest earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) (honors) from Durham University, U.K. He is a qualified Associate Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.