Cian Finucane is a seasoned real estate leader currently serving as Head of Commercial Leasing at Magna, NEOM, where he leads strategy and asset positioning for one of Saudi Arabia’s flagship Giga-Project developments. With a background spanning roles at prestigious landlords & developers, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Socius & Capital & Counties (now Shaftesbury Capital), Cian has extensive expertise in commercial lettings, residential sales, asset management and strategic negotiations across high profile mixed-use and retail developments.
Cian holds an MSc in Real Estate from Bayes Business School, is a Chartered MRICS, and has further refined his expertise through advanced real estate studies at Harvard University. His impact and expertise in blending commercial insight with operational and strategic leadership have also been recognized with prestigious awards such as CoStar’s Office Letting of the South-East 2022 and Insider Media’s Commercial Development of the Year 2023.
Cian Finucane
Cian took International Real Estate Strategies and Deal Negotiation with us in September 2025, and we asked him a few questions about his experience after.
Why did you choose to sign up for this program, and how was your experience?
I chose to sign up for this program because I strongly believe in lifelong learning and continuously expanding my skillset. It was a great opportunity to add new strings to my bow and stay current in a constantly evolving field.
My experience was incredibly rewarding – I had the privilege of learning from excellent teachers who made the learning both fun and accessible.
We design our programs for working professionals, seeking to have immediately applicable takeaways for your work. Did you find the program to be practical?
The program was very practical, especially through great group exercises that allowed us to put what we learned directly into practice. These activities helped bridge the gap between theory and real-world application – it wasn’t just for the classroom but useful for our day-to-day roles, making the knowledge immediately applicable and valuable in our work.
This program always features a diverse group of global real estate professionals (11 countries were represented in 2025). How was learning alongside fellow pros from around the world?
Learning alongside real estate professionals from various disciplines across the globe was an incredible privilege. It helped to broaden my perspective by learning from their differing outlooks & experiences. The diversity of the people on the course enriched the experience and deepened my understanding of the global real estate landscape, whilst also creating a network of strong relationships around the world.
You have extensive experience in commercial leasing. What are some key trends you are keeping an eye on in the next 3-5 years?
- The dawn of AI and the role it will play across commercial leasing, from data-driven leasing decisions to enhanced property management & marketing.
- The continuing evolution of experiential & personalized retail, driving demand for flexible & adaptable leasing spaces that support omni-channel retail – immersive full brand personalized experiences to in-store events & marketing broadcasts.
- The ‘new way of working’ – hybrid working, post-pandemic, has proven popular… but with many big companies mandating staff must return to the office 3-5 days a week what does the ‘new office’ need to look like, and what experience does it need to provide for staff that fosters the collaboration, mentoring & boost of productivity that employers are looking for?