Former Helical chief executive and chairman Mike Slade OBE has died, the London property developer and investor has announced.
Born in 1946, Slade became one of the best-known figures in the UK property industry. He spent 35 years leading Helical.
For more than three decades, Slade served as chief executive. A further three years as chairman followed.
He retired from the Helical board in 2019, aged 72.
Helical has a track record spanning commercial, residential and mixed-use development. It described Slade as “one of the defining figures” in the company’s history.
Slade’s association with Helical began in 1984. At the time, he reversed his private property business into Helical Bar, which was already a listed company.
Helical Bar’s principal business then was manufacturing steel reinforcement for the construction industry.
Slade subsequently transformed the company into a major property developer. Helical said his entrepreneurial approach also helped shape the culture of the business.
Property industry charity work
Away from Helical, Slade played a significant role in property industry charity LandAid. During his time as president, the organisation raised around £20m.
Slade also chaired the appeal to build the Oak Cancer Centre at The Royal Marsden in Sutton. The centre opened in 2023 following a £70m fundraising campaign.
‘A titan of the property industry’
Paying tribute, Helical chairman Robert Fowlds said: “Mike was a titan of the property industry, whose energy and entrepreneurial spirit helped create the business that Helical is today. This was matched by his enthusiasm and generosity, which made an indelible mark on the people he worked with and the numerous charitable causes he championed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.”
Helical chief executive Matthew Bonning-Snook added: “Mike was a truly inspiring leader and a force of nature. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent almost a quarter of a century working alongside him in what felt like an endless adventure. His infectious personality, humour and boundless energy created a culture at Helical that everyone wanted to be a part of. He was quite simply one of the most respected and loved people in the industry and he will be greatly missed by everyone that had the privilege of knowing him.”
