SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 17, 2026 -- The Urban Land Institute has named three winners of its 2026 European Leadership Awards, recognizing a rising PropTech advocate, a diversity and inclusion champion, and a veteran investment executive for their contributions to the real estate sector. ULI announced the honorees during a ceremony at its ULI Europe Conference in Berlin. The awards mark the organization's annual effort to highlight leadership across different career stages within the European built environment. For the industry's network of developers, investors, and advisors, the selections offer a benchmark for what ULI considers exemplary professional and civic engagement this year.
ULI's leadership awards recognize outstanding contributions to the real estate industry alongside civic and social engagement. They are meant to reflect the organization's mission through built-environment professionals at different career stages. This year's three honorees illustrate that range, from an early-career dealmaker to a seasoned executive shaping investment strategy across Europe.
ATP Properties' Ruslan Hajduk Wins Recognition for PropTech and Ukraine Rebuilding Work
Ruslan Hajduk, a Transactions Manager at ATP Properties, received the ULI European Talent Award. The award goes to a professional under 35 who has contributed meaningfully to the real estate industry. Jury chair Beverley Kilbride, who also leads asset and portfolio management transformation at LaSalle Investment Management, said the panel found that Hajduk exceeded every criterion for the category. He didn't just meet the bar. The jury pointed to his accessible leadership style and his push for PropTech innovation. It also cited his work building a global platform meant to support the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine. Those efforts showed both forward-looking thinking and real leadership capacity, the panel concluded. For early-career professionals in the sector, the award offers a model career path: deal execution paired with platform-building work that extends beyond a single employer.
JLL Executive Honoré Achille Simo Earns DEI Award for Industry-Wide Influence
Honoré Achille Simo, Executive Director for Strategic Value Advisory at JLL and Co-Chair of the ULI Product Council in Germany, received the ULI European Trish Barrigan Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The award recognizes a leader whose work advances diversity, equity, and inclusion within real estate and beyond. The jury was impressed. Kilbride said Simo's approach to driving inclusion across the European property landscape stood out for its tangible results. Jurors called him one of the strongest advocates for diversity and inclusion in the sector, with influence that has been both visible and lasting. For real estate firms building inclusion strategies, the award points to a working model: pairing day-to-day advisory work with structural efforts to widen diversity industry-wide.
Urban Partners Co-Founder Mikkel Bülow-Lehnsby Takes Top Leadership Honor
Mikkel Bülow-Lehnsby, co-founder and Executive Chair of Urban Partners, received the ULI European Leader Award. The honor goes to an experienced executive whose career reflects both personal and professional contributions to real estate and society. Kilbride characterized his leadership style as distinctive, noting that he treats real estate as more than assets and transactions. He sees the industry as a system capable of addressing major societal challenges, she said, including sustainability, affordable housing, and the shift toward greener development. The jury called him a passionate visionary and a natural leader within the sector. For investors and developers, his approach offers a strategic framework: treating affordable housing and sustainability as core business priorities rather than side projects.
Awards Ceremony Coincides With ULI Europe Conference in Berlin
ULI announced all three winners during a celebration tied to its ULI Europe Conference in Berlin. Simon Durkin, a jury member and CEO of ULI Europe, said recognizing excellence at multiple career stages matters to the organization. He pointed to early-career talent, diversity and inclusion leadership, and senior executives driving change in real estate as three distinct dimensions the awards aim to capture. Durkin congratulated the three honorees. He also thanked the jury for its work.
Ten-Person Jury Drew From Investment, Legal and Advisory Firms
Kilbride chaired a jury drawn from across the European property sector. Members came from LaSalle Investment Management, Bohill Partners, Diversity Talks Real Estate, Invesco Real Estate, CBRE Investment Management, ULI Europe, Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, Drees & Sommer, and DLA Piper. That mix of investment, advisory, and legal backgrounds shaped how the panel evaluated each nominee. For award applicants, the breadth of those firms shows the range of expertise weighed before ULI selects its annual honorees.
ULI Network Spans More Than 45,000 Members Across 80 Countries
The Urban Land Institute, founded in Washington, D.C. in 1936, operates as a member-led research and education organization focused on sustainable development and land use in cities. It counts more than 45,000 members worldwide and maintains a presence in over 80 countries. In Europe, ULI counts more than 5,000 members organized into 15 national networks. The organization positions itself as a forum where real estate and urban development professionals exchange knowledge with public-sector partners. Its stated goal: improving quality of life in cities and communities over time.
Real estate professionals interested in ULI's European network and award programs can find more information at Europe ULI.