Latest news with #NeilMurray
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
JK Rowling makes rare public appearance at Ascot with doctor husband Neil Murray
JK Rowling and her husband made a rare public appearance today at Royal Ascot. The author, 59, and doctor Neil Murray, were pictured dressed to the nines as they sat in the stands on the fourth day of the prestigious racing event in Berkshire. It's rare for Rowling alone to be seen out in public, but it's even uncommon for her to be joined by Neil, who she has been married to for 23 years. She donned a pale blue dress paired with an extravagant floral fascinator in the same shade and big black sunglasses. Neil sported a black suit and top hat with a pale green waistcoat and a pair of shades. Today at the event, known as the crown jewel of the racing calendar, stylish racegoers put their best foot forward as they braved the sweltering 28C heat. A sea of flamboyant hats and gowns dominated the landscape at the races as revellers prepared for nail-biting action. Racegoers could be seen enjoying a glass of bubbly in the summer sun, as they donned their grandiose and vibrant hats. Royal Ascot was awash with eye-catching hats, vibrant gowns and matching ensembles as glamorous revellers kicked off the weekend early It wasn't long before they started popping open lavish bottles of bubbly and sipping on glasses of champagne and prosecco while soaking in the view of the racecourse Elsewhere eager revellers watched as the jockeys and horses geared up to go head on in several races including the Coronation Stakes and the Commonwealth Cup. Celebrities and royalty alike sat patiently as King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off the day arriving in a horse-drawn-landaus. The King and Queen were joined by Camilla's old school friend Lady Cavendish and her husband Lord Cavendish in their coach during the traditional carriage procession along the course. Among the guests travelling in the carriages were the former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad, the Queen's Companion the Marchioness of Lansdowne and musical maestro Lord Lloyd-Webber. Princess Eugene and Zara Tindall were seen beaming as they chatted with His Majesty. Zara donned a chic baby blue pantsuit with a matching hat, while Princess Eugenie wore beige top coupled with a white hat and skirt. Princess Eugenie's mother, Sarah Ferguson, was also present at the prestigious event, wearing a polka dot black and white dress paired with a matching black hat. And while many continued to enjoy the sunshine, the sportsmen and horses geared up as they went head to head in a bid to emerge victorious in their respective races. Time for Sandals bagged the number one position in the Commonwealth Cup, winning the prize for Harry Eustace. Princess Eugenie and her mother Sarah Ferguson share a giggle at Ascot Cosy cousins! Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall affectionately greeted one another upon their arrival at Royal Ascot Zara Tindall performs a curtsy as she greets King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Berkshire event Sarah Ferguson arrives in a polka dot dress on the fourth day of the Royal Ascot today JK Rowling attends the fourth day of the Royal Ascot today as jockeys and horses battle is out for the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off the fourth day arriving in a horse-drawn-landaus King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend day four of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 20 Venetian Sun ridden by Clifford Lee on their way to winning the Albany Stakes on day four of Royal Ascot Venetian Sun bagged the victory despite Signora being tipped as a favourite to win Time For Sandals ridden by Richard Kingscote won the Commonwealth Cup on day four Richard Kingscote told ITV: 'Since Sir Michael retired it's always been a case of building back up and I was delighted to get such a good ride' Richard Kingscote told ITV: 'Since Sir Michael retired it's always been a case of building back up and I was delighted to get such a good ride. 'She done a spectacular piece of work. Delighted for Harry, he's such a good guy. I'm delighted.' Elsewhere Venetian Sun, ridden, by Clifford Lee, raced away with a win during the Albany Stalkes race. Signora, backed by jockey Ryan Moore, was previously tipped as the favourite to win the race but failed to emerge victorious at 15-8 odds. Winning jockey Lee told ITV: 'When she ran the first time at Carlisle she did it very nicely. 'She was very babyish, wasn't quite switched on, but after that first run she's come on by maybe 20 lbs. We knew at home that we had a very good filly. 'Fingers crossed for the rest of the day. It's not easy – you come here thinking you have a great chance but there are 20 others like that.' Yesterday, some attendees looked rather worse for wear after leaving the venue after Ladies Day on the hottest day of the year so far.
Techday NZ
04-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
JLL unveils AI Property Assistant to boost real estate returns
JLL has introduced JLL Property Assistant, an artificial intelligence solution designed to provide real estate owners with AI-driven recommendations and insights to enhance property performance and financial returns across retail, industrial and office segments. JLL Property Assistant operates using JLL Falcon, an AI platform developed specifically for the real estate industry, and features an interconnected approach by integrating with JLL's data sources and applications. Neil Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Real Estate Management Services at JLL, commented on the new product offering: "JLL Property Assistant will help our clients unlock the true potential of artificial intelligence for the real estate they own. Built on JLL Falcon, the tool provides a unique, interconnected experience that streamlines operations, enhances decision-making, and drives unparalleled value creation. These components--AI, data and best-in-class applications--form the foundation of JLL's property management technology platform, a one-of-a-kind, unified software suite purpose-built to advance the performance and returns of our clients' properties." The AI-powered assistant delivers recommendations for property teams to enhance various elements of building performance, including operational processes and tenant sentiment. It works in concert with Acumen, JLL's business intelligence platform, which compiles data from multiple systems. This includes financial data from accounting solutions like Yardi and MRI, operational details from Prism by Building Engines, as well as additional proptech applications. Property and asset managers interact with JLL Property Assistant using a natural language chat interface, allowing users to pose questions such as, "Which retail assets have the highest vacancy risks in Q3?" or "What does our net operating income (NOI) look like year-to-date?" The solution draws information from JLL's enterprise data warehouse to quickly provide relevant answers. According to details provided, JLL Property Assistant offers a range of potential benefits. These include faster, data-driven decision making through the generation of tenancy reports, auto-generation of stacking plans, analysis of expense trends, and identification of tenant retention and occupancy insights. Operational efficiency may be boosted through features such as reviewing high-priority task statuses, identifying tenant satisfaction matters, and analysing work order trends. The tool also offers insights to support greater profitability and financial health, providing access to operational budget breakdowns, vacancy filling suggestions, and the ability to easily generate finance reports. Security protocols are a key aspect, with JLL Property Assistant adhering to enterprise-grade standards to ensure the protection of client data. At the same time, the system makes use of anonymised global benchmarks sourced from JLL's comprehensive data holdings. Yao Morin, Chief Technology Officer at JLL, said: "Our AI-powered assistant fundamentally transforms the management of property for investors, delivering unprecedented efficiency, data-driven insights, and optimised performance. The tool empowers property managers and owners to focus on strategic initiatives and enhanced property performance, ultimately driving greater value for their portfolios and revolutionising the industry."
Techday NZ
03-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
JLL unveils AI assistant to boost property portfolio insights
JLL has introduced a new artificial intelligence solution designed for owners of retail, industrial and office properties. The solution, named JLL Property Assistant, is powered by JLL Falcon and is intended to provide property and asset managers with quicker access to data-driven insights, aiming to enhance the performance of property portfolios. The tool allows users to engage directly with portfolio data using natural language questions, such as "Which retail assets have the highest vacancy risks in Q3?", offering immediate and comprehensive responses. According to JLL, the Property Assistant can generate detailed tenancy reports and stacking plans, as well as analyse expense trends over time. The platform helps reveal important data on tenant retention and occupancy patterns. It also breaks down operational budgets, highlights opportunities for cost control, and offers suggestions to fill vacancies with the aim of maximising rental income. JLL Property Assistant works within a conversational interface and integrates with JLL's Acumen platform, which brings together financial data from systems like Yardi and MRI, operational data from Prism by Building Engines, and other property technology tools. This integration consolidates information into a unified platform, providing property managers with a single source for performance data and reducing the inefficiencies caused by data silos. Neil Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Real Estate Management Services at JLL, said: "JLL Property Assistant will help our clients unlock the true potential of artificial intelligence for the real estate they own. Built on JLL Falcon, the tool provides a unique, interconnected experience that streamlines operations, enhances decision-making, and drives unparalleled value creation. These components - AI, data and best-in-class applications - form the foundation of JLL's property management technology platform, a one-of-a-kind, unified software suite purpose-built to advance the performance and returns of our clients' properties." Users of JLL Property Assistant can ask for portfolio summaries such as net operating income year-to-date, and receive prompt, data-driven answers. The system is designed to let property professionals focus on strategic activities by dramatically reducing the time spent searching for information. The AI assistant's functionality extends to creating comprehensive tenancy reports and stacking plans automatically, tracking and analysing expense patterns, and identifying opportunities through earlier detection of emerging trends in tenant retention and occupancy. This advanced reporting is intended to support a more proactive approach to portfolio management. The operational aspect of the platform includes tools for real-time monitoring of high-priority tasks, identification of possible tenant satisfaction issues, and analysis of maintenance work order trends. These features are designed to reduce operational costs and improve both tenant retention and experience. Financial management is another focus area for the Property Assistant. Through the delivery of detailed operational budget breakdowns and targeted recommendations for cost control, the solution aims to streamline finance reporting, freeing up managers to focus on value-adding activities. The tool also provides data-driven suggestions for filling vacancies in order to increase rental income. Yao Morin, Chief Technology Officer at JLL, commented: "Our AI-powered assistant fundamentally transforms the management of property for investors, delivering unprecedented efficiency, data-driven insights, and optimised performance. The tool empowers property managers and owners to focus on strategic initiatives and enhanced property performance, ultimately driving greater value for their portfolios and revolutionising the industry." JLL has stated that security and privacy were key priorities in the development of the platform. JLL Property Assistant uses enterprise-grade security protocols and applies anonymised global benchmarks for industry analysis. This is intended to ensure the protection of client data while still permitting comparative analytics across the sector.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JLL's New Property Assistant Empowers Clients With Valuable Insights
Jones Lang LaSalle JLL recently announced the launch of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution, JLL Property Assistant, for its clients to provide a unique and interconnected experience to streamline operations, enhance decision-making and drive unparalleled value creation. Built on JLL Falcon, the industry's first comprehensive AI platform, JLL Property Assistant will empower real estate owners of retail, office and industrial properties with valuable insights and AI-powered recommendations to optimize property performance. Working in combination with Acumen, JLL's property and business intelligence platform that integrates financial data from accounting applications like Yardi and MRI, operational data from Prism by Building Engines and other critical proptech functions, JLL Property Assistant will offer a bouquet of solutions to real estate owners, helping them in analyzing their performance, ranging from operations to tenant sentiment and improving the same. Faster Decision Making– It will provide all the data related to tenancy reports and stacking plans, analyze trends in expense and offer insights on tenant retention and occupancy. Operational Efficiency Enhancement– It will review the status of high-priority tasks , identify issues in tenant satisfaction and analyze trends in work order. Improved Profitability and Financial Health - It will access breakdowns of operational budget, receive suggestions for vacancy filling and generate reports of finance. In order to ensure client data protection, JLL Property Assistant adheres to enterprise-grade security protocols and leverages JLL's anonymized global benchmarks. Per Neil Murray, CEO of Real Estate Management Services, JLL, 'These components--AI, data and best-in-class applications--form the foundation of JLL's property management technology platform, a one-of-a-kind, unified software suite purpose-built to advance the performance and returns of our clients' properties.' JLL's data-driven and experiential technology platform is leading to increased client engagements, which is encouraging. The company's recently launched AI solution will aid in delivering faster and smarter insights to its clients, thereby improving the performance of their assets. However, macroeconomic uncertainties and geopolitical tension are expected to weigh on its performance in the near term. Over the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 17.6% compared with the industry's decline of 0.8%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Some better-ranked stocks from the broader real estate industry are Ferrovial SE FER and Berkeley Group BKGFY. Ferrovial SE sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FER's 2025 earnings per share has been raised 11.2% to 99 cents over the past two months. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BKGFY's ongoing year's earnings per share has been revised northward marginally to 80 cents over the past two months. BKGFY currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Berkeley Group Holdings PLC Unsponsored ADR (BKGFY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ferrovial SE (FER) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Europe's moonshot: Argonaut and the Irish engineer leading the way
In the seaside town of Noordwijk in the Netherlands , engineers at the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) are hard at work addressing challenges never encountered before. Among them is Cork-born Dr Neil Murray, now lead engineer on the ESA's ambitious lunar lander project, Argonaut. Quietly and methodically, Europe is preparing to land on the moon, not as a partner, but on its own terms. For decades, the ESA has collaborated closely with Nasa , Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and others, contributing the Columbus module to the International Space Station , robotic arms and science instruments for missions across the Solar System. But with Argonaut, the ESA is stepping out independently with a bold goal: to deliver infrastructure, science and eventually supplies for astronauts to the surface of the moon. 'It's the first time Europe is going to safely land on the lunar surface,' Murray says. 'We have so many problems which is frustrating and beautiful at the same time.' READ MORE Argonaut is the ESA's new lunar cargo lander, a robotic spacecraft designed to deliver up to 1,500kg of cargo to the moon's surface. It will support missions to the lunar South Pole, a region of intense scientific and strategic interest, particularly for future human habitation. Capable of surviving the punishing lunar night – 14 days of darkness with temperatures plunging to minus 150 degrees – Argonaut is engineered to last up to five years on the moon. The spacecraft is composed of three main components: the Lunar Descent Element (LDE), which guides the lander safely to the surface; the cargo platform, acting as a foundation; and the mission payload, which includes rovers, life-support resources, scientific equipment and communications infrastructure. Standing six metres high and 4.5m in diameter, Argonaut is, as Murray says, 'a big spacecraft'. It is also Europe's first attempt at delivering something of this scale to another world. 'We're bringing 1,500 kilograms of passenger to the lunar surface. We like to refer to the payload element of Argonaut as the 'passenger', because it has so many elements to it.' The first full mission in the programme, known as ArgoNET, is planned to launch in late 2031. It will deploy 'NET' infrastructure – navigation, energy, and telecommunications – to help make the moon a more accessible, navigable place. Acting as a kind of lunar beacon, ArgoNET will improve lunar navigation serving as a reference point for essential selenodetic measurements to accurately measure the moon's surface and varying gravitational fields. The Argonaut mission is not just a technical challenge, it's also a statement of independence. 'It's important that we are autonomous,' Murray says. 'If we can't do things on our own, then we're always reliant on others. But it's also important that we can bring something unique to the table when we do co-operate.' The emphasis on European capability is everywhere in the project. The launcher for the mission is Ariane 6, built by the ESA in collaboration with European providers, Arianespace. The LDE is built primarily by Thales Alenia, also European. And the mission design, funding, and leadership are all European. 'Argonaut is important, and all these other things that the ESA provide, especially Earth observation means that we are contributing to the global space community. That's unique to us, and that allows us to add value.' The ESA is also leading the way in sustainable space, Murray explains. 'As part of our engineering process, we design beyond the short-term and instead include a sustainable end of life for our missions. That's good for everybody and good for the future.' 'Argonaut is part of ESA's vision for sustainable lunar exploration,' he adds, 'not just getting there, but staying there'. A mock-up of the Argonaut works facility built at LUNA Europe. Photograph: European Space Agency A replica of Argonaut stands proudly in LUNA, the ESA's state-of-the-art new lunar analogue facility at its European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. The Spaceship EAC science research teams there are studying the moon's soil, searching for water ice, and preparing for future missions using lunar resources. Much like for Dr Aidan Cowley, materials scientist and ESA research officer at LUNA, it will be a proud moment on the day of touchdown. 'That will be amazing,' Murray adds. 'There will definitely be a piece of Ireland on the moon when Argonaut succeeds. We are well represented in this mission.' Murray's own journey to the moon is rooted in curiosity rather than certainty. 'When I was 16 or 17, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do,' he recalls. 'Not a clue. And I don't know how kids do it now either. You can always change.' He chose mechanical engineering at Munster Technological University (then Cork Institute of Technology), drawn by an interest in maths, physics and fixing things. 'Someone said, with mechanical engineering, you can do a bit of everything and then specialise later.' That open-minded approach served him well. A year of work experience confirmed he wasn't drawn to industry straight away, and instead he set his sights on further study. He was accepted by both Oxford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and chose MIT. 'People said I'd struggle like hell,' Murray says with a laugh. 'But actually, I didn't. The education I got in Cork was more than enough.' After MIT came a PhD at Imperial College London, where he found himself working in a supersonic wind tunnel, 'a Mach nine tunnel right in the centre of London', Murray beams. From there, a career at the ESA unfolded, eventually leading him to the Argonaut programme in 2023. Ask Murray about the highlight of working on Argonaut, and he can't pick one. 'Every day is different. Every day is a highlight. I love the team, and I love the problems. When something is really like: 'This is never going to work', and then it works. That's the best feeling.' Landing on the moon is notoriously difficult with failures more often than successful outcomes. Why? It's a challenge to remotely control a precision landing on the moon using complex guidance systems and varying lunar gravitational fields. 'Space technology is all cutting-edge and done on a tight budget,' Murray adds. 'People think the budgets are huge, but they're not. Compared to the real world, it's small. So we have to do very difficult things, in a very short time, with very little money.' That challenge is part of the appeal. 'If it was easy, we wouldn't be here,' he says. 'We chose to be here, because it's hard.' One of the most compelling aspects of Argonaut is its future role. Beyond the first mission in 2031, the ESA hopes to launch regular cargo runs to the moon throughout the 2030s. These could deliver scientific experiments, solar power units, rovers, or even the water, food and air needed by astronauts. The lander itself is designed to remain on the moon for up to five years, serving as a platform for new missions or as a reminder of Europe's first step toward a permanent lunar presence. 'This lander could one day be something we visit, something we point to and say: 'That was the first one. That was ours.'' For young people looking toward careers in the space sector, Murray offers this advice: don't get bogged down in whether it's 'possible'. 'I never thought about whether it was possible or not. I just thought about what I wanted to do, and just went for it.' He credits his success not just to technical skills, but to mindset. 'I like puzzles. I like maths. I have a good imagination for problem solving, and I don't get stressed by problems. I enjoy them.' More than a single mission, Argonaut represents a turning point, a moment when Europe shifts from participant to pioneer. With engineers like Murray at the helm, it's clear that the ESA isn't just thinking about the moon, it's thinking about what happens after we get there. 'Everything we do is for everybody and for the future,' he adds. 'We're thinking about clean space, debris, sustainability. It's not just about getting to the moon. It's about doing it in a way that makes sense for the future.' In the years ahead, Argonaut may quietly become one of the most important spacecraft of our time: a steady, sustainable bridge between Earth and the moon, built in Europe, for the world – and Ireland.
