Our Team

Below is our team and contact details.

John Short

John Short

Managing Director

John has been at the helm of the business for the past 35 years. Prior to this, John qualified as a chartered surveyor (RICS) and went on to work for Richard Ellis, in both South Africa and the UK, with a focus on valuation. During his time in South Africa, he received a diploma in Property Development at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town. He was elected a fellow of the RICS in 1990. He has been involved in a number of trade and professional bodies serving as regional chairman of the Home Builders Federation and sitting on the National Executive of the House Builders Association. Under his leadership the business has delivered homes across the Midlands and grown its presence in the Retail, Commercial and Residential investment space.

James Short

James Short

Investment Director

James qualified as an accountant (ACA) with PwC before moving into property. Initially, he worked as an analyst in the Central London market, investing in PRS schemes on behalf of large public pension funds. James went on to work for Related Argent, responsible for the underwriting of development and funding activities across the business's projects in Kings Cross, Brent Cross, and Tottenham Hale. James joined the company in 2023 to help grow its investment interests.

Phil Downes

Phil Downes

Finance Director

Phil has been involved in the building/construction industry for the last 39 years. He qualified as AAT and has a wide knowledge of accounting practices for the industry. Phil previously worked as a Financial Accountant for Tarmac and as Management Accountant for Hallamshire Construction focused on large commercial projects. He then moved to local Civil Engineering company RB Allfree before eventually joining JAB Short Ltd as Accountant in 2011.

John Oldale

John Oldale

Development and Property Manager

John is responsible for our on-site activities. He oversees all of our building and development activities alongside the management and maintenance of our investment portfolio. He has been with the business for over 20 years and brings a wealth of industry knowledge and trade understanding.

Ann Orwin

Ann Orwin

Office Manager

Ann manages the day-to-day operations of the business and oversees our ground rent portfolio. Ann ensures our company runs smoothly and efficiently and should be your first point of contact when contacting the business. Prior to joining JAB Shorts Ltd, Ann worked as a Customer Service Team Leader for Vesuvius for 15 years.

Our Partners

JAB Short Ltd. works in close Partnership with several trade bodies and institutions.
We do so to ensure our industry continues to improve and adapt and our company continues to deliver services to a consistently high standard.

  • Home Builders Federation
  • The Building Safety Group
  • NHBC
  • CITB
  • Destination Chesterfield
  • National Federation of Builders