Colby River has appointed Matt James and Seth Clifford-Banks to lead its student living portfolio as the company takes on the Asset and Operational Management of five student schemes across the UK.

Seth Clifford-Banks has been appointed to lead on the PBSA Asset Management team as Senior Asset Manager and brings 25 years of experience across the living sector. Having started his career in hotel operations with Marriott Hotels, Seth moved across to the student accommodation sector, initially in operations, followed by eight years in Asset Management with Mapletree.

Seth will work closely with Matt James who will lead on the Property Management side of the portfolio as Head of Student Operations. His brief is to build a distinctive student resident offer and drive strong performance through operational excellence. Matt began his career in hospitality and leisure operations before moving into PBSA seven years ago, where he most recently held the role of Head of Operations at Empiric Student Property’s Hello Student platform overseeing a portfolio of 8,000 beds across 21 cities.

Seth commented: “We are at the start of an exciting journey at Colby River; it’s a new platform that has the energy and drive of a start-up, but with a strong, proven track record. We have an amazing opportunity to shape the new PBSA part of our business and create an industry-leading operation. We already have five great properties in prime locations which offer fantastic resident amenities. This is a very solid base from which we can look to scale up in the coming months and years.”

The PBSA schemes now under Colby River’s management comprise two developments in Exeter, The Barn in the city centre and a second scheme neighbouring the university’s cricket fields, The Lantern in Liverpool city centre, a scheme in Glasgow’s West End, and Potterrow in Edinburgh, which is split across two buildings. Colby River has also taken over the Asset Management of Packsaddle in Penryn. 

Matt James commented: “Student living is a dynamic market and one that’s constantly evolving. Working across different living sectors, Colby River has a team that’s well placed to stay ahead of students’ changing needs.”

“Our portfolio supports students from the start of their academic journey right through to postgraduates weighing up their next move. For a lot of residents, this is the first time they’ve lived away from home, and how supported they feel stays with them. We are single-minded in our mission to make this experience exceptional across every site.”

Seth added: “We are looking to tap into our combined experience to bring a level of rigour and attention to detail that will position Colby River as an innovative and solid partner to residents and investors alike.”

Colby River was established in 2025 following its spin-out from the Dandara Group. It is a multi-award winning, fully integrated real estate business, focused on delivering superior end-to-end services within the living sector. The company now manages over 5,300 residential units across the UK, including over 1,000 units in the PBSA sector.