Property Movers & Shakers January 2022

30 January 2022

PrimeResi brings LonRes the monthly headlines on key property recruitment and business moves from January 2022.

Buying Agents

Eddell & Co

One of the best-known names in prime property, Philip Eddell, has left Savills after 15 years to set up an independent consultancy. Eddell was head of the country house and London house consultancy team, and worked closely with the buying agency division, Prime Purchase. Before that, he was head of Knight Frank’s Country House Consultancy, having joined the firm in 1998. His new venture – Eddell & Co – will advise individuals and family offices, with a particular focus on helping new owners of complex houses and estates, covering both country houses and London property. Former Knight Frank and Fine & Country agent Anthony Clay has switched sides, moving from selling top-end homes in Wales and the West to buying them. He’s joined national buying agency network Stacks Property Search to cover the Monmouthshire and South Herefordshire area.

Read in full - Buying Agent stories

Eddell leaves Savills to launch independent property consultancy

Stacks recruits former Knight Frank partner in Wales

Estate Agents

Savills

Savills’ head of global residential operations has moved on after 27 years with the business. Hugo Thistlethwayte ran the international resi division from the Margaret Street HQ for the last six years, having previously set-up and managed Savills’ buying agency arm, Prime Purchase, for 15 years from 2000. The 55-year-old is now taking a well-earned break, starting with a month-long skiing trip, before diving back into the property world.

Douglas & Gordon

Less than a year after it acquired rival London estate agency Douglas & Gordon, Foxtons has disposed of D&G’s sales business and all its branches. Douglas & Gordon’s CEO, James Evans, will now run D&G as an independent brand, having taken ownership for a “nominal consideration”. Evans joined the firm in 2015, having previously spent 14 years at Foxtons.

Knight Frank

Knight Frank has picked a new head of sales for its high-profile office in Knightsbridge. Christian Lock-Necrews will be moving over from the Marylebone branch to lead the flagship operation on Sloane Avenue in April, taking over from Stuart Bailey.

Knight Frank

Knight Frank is also expanding its Private Office to New York, USA. Hugh Dixon has been seconded to set up a base in the Big Apple for the specialist advisory service, which was originally launched in the UK in 2018 by Rory Penn and Tom van Straubenzee and looks after the wealthiest of KF’s wealthy clientele.

Knight Frank

...And Knight Frank has recruited a new associate to its London Residential Valuations team. Lucy Partington (née Whitfield) has joined the agency after ten years at Cluttons, where she began her career as a graduate in 2012 and qualified as a chartered surveyor in 2015.

Winkworth

Two Winkworth staffers have stepped up to buy the franchise for the estate agency’s thriving Fulham and Parson’s Green operation. Faith Cook and Georgia Everton-Wallach were both based in the Fulham office before taking over as joint franchisees: Cook running the sales team and Everton-Wallach handling lettings. They plan to continue in these roles while owning the business, which currently has an eight-strong team in two offices.

Fine & Country

The former head of Chestertons’ training department, Sinéad Conlon, has moved to franchised estate agency brand Fine & Country to build her own business as a Director in South Kensington and Knightsbridge.

Savills

Savills has appointed Alistair Heather from Strutt & Parker to head up its eight-strong Bath office. He takes over from Luke Brady, who has helmed the office since 2012; Brady will continue in his role as head of Savills southern residential sales business.

Savills

Savills has also bolstered its London resi development sales team, adding seven new faces a the end of 2021 to work across a range of markets. Jamie Gurvitz, Cleo Margary, Mems Kannides, Sanaz Salahi, Michael Josephides, Kam Dhesi and Ella Robbie will cover areas including the City and North London patch, prime developments in RBKC and various international territories.

Strutt & Parker

Strutt & Parker has brought in former Knight Frank partner Keir Waddell to run its London new homes sales team.

Strutt & Parker

Strutt & Parker has also added recruited Agne Karuzaite from Savills as Senior Associate Director in the estate agency’s West Chelsea office.

Cuvelo

Design-led London estate agency Cuvelo, which specialises in selling “beautifully refurbished homes”, has started the year with a new Sales Director. Leora Kalley has moved from Cluttons, where she spent the last five years covering Chelsea and Belgravia.

Foxtons

Foxtons’ Chief Financial Officer, Richard Harris, is moving on; he will be replaced by Company Secretary Chris Hough in April. And Peter Rollings has returned to the estate agency company he used to run, becoming a Non-Executive Director on Foxtons Plc’s Board.

Selling Super Prime

Rokstone boss Becky Fatemi has teamed up with celebrity property developer Paul “PK” Kemsley – the former Vice-Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur and a regular on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – to star in a new reality TV show on Channel 4. “Selling Super Prime” will follow British-born PK as he returns from Los Angeles to his home turf, with ambitions to “turn the super prime property market on its head.” Fatemi will join PK and his wife, Real Housewives star Dorit Kemsley, as they recruit eight “incredibly ambitious Brits” with a view to creating “the ultimate London agency”.

Read in full - Estate Agent stories

Savills stalwart Thistlethwayte moves on after 27 years

Foxtons offloads D&G sales business and branches after less than a year

Knight Frank names new Knightsbridge sales boss

Knight Frank launches Private Office in New York

Knight Frank adds to London resi valuations team

Winkworth duo pick up Fulham franchise

Chestertons’ former training chief moves to Fine & Country in Knightsbridge & South Ken

Savills recruits new Bath head from Strutts

Savills ramps up London resi development sales team

Former Knight Frank partner to lead Strutt & Parker’s London new homes sales team

Key hire for Strutt & Parker in Chelsea

Design-led estate agency Cuvelo recruits a new Sales Director

Foxtons names new CFO

Rollings returns to Foxtons

Selling Super Prime: Reality TV show signs PCL & LA property stars to create ‘the ultimate London agency’

Developers & Design

Octagon

Surrey-based luxury house-builder Octagon has recruited a new Land Director, as the firm looks to expand across South-East England. Will Simons joins after nearly five years with Jones Homes (part of the Emerson Group), where he was Senior Land Manager. He’s previously worked for other property developers including Bellway, Crest Nicholson, Banner Homes and Millwood Designer Homes.

Galliard

It was confirmed late last year that Galliard’s CEO, Don O’Sullivan is leaving the business after more than two decades. He will officially leave in March, and is said to be seeking a similar role with another volume housebuilder or major developer. The resulting reshuffle of Galliard’s top table sees Co-Founder and Exec Chairman Stephen Conway resuming as CEO; Darren Maguire steps up as the new MD of Galliard Construction, and Amanda Dijk has been promoted to Finance Director.

Rockwell

Mixed-use property developer Rockwell has hired a new Land Director as it looks to expand across London. Oliver Barrett joins after a spell with Amazon’s real estate team, having previously been Head of Property at discount supermarket chain Lidl.

Taylor Wimpey Plc

The boss of Taylor Wimpey Plc, Pete Redfern, is stepping down after more than 14 years at the helm of the major-league housebuilder. He will remain in the top job until a new CEO has been recruited and installed.

Leslie Jones Architecture

Urban renewal design firm Leslie Jones Architecture has recruited a new Director to work on major city centre regeneration masterplans in the UK. Lydia Firminger previously worked at big-league practices including Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) and Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, specialising in creating design-led schemes that rejuvenate forgotten areas.

British Property Federation

Guy Grainger has been named as the new President of the British Property Federation. JLL’s Global Head of Sustainability Services & ESG takes over the lead role at the trade body from Argent Related boss David Partridge, who has served since July 2020. Landsec chief exec Mark Allan steps up as VP.

Read in full - Developers & Design stories

Octagon names new Land Director

Galliard CEO O’Sullivan departing to ‘seek new challenges’

Rockwell recruits Land Director from Amazon

Taylor Wimpey chief to step down after more than 14 years

Urban renewal design practice Leslie Jones adds senior talent

JLL’s Grainger steps up as BPF President

Finance & Legal

Withers

Law firm Withers has bolstered its resi property team with a big hire from Howard Kennedy. Pervaze Ahmed has joined the firm as partner after five years as Howard Kennedy’s Head of Residential Real Estate.

Boodle Hatfield

Boodle Hatfield has boosted its real estate practice with a new hire. Jonathan Hyndman has made the move to the 300-year-old firm from Rosling King, where he led the banking and finance practice.

Sancus Lending Group

AIM-listed property finance firm Sancus Lending Group has added two new business development leads to its UK team, following the hiring of two Heads of Sales in October. Barry covering the South from London. Their appointments follow the addition of Mel Fourie (Head of Sales, North) and Jaxon Stevens (Head of Sales, South) in October.

Read in full - Finance & Legal stories

Withers recruits prime property specialist from Howard Kennedy

Boodle Hatfield adds to real estate team

Sancus builds UK business development team

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