We take our weekly look at appointments and promotions across the housebuilding industry and its supply chain.
Two appointments, Vistry Group
Vistry Group has announced two senior leadership appointments to support its continued growth across the North West: Zac Worthington has been appointed managing director for Vistry Merseyside and Cheshire West, while Matt Parkes takes the helm as managing director for Vistry Manchester and Cheshire East.
Worthington takes over leadership with more than a decade of experience in the housing sector, having worked for both national housebuilders and affordable housing providers. He joined Vistry in 2023 as sales and marketing director following more than five years as head of sales at L&Q.
Parkes joined Vistry in June 2023 as the divisional finance director and was promoted to operations director in September 2024. With a background in accountancy, he entered the property sector in 2011. Before joining Vistry, he spent 12 years at The Emerson Group, the majority of which were as finance director.
Giles Hart, Spicerhaart
Spicerhaart has welcomed Giles Hart (pictured left) as its new managing director of partnerships.
He brings with him over 25 years of estate agency leadership experience, most recently as national managing director of estate agency at Connells Group.
Hart said: “In an ever-evolving industry, the opportunity to support like-minded people who want to shape their careers, while delivering exceptional local service, resonates with my philosophy. That’s what drew me to Spicerhaart’s Partnerships model – it empowers agents to run their own businesses with the backing of a trusted national brand. What excites me most is the company’s ambition to grow market share and its open-minded approach to innovation. It feels like the right time, and the right platform, to make a real impact.”
Antony Lark (pictured right), CEO of Spicerhaart, commented: “Giles’ depth of experience, passion for developing people and clear understanding of what makes partnerships thrive make him the ideal leader for this next phase of growth.”
Jackie Coulthard, Dandara
Dandara has appointed Jackie Coulthard as chief financial officer (CFO) for its housebuilding division, based at the company’s Milton Keynes office.
Coulthard joins with more than three decades of experience across the automotive, manufacturing and residential property sectors. She spent over 16 years at Taylor Wimpey, holding a number of senior positions including finance director, acting managing director and managing director for the North Yorkshire region. More recently, Jackie spent 14 months at Crest Nicholson as finance director for one of their divisions.
Commenting on her appointment, Coulthard said: “I’m proud of the path I’ve taken – starting on a Youth Training Scheme in the early ’90s to eventually leading multimillion-pound housing operations. Dandara has the dynamism and ambition which is what drew me to the business and role. Being part of the board allows me to help steer that narrative in a meaningful way.”
Trevor Dempsey, CEO at Dandara, added: “Jackie brings a rare hybrid of sharp financial intellect and real-world operational leadership.”
Mya Gouche, Skipton Properties
Skipton Properties has announced the promotion of Mya Gouche to the role of marketing manager, to lead on digital content, customer engagement, and brand storytelling.
She joined the business in November 2023 and has since played a pivotal role in developing the company’s marketing strategy. Her promotion comes as the business prepares to launch a new website later this year, forming part of a wider drive to enhance the customer experience both online and on-site.
MD Sarah Barraclough commented: “Mya’s creativity, insight, and natural leadership have made a real impact in a short space of time. She brings a unique blend of strategic thinking and attention to detail, and her promotion reflects the direction we’re heading as a business; investing in digital, refining how we work, and supporting our next generation of leaders.”
Gouche said: “I’m proud to be part of a team that genuinely cares about the homes it creates and the people it serves, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”
Meiko Savard, Hilltop Property Partners
Residential rental platform Hilltop Property Partners has announced the appointment of Meiko Savard (pictured right) as chief investment officer.
He brings substantial institutional investment, underwriting and development expertise to the firm, with a proven track record of executing over £6billion worth of Build to Rent (BTR), student housing, and urban regeneration schemes across the UK.
In his former role as head of investment at Telford Homes, Savard set up an investment function and was instrumental in transforming the previously UK-listed housebuilder into a co-investment-led BTR developer. Prior to joining Telford Homes in 2019, he was investment director at Greystar.
Michela Hancock (pictured left), CEO of Hilltop Property Partners, said: “We worked closely together for nearly five years at Greystar, and his deal-execution experience in the UK aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver high-quality, attainable rental housing at scale. I’m thrilled to welcome Meiko to our expanding team.”
Savard said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at Hilltop Property Partners and working with Michela again.”
Warren Thompson, Keepmoat
Keepmoat has appointed Warren Thompson as its regional managing director for the Yorkshire West region.
More than 30 years of industry experience includes time in the roles of northern divisional managing director at Miller Homes and regional chief executive at Redrow.
Commenting on his appointment, Thompson said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed by such a well-established, national homebuilder as it embarks on an exciting regional growth journey. This move is particularly meaningful for me. I previously worked with Keepmoat as part of my role at Bramall Construction, a former arm of the housebuilder that focused on regeneration. Returning now feels like an opportunity to complete some unfinished business with the group and support the region’s growth.”
Andy Mason, divisional chair at Keepmoat, added: “With Warren’s leadership, we look forward to building on our strong track record of regenerating brownfield land and creating affordable homes that meet the needs of local communities.”
Multiple appointments, Gateley
Callum Nuttall (pictured), partner and Property Platform head, has announced 21 promotions across Gateley’s specialist property and construction consultancy teams: Gateley Hamer, Gateley RJA, Gateley Smithers Purslow and Gateley Vinden.
Gateley Hamer has promoted Ben Caldwell to director; Gateley RJA, has promoted both Anna Powell (née Polton) and Jonny Aldridge to senior quantity surveyor.
Gateley Smithers Purslow has announced the promotion of Bryan Downey to technical director and the promotions of seven new regional managers: Geri Turner – Leeds; Iain Macdonald – Glasgow; Grant Davies – Chester; Jake Soden – Lincoln; Jonathan Marshall – Nottingham; Kartar Soar – Nottingham; and Mathew Heydenrych – Reigate.
Additionally, Andrew Maude has been promoted to head of expert witness; Fraser Galloway to technical standards manager; Peter Johnson to quality assurance manager; and Zoe Hiller, Ben Wheeler and Ali Haggis to senior building surveyor.
Gateley Vinden has also made senior promotions with Paul Walker-Jones and James Read stepping into director roles. In addition, Nick Coffey has been promoted to senior associate and Kenneth Lo to associate.
Mark White, Future Homes Hub
Mark White, MD of Hampshire-based housebuilder Bargate, has been appointed as the SME representative to the Future Homes Hub’s board of directors, responsible for articulating the net zero challenges faced by homebuilders delivering under 300 homes a year.
The Future Homes Hub was established in October 2021 to facilitate the collaboration needed within the new homes sector to help meet the Government’s legally binding net zero and wider environmental targets.
Established in 2006, Bargate is a wholly owned subsidiary of affordable housing provider VIVID. White was a founding member of the Bargate team and became managing director four years ago.
He commented: “I’m very proud to be joining this influential board to add the voice of the SME sector.
Ed Lockhart, CEO of the Future Homes Hub, said: “This appointment will enable regular discussion to take place with fellow directors – in and outside of the board room – about the unique circumstances facing SME housebuilders.”
Amanda Holgate, Anchor
Amanda Holgate has been appointed interim chief executive officer of Anchor following the departure of Sarah Jones, who had been CEO for three years
Holgate joined Anchor in February 2023 and then the board in May later that year. Along with more than 20 years’ financial and commercial experience, she has worked in the housing sector for ten years, first as deputy finance director at Family Mosaic and then as director, finance services at Peabody. Prior to joining Anchor, she was CFO of Southern Housing Group.
Anchor chair Christopher Kemball commented: “The board would like to record its thanks to Sarah for her hard work and commitment as CEO in what have been difficult times for the housing and care sectors. The board has appointed Amanda Holgate as interim CEO while we conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO, and we remain committed to our long-term strategic direction.”
