We take our weekly look at appointments and promotions across the housebuilding industry and its supply chain.
Michael Smith, Persimmon Homes
Persimmon Homes South Midlands has strengthened its team with the appointment of a new Michael Smith as a new contracts manager, providing overall direction to sites in Banbury, Stratford and Redditch
He joins the company having previously worked as a site manager at Taylor Wimpey for 12 years and at Spitfire Homes for five years, where he won a prestigious regional NHBC Pride in the Job award.
Commenting on his promotion, Smith (pictured left) said: “I am mostly looking forward to helping bring on the construction team here at Persimmon Homes South Midlands and helping achieve the targets and winning further NHBC awards, sharing my knowledge and experience with the team.”
Nathan Cox (pictured right), construction manager at Persimmon Homes South Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to have appointed Michael to contracts manager. His skills and experience will be a real asset to our business. Providing homes and infrastructure of outstanding quality is integral to what we do at Persimmon, and having Michael’s support will help to strengthen that.”
Two appointments, RentGuarantor
Professional guarantor service provider RentGuarantor has appointed Clair Jones (pictured) as director of new business and Ben McBain as new business director for its Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Build to Rent (BTR) division.
Jones has 28 years’ experience in the property and rental sectors, with previous roles including sales director at Rent4Sure before joining The Lettings Hub as lettings development director.
McBain arrives with a background in PBSA and BTR, most recently as business development manager for The Lettings Hub. He has held positions with both Moda and Vita Student.
Jones said: “Joining RentGuarantor felt like a natural step.”
McBain commented: “I look forward to working closely with operators, universities and partners to strengthen our connections and drive a seamless rental journey for our customers.”
Bruce Evans, chief commercial officer, RentGuarantor, said: “Clair and Ben’s knowledge and expertise will help us continue to grow and cement our position as the professional guarantor of choice for tenants, landlords and agents alike.”
Laura Head, Kellen Homes
Kellen Homes has appointed Laura Head as its new land director.
She joins from her previous role as senior land manager at Bellway Homes, where she worked for more than seven years. Her new role will help deliver much-needed residential developments across the North West as part of Kellen’s ambitious growth strategy.
Head commented: “I am very much looking forward to helping the highly professional team at Kellen achieve their ambitious goals which need to be supported by a high-quality land bank. Kellen is a industry leader with excellent quality contracted sites and an unrivalled scale and pace of growth. I am passionate about creating communities and building strong partnerships, and believe Kellen’s track record sets it apart from the rest of the market.”
Kellen’s chief executive, Ian Kelley, added: “It’s great to welcome Laura to the Land team at Kellen where I believe she will bring her drive, passion and experience to help us continue to grow and lead the market.”
Mark Sexton, Adderstone Living
Adderstone Living has opened a new office in Ashton-under-Lyne, the company’s fourth regional hub, and appointed Mark Sexton (pictured left) as regional director.
Sexton brings over 25 years’ experience in residential development, land acquisition and planning, most recently as development director at Wiggett Construction Group.
He said: “There’s a clear sense of purpose behind everything the business does, and I’m delighted to help grow that impact in the North West.”
Stephen McCoy (picture third left), Adderstone living director, commented: “Mark brings deep-rooted knowledge of the North West market and he will be instrumental in strengthening our local presence and partnerships across the region.”
Ian Baggett (pictured centre), founder and chief executive of Adderstone Group, added: “Adderstone Group has been developing real estate to meet society’s needs for over three decades. I can’t think of a more vital cause than the current need for quality affordable homes – and no team better placed to deliver them than Adderstone Living.”
Brian Nearney, Orbit
Brian Nearney has been appointed to the role of chief development officer by Orbit.
He has been promoted to this newly created role having previously been regional managing director for Orbit Homes Midlands and South. He will now be responsible for delivering Orbit’s 2030 New Homes Strategy as a member of Orbit’s executive team and reporting directly to group chief executive, Phil Andrew.
Nearney has accumulated decades of experience in residential development, having held senior leadership roles with PLC housebuilders and developers before joining Orbit in 2022. He has also served as commercial director at The University of Cambridge, where he was responsible for its extensive development and housebuilding programme, as well as its land strategy.
He said: “Orbit is extremely well positioned to deliver new affordable homes across our operating regions, and I’ll be supported by a highly capable management team.”
Andrew said of Nearney: “His in-depth industry knowledge, operational expertise, and leadership skills make him well placed to drive Orbit’s development objectives forward.”
Claire Reynolds, Strutt & Parker
Strutt & Parker has announced the appointment of Claire Reynolds to the newly created role of UK head of sales, Residential.
She brings with her 20+ years of experience in the luxury real estate market and joins from UK Sotheby’s International Realty, where she was managing partner and grew the business from a start-up to leading luxury brokerages in just 18 months. Prior to this, she was co-head of Prime Central London at Savills, where she also sat on the UK Residential Operations board.
Reynolds said: “Joining Strutt & Parker at this pivotal moment in its strategic direction is an exciting opportunity for me to draw on my unique experience covering both corporate agency and the brokerage model.”
MD Gary Higgins commented: “Claire’s appointment reflects our commitment to attracting and investing in the strength of our leadership. With our well-defined strategy and strong senior team, we are well equipped to drive significant growth across our target markets.”
Julian Chun, Sage Homes
Sage Homes has appointed Julian Chun, RHP Group’s executive director of investment & compliance, to its board, to sit on the Customer and Assets committee.
He brings with him nearly 30 years’ experience in social housing and strategic asset management. He has led service improvements across asset and housing management for local, regional and national housing providers, and is also a NED and chair of the Development and Assets committee at Croydon Churches Housing Association.
Alison Thain, chair of Sage Homes, said: “I am delighted to welcome Julian to Sage. His asset management expertise and passion will be central to maintaining the high standards we set across our portfolio, helping us meet our customers’ needs for high-quality sustainable homes.”
Commenting on his appointment, Chun said: “Sage Homes has a very high-quality portfolio and I am excited to support them on their asset management journey, to continue delivering excellent and sustainable homes to customers.”
