We take our weekly look at appointments and promotions across the housebuilding industry and its supply chain.
Natalie Williams, Bargate
Bargate has appointed Natalie Williams to the newly created role of marketing manager.
She joins the company from the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), where she was the marketing and PR manager. Prior to that, she enjoyed 10 years in media agency roles, together with a year out in industry, while obtaining her BA (Hons) in Advertising from Bournemouth University. Up until joining NAAFI in 2022, Natalie was an account director for Fareham-based Precision Creative and Media.
Williams remarked: “Joining the Bargate team in this new role is really exciting. I’m keen to tell the story of the hand-picked exclusivity of owning a Bargate home across a wide range of media platforms and interfaces.”
Andrew French, sales and marketing director of Bargate said: “Appointing an experienced industry professional to head up our marketing department reflects the ongoing investment in the Bargate brand. Bringing Natalie on board is a great addition to our in-house team.”
James Dunne, Cala Homes
Cala Homes has announced the appointment of James Dunne as managing director for its Southern regional business, developing a robust pipeline of sites across Hampshire, Dorset, and Southern Wiltshire.
Dunne brings over 30 years’ experience in the housebuilding industry to the role, having begun his career in engineering before progressing into senior leadership roles, most recently at Bovis Homes and Barratt David Wilson.
Dunne said: “It’s great to be joining such an ambitious team here at Cala Southern. Our strategy to expand Cala’s presence across central South and South West of England is well underway, and the business is in a strong position for future growth.”
Tom Nicholson, CEO at Cala, said of Dunne: “His extensive experience across the housebuilding industry makes him exceptionally well placed to take the region forward. I am confident he will build on the momentum already achieved, strengthen our presence across the Central South and Southwest, and continue delivering outstanding outcomes for our customers, communities and stakeholders.”
Multiple appointments, Gleeson Homes
Gleeson Homes has announced several senior appointments across the group and its regions.
Craig Knowles (pictured left) arrives as group operations director, bringing together the Group’s Commercial, Technical, Sustainability, Land and Planning functions under a single leadership structure; Andy Clarke joins the business in the newly created role of divisional adoptions manager; David Appleby (pictured right) takes the role of group SHE director, having previously served at both Taylor Wimpey and, most recently, Miller Homes; Evonne Hitchen, previously divisional finance director, has been appointed regional managing director for North East; and Steven Burn, previously technical director for the North East region, who has been promoted to operations director.
Graham Prothero, CEO of MJ Gleeson, commented: “We’re pleased to have hired the right leadership in order to support our new regional structures and, in turn, support our own growth and success and ultimately our customers.”
Jack Sloss, Persimmon Homes
Jack Sloss has taken on the role of construction manager at Persimmon Homes West Scotland, which spans from Ayrshire to Lanarkshire.
From Rutherglen, Sloss’s career journey began away from construction, serving as an engineer in the Royal Navy in Portsmouth before returning home to South Lanarkshire. He joined Persimmon in 2020 as an assistant site manager and quickly progressed through the business, being promoted to contracts manager in 2023 before stepping into his new role in July.
Sloss said: “I’m delighted to take on this new role and continue my journey with Persimmon. Coming from a Royal Navy background, I learned the importance of leadership, teamwork and problem solving, and those skills have helped me throughout my career in construction.
“Since joining Persimmon, I’ve been given fantastic opportunities to grow and develop, and I’m looking forward to supporting our teams across West Scotland as we continue to deliver high-quality homes for our customers.”
Phil Partridge, Redford Developments
Redford Developments has appointed industry expert Phil Partridge as finance director.
He is a Chartered Accountant (CIMA) with a total of 25 years of finance experience, joining from Lovell Partnerships, where he was head of finance. Prior to the four-and-a-half years he spent there, Partridge was director of finance for Catesby Estates plc (part of Urban & Civic plc), having been promoted from group finance officer in 2019.
Partridge commented: “Joining a newly formed business after 13 years of working for plcs is an exciting change. The opportunity to be part of a senior team who have already acquired a number of nationally significant sites for redevelopment really appealed to me.”
Richard Mees, chief executive of Redford Developments, said: “Phil and I worked together at Catesby Estates plc, which was previously owned by our Chairman Eric Grove, so Phil’s experience, skills and attitude is already well known to myself and the board at Redford Development Limited. We therefore couldn’t be happier with this appointment.”
Chris Miller, Morro Partnerships
Morro Partnerships has appointed Chris Miller as its group partnerships director.
He brings with him more than three decades of experience in affordable housing and joins the company following a longstanding tenure as director of development at housing association Midland Heart. In his new role, he will be integral to building and maintaining relationships with Morro’s partner base of registered providers, local authorities and investors.
Speaking of his move, Miller said: “Having worked alongside Morro as a Midland Heart partner for many years, I’ve always admired the culture, ethos and quality of the business. Moving to the developer side is an exciting change of scenery that allows me to use my background to bring real insight to our partnership work.”
Matt Moore, CEO at Morro Partnerships, said: “Chris is a hugely respected figure across the housing sector and having him join the Morro team is a brilliant step forward for our business.”
Two appointments, Karbon Homes
Karbon Homes has appointed Sinead Butters MBE (pictured) as chair of its group board and Rob Williamson OBE as a non-executive board member.
Butters, chief executive of Aspire Housing, brings 30 years’ experience in social housing and has held a number of non-executive and chair positions across the sector. She will take up the role on 1 October 2026, succeeding outgoing chair Alexis Cleveland.
Williamson, chief executive of Community Foundation North East, also joins the board from October, coming with a background in policy, communications and the voluntary sector.
Butters said: “I am deeply privileged to take up the role of chair of Karbon Homes, working across the North East of England and Yorkshire to provide good-quality homes, excellent services and strong, sustainable places.
“Karbon has a fantastic team, alongside brilliant stakeholders and partners who are united by our shared goal of delivering for communities and helping them thrive. I look forward to playing my part.”
Carrie d’Arcy, Northern Estate Agencies Group
Leeds-based Northern Estate Agencies Group (NEAG) has appointed Carrie d’Arcy as head of land and new homes.
D’Arcy joins from Linley & Simpson, where she was senior land and new homes manager and brings more than 14 years’ experience in the property sector to her new role. She will focus on developing relationships with housebuilders, developers, landowners and investors, while supporting the group’s 36 branches across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Derbyshire to grow new homes sales.
She said: “I’m excited to have joined such a well-respected business with such a strong reputation across Yorkshire and Lancashire. The land and new homes sector continues to face a range of challenges, but it also presents significant opportunities for those who are able to adapt to changing market conditions and buyer expectations.
“My ambition is to build on NEAG’s already strong reputation within the sector, further strengthening our partnerships with developers and landowners across the region.”
Two appointments, Colby River
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 (pictured right) 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. He started his career in hotel operations with Marriott Hotels, then moved across to the student accommodation sector, initially in operations, followed by eight years in asset management with Mapletree.
Matt James (pictured left) will lead on the property management side of the portfolio as head of student operations. He began his career in hospitality and leisure operations before moving into PBSA seven years ago. 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.
Amanda Holgate, Platform Housing Group
Platform Housing Group has appointed housing finance leader Amanda Holgate as its new chief financial officer (CFO), to start on Monday 28 September 2026.
A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Holgate brings extensive executive leadership experience and a strong track record across social housing and other commercial sectors, most recently as CFO at Anchor. During her time there, she also served as interim chief executive. Prior to Anchor, Holgate was CFO at Southern Housing Group. Her earlier housing career included senior finance roles at Family Mosaic and Peabody.
Holgate said: “I’m looking forward to working with colleagues, customers, the board, investors and partners. This is an exciting time to be joining Platform and I’m very much looking forward to getting started.”
Chair Helen Gillett said of Holgate: “As Platform enters its next chapter, her insight and leadership will be enormously valuable in helping us deliver our ambitions, make the best possible use of our resources and build on the organisation’s strong foundations.”
Multiple appointments, Lichfields
Lichfields has announced 14 promotions across its Cardiff, London, Manchester and Newcastle offices.
Jennifer Woods, based in London, has been promoted to planning director. She advises clients across Greater London and the South East on major mixed-use schemes and education-led projects.
Nine people have been promoted to associate director: Lucy Benbow, Ollie Collins, Josh Hymer and Joe Thompson, all based in London; Alex Gavin and Clover Long, both based in Manchester; and Alex Kennedy, James Robertson and Emily Thomson, all based in Newcastle. A further four promotions have been made to senior planner: Katy McMullen in Cardiff; Caitlin Attrill in London; John Hellon in Manchester; and Lucy Blakemore in Newcastle.
James Fennell, chief executive of Lichfields, said: “These staff have consistently delivered successful outcomes for our clients. Our business grows around the success of our people and 14 promotions reflects the upward trajectory of the company.”
Ashling Quinn, Hampshire Trust Bank
Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has appointed Ashling Quinn as lending director within its Development Finance team, where she will support brokers and SME developers across the Midlands.
Reporting to Rob Syrett, head of originations, Development Finance, Quinn brings more than a decade of banking experience, including seven years specialising in development finance. She joins from Paragon Development Finance, where she progressed through a series of roles spanning credit, portfolio management and relationship management, most recently serving as senior portfolio manager.
Quinn said: “What attracted me to HTB was the combination of experienced decision-making and a genuinely relationship-led approach to development finance.
“I’ve spent the last seven years working closely with developers and brokers, and I’ve seen first-hand how important strong relationships, consistent communication and pragmatic decision-making are as projects progress. I’m looking forward to working with the team, our broker partners and developers across the Midlands.”
Iain McIlwee, Structural Timber Association
The Structural Timber Association (STA) has appointed Iain McIlwee as its new chief executive, to take up the role on 2nd November 2026, succeeding Andrew Orriss.
McIlwee joins from the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS), where he has served as chief executive since 2018. A Materials Engineering graduate, he brings almost three decades of experience supporting manufacturing and construction businesses. Alongside his work at FIS, he has been an active contributor to the Industry Competence Steering Group, treasurer of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition and serves as a non-executive director of SKA Rating. He also spent seven years as chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
McIlwee said: “My priority will be to work closely with members, partners and the team to build on the association’s strong foundations, strengthen its influence and ensure it continues to deliver real value for members. I’m looking forward to getting started and meeting members across the sector in the months ahead.”
