We look at who’s changing jobs in the new homes industry.
John Lofthouse, Bloor Homes
Bloor Homes Southern has appointed a new commercial director to help drive the company’s continued expansion. John Lofthouse has taken on the role at the national housebuilder’s regional office in Newbury, bringing with him 20 years’ experience in the industry. Previously commercial director at both Taylor Wimpey and Linden Homes, Lofthouse says that Bloor’s vision for sustainable growth had been a major factor in his decision to join the privately owned developer.
“I’m really pleased to be joining Bloor Homes at what is an extremely exciting time for the business, and I’m relishing the opportunity to use my skills and experience to help the company achieve its long-term goals,” he says. “Bloor Homes is a very well-established name within the industry and the company has a clear strategy as to how it will move forward, so the opportunity to be a part of that journey was an extremely appealing one. We have a very strong land position with some fantastic sites in the pipeline, and I am looking forward to seeing these developments come forward.”
John Lusty, regional managing director of Bloor Homes Southern, adds: “John has an impressive track record of achieving growth throughout his career and we are delighted to welcome him to Bloor Homes. His organisational skills and wealth of knowledge of the housebuilding industry will be invaluable as we look to expand the business in the months and years ahead.”
Graham Micklewright, Redrow Homes
Graham Micklewright has been promoted to managing director of Redrow Homes (Midlands), in Tamworth. Micklewright has worked for the award-winning housebuilder since 1999, having joined originally as financial controller for the Midlands business. He was elevated to finance director in 2004; then regional director in 2016, before his further promotion to managing director of Redrow Homes (Midlands) at the start of 2018. Based at Redrow’s divisional headquarters in Tamworth, he’s responsible for overseeing operations across the West Midlands, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The Midlands division is responsible for approximately 600 new homes per annum and directly employs around 150 people. It also supports hundreds of jobs among local subcontractors and in the supply chain.
“The Redrow Midlands business has grown significantly since I joined the company and Redrow is now an established brand that people in the area recognise and trust,” says Micklewright. “The challenge now is to continue to grow and to build homes that we’re proud of but, more importantly, that people in those neighbourhoods are proud of and want to live in.”
Redrow regional chief executive Warren Thompson adds: “Graham has proved to be a real asset to Redrow’s Midlands business. His promotion to managing director is not only well-deserved, but will provide inspiration to our current trainees who can look forward to building a successful career with Redrow.”
Nigel Tenwick, Clarion Housing Group
Clarion Housing Group has strengthened its senior development team with the appointment of Nigel Tenwick as commercial and technical director. Tenwick joins Clarion from Lovell Partnerships where he was regional technical director in London. With 33 years in the construction industry, Tenwick gives Clarion in-house expertise to support its land-led strategy while significantly strengthening the Group’s engagement with the construction sector.
Austen Reid, executive director for development for Clarion Housing Group, says: “Nigel is a great addition to our team and brings a powerful track record in the residential construction sector to play a key role in delivering our ambitions to build 50,000 new homes over 10 years.” Meanwhile, Tenwick adds: “Clarion’s ambition to develop at scale while maintaining a strong commitment to design, quality and customers was a powerful attraction.”
Ciaran Hickey, Rippon Homes
Mansfield-based housebuilder Rippon Homes has strengthened its professional team with the appointment of Ciaran Hickey as commercial manager. “Although I have only been with Rippon for a few weeks, I am very much enjoying reviewing the current commercial procedures and looking at new site appraisals,” comments Hickey, who has 11 years’ experience as a quantity surveyor under his belt. “After working in the construction industry for over a decade, I am looking forward to seeing the sector from a commercial aspect and growing within Rippon.”
Ian Dyke, managing director at Rippon Homes, says: “We are very delighted to welcome Ciaran to the team. With his experience within the construction industry and his hard-working attitude, Ciaran will be a great asset to our team at Rippon Homes. Ciaran has already settled in naturally to his new position, and we are excited to see how he can add to the growth of the business and team.”
Sarah Quinn, Moda
Moda, developer and operator of private rented housing, has hired a new head of residential operations to oversee the running of its build to rent portfolio. Sarah Quinn joins Moda, from Mezzino, a UK-wide asset management firm specialising in student accommodation. Previously, Quinn established the lettings and management arm of Manchester-based Fortis Developments, which incorporated both a UK-wide student and residential portfolio. Quinn’s time at the business, saw the company undergo significant growth and helped raise brand awareness, build a policy and procedures infrastructure while maximising sales and occupancy. Alongside her new role at Moda, Quinn will remain a non-executive director at South Yorkshire Housing Association Enterprises, overseeing and assisting with overall strategy.
Tony Brooks, managing director at Moda, says: “Moda aims to be fundamentally much more than a landlord. Our ambition is to be a lifestyle business that taps into all aspects of today’s work-live-play culture and Sarah, with her wide-ranging experience working with large, complex organisations, will help us deliver that.”
Meanwhile, Quinn comments: “Moda, with its amenity-rich, service-driven, tech-savvy approach, will help revolutionise what it means to rent in the UK, and I look forward to working with the wider team and the business’s partners to make vision reality.”
Noel Adams, Harron Homes
Harron Homes Yorkshire has appointed Noel Adams as managing director. Adams, who has almost four decades of experience working within the housebuilding industry, is looking to bring the skills and expertise he has accrued over this time to his new role as the head of Harron’s business unit in Yorkshire.
“I started out as an apprentice 39 years ago and then moved onto a number of specialisms, including quantity surveying, buying and sales,” he explains. “During the last 14 years of my career, I have worked as an MD for a number of housebuilding companies, before taking up my current position with Harron Homes. What first attracted me to a career with Harron was the company’s great product and its desire to be the best, not just within the region but across the entire business.”
Adams says he is aiming to bring some fresh and exciting new ideas to the position to further enhance the exceptional brand that is Harron Homes. “My short-term goal is to continue improving the level of customer service we offer to new homebuyers, whilst maintaining the enviable quality of our product. Our objective is to ensure that our new homes are always delivered on time with first-class quality for purchasers whilst keeping focussed on health and safety, all of which are of the utmost importance. Over the next five years and beyond, I see the new homes market becoming even stronger, and in my role as MD at Harron Homes Yorkshire I will ensure that we adapt to this level of growth. With the continued hard work and commitment displayed by everyone at Harron, I know that this is something that we can achieve together.”
Four appointments, Story Homes
Five-star housebuilder Story Homes, which operates in the north of England and southern Scotland, continues its growth with a series of senior appointments. Colin Wood is now managing director of the company’s North West region, Phillipa Chadwick has been given the newly created role of group brand director, and Lindsey Pownall, has been taken on as non-executive director. Fred Story has also stepped up to CEO, following on from Steve Errington, who left the role in 2017 after five years at the helm.
Pownall has a number of similar roles for Tesco, Meadow Foods Limited and Story Homes’ sister company, Story Contracting, and was rewarded for a notably successful career in 2016 with an OBE for services to business growth and productivity. She says: “Having already worked closely with Fred Story in my role on the board of Story Contracting, I was delighted to accept the Non-Executive Director role at Story Homes. This is an impressive business with great potential for the future, and I am looking forward to advising and supporting the company as it continues to grow.”
Story comments: “We are focused on becoming the best volume developer of aspirational homes in the UK, whilst ensuring that our build quality and customer experience remain in line with the family values on which we built the business. In order to achieve this, it is vital that we have the right people in place as leaders. I am very pleased to welcome Lindsey, Colin and Phillipa to Story Homes; I am confident that their expertise and guidance will enable us to meet our ambitious targets.”
Wayne Cole, Barratt Homes
The construction department of the Bristol division of Barratt Homes has promoted Wayne Cole to projects director. The new role brings Cole up from his previous one as construction manager and is another step in a career at the company he joined in 2001 as assistant site manager.
Regional managing director Russell Glimstead is delighted to announce the promotion, which he sees as a part of the division’s expansion ambitions: “We have just confirmed plans for key new developments at Ladden Garden Village in North Yate and Wichelstowe in Swindon and Wayne will be an integral part of delivering these large-scale new developments in particular. As a division we will be building almost 800 units per year and Wayne’s promotion strengthens the construction department and will help ensure we continue to deliver five star quality on all of our developments. These are exciting times for Barratt Bristol and as the company celebrates its 60th anniversary we will be playing a key role in providing new homes for many years to come.”
Barratt is building 2,450 properties at the Ladden Garden Village development in North Yate, including 800 affordable homes, and 2,750 new homes in Somerset in a joint venture with Swindon Borough Council.
Erica Bell, Linden Homes
The West Yorkshire division of Linden Homes has brought Erica Bell to its team as technical director, bring with her 18 years of experience in the technical field, primarily in the housebuilding sector. Most recently, Bell was head of department for technical at a private larger housebuilder but has joined Linden keen to return to the public limited company environment. She is committed to the Women in Property campaign, and recently stood as a judge on a Linden-sponsored regional round of the student awards. “It was really interesting to speak with the girls from the Universities. There was limited knowledge of my role and what it entails, however once it had been explained, you could see they were really enthusiastic about this becoming a potential career option.”
Her new role has her overseeing the technical aspects of various developments across West Yorkshire: “I was eager to join Linden Homes which is widely recognised in the industry for outstanding quality,” adds Bell. “I have always had an interest in housebuilding and planning. I love the challenges that planning brings and the pressure of the role. It’s extremely testing at times, but so rewarding when everything comes together, particularly when you can share that success with your team.”
Scott Stothard, managing director at Linden Homes West Yorkshire, says of the appointment: “Erica is a very welcome addition to the team. Her dynamic approach is motivating those around her Erica is already driving our bids forward on new land opportunities and building relationships with various partners including local authorities, architects and engineers. We have a strong presence in the region and I am delighted that Erica will help us to continue our successful growth.”
Four appointments, Pennyfarthing Homes
Pennyfarthing Homes is welcoming four senior managers to its dynamic head office team as part of its continued expansion plans across Hampshire and Dorset. Tina Chalk has been appointed sales and marketing manager, with a 20-year career path that includes time at Redrow, Linden Homes and most recently, Bovis Homes; Benjamin Arnold, a qualified chartered surveyor, joins the company as land and planning manager from Savills, where his 10-year career led to becoming director of its South Coast Development Team and brings a wealth of experience in land acquisition, property development and valuation; Simon Willington continues a property-related career as the company’s new finance manager; and Steve Tyrell returns to Pennyfarthing as construction manager, having originally joined the company in 1997 and subsequently gaining chartered status with RICS.
Matt Dukes, managing director at Pennyfarthing Homes, says: “This year, we have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline across the region as we look to expand our operational reach. Our newly appointed senior management members will be crucial these plans, so we are delighted to welcome Tina, Ben and Simon to the team. It is also fantastic to welcome back a former recruit in Steve who returns to us with a great deal of experience. Having achieved an Investor in People status for the last 11 years demonstrates our commitment to our employees and belief that an experienced and strong team is the core to business growth.”
Ali Powell, PegasusLife
With experience in a similar role at Fitness First, the world’s largest privately owned health club provider, and the title of 2017 Retail and Consumer Business Woman of the Year in the First Women Awards, Ali Powell has been taken on board by retirement property specialists PegasusLife in the new role of chief commercial officer.
She joins the board to oversee the sales, marketing and customer experience functions following the PegasusLife acquisition of Renaissance Retirement, which has doubled the company’s portfolio and made it the third largest retirement living developer in the UK. The company board is led by CEO Howard Phillips and also comprises Mark Shirburne Davies (COO), Ian Trinder (CFO) and Chris Goddard (executive director).
Powell says of her appointment: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the company and play my part driving the next phase of its growth. In light of the recent acquisition news, it’s a very exciting time for the company and I look forward to working with such a talented team to deliver our ambitious business plan.” Phillips adds: “PegasusLife is growing fast and we have a lot of big, exciting projects completing this year, so Ali is joining us at a great time. Her commercial knowledge is a great asset to both brands and I am delighted she is now on our board, helping to drive growth and focus in an important year for the business.”
David Gooch, Network Homes
With over 30 years of experience in the affordable homes sector, joining the company in 2014 and having a most recent role as commercial director, David Gooch has succeeded Vicky Savage as executive director of development at Network Homes.
His new position involves overseeing the new homes, constructions and regeneration, and commercial teams at the organisation, with responsibilities for delivering a development programme that includes building around 1,000 new homes a year, meeting the organisations 1,752 new homes target as a GLA Strategic Partner and overseeing the delivery of over 550 new homes in Southall, Ealing in a joint venture with Stanhope plc. Gooch says: “I firmly believe in Network Homes’ philosophy that good homes make everything possible, so I’m really looking forward to leading Network Homes’ development team. We have an ambitious growth strategy which will deliver high-quality homes for social and affordable rent, Shared Ownership, Build to Rent and private sale across London and Hertfordshire.”
Helen Evans, Network Homes’ chief executive, adds: “We went through a very thorough recruitment process to make sure we found the right person for this significant role. We had a strong pool of candidates, but David’s excellent experience and the fact he’s already been a major driving force behind Network Homes’ success makes him the best person for the job.”
Richard Tamayo, CRL
Construction insurance specialist CRL, which has a large number of housebuilder and housing associations among its clients and covers diverse projects including timber frame constructions, prefabricated properties, mixed-use projects, conversions and insolvent properties, has bolstered its board of directors with Richard Tamayo, who has joined the company as independent non-executive director and brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the construction and insurance industries, as well as time spent in multiple finance director roles at a number of major companies, including the National House-Building Council (NHBC).
Tamayo says: “CRL has an exceptional reputation as a forward thinker in this sector, from championing bold and innovative small to medium builders and developers, to supporting the most well-known players within the industry. I’m looking forward to strengthening the company’s position and presence in the construction and developer market, to ensure it progresses to the next level of success.”
Steve Mansour, chief executive of CRL, says of Tamayo: “We’re delighted to welcome Richard to the board and are certain that his appointment will play a valuable role in supporting and challenging CRL’s executive management. Richard’s vast experience and strong background knowledge in the industry will only serve to bolster our position as one of the leading construction insurance specialists for builders and developers of all sizes.”
Two appointments, Acorn Property Group
Regeneration specialist Acorn Property Group has reinforced its continuing market strength with two new appointments to its marketing team. Phoebe Potter joins the company as group marketing coordinator, bringing with her a wealth of expertise from delivering numerous successful PR campaigns for a range of premium brands. Her role involves supporting the company in delivering targeted campaigns for its portfolio of properties, promoting the company’s profile and driving sales in its target sectors.
Cassie Perkins is the new marketing administrator and will support the team in a range of marketing and design functions, supporting campaign implementation both internally and externally.
Danica Clements, Acorn’s group marketing manager, says, ‘I am delighted to have expanded our team with two exceptional new additions. Acorn are experiencing excellent growth throughout our regions and with a broad range of developments within our portfolio, having an experienced and knowledgeable marketing team will ensure we deliver dynamic and targeted marketing strategies that will drive the Acorn brand forward.”
Your email has been successfully added to newsletter list.