We look at who’s changing jobs in the new homes industry.
Gwyn Jones, Macbryde Homes
Macbryde Homes has announced that Gwyn Jones has assumed the role of managing director. It is the first time in the family-owned business’s 33-year history that this role has been held by someone outside of the family. Jones began his career in the commercial department at Anwyl Construction, before joining Lovell Partnerships as a quantity surveyor. He joined St Asaph-based Macbryde Homes four years ago and has since enjoyed rapid progression through the firm and was most recently the company’s commercial director.
“I feel incredibly fortunate that my career has developed in the way it has and I’ve enjoyed taking on new challenges at every opportunity. The past four years at Macbryde Homes have allowed me to further my career within a company that successfully blends the development of prestigious homes with a commitment to building the best team it can,” he comments. “We have ambitious growth plans, which are focused on doubling the number of quality new homes we complete. To facilitate this, we have made some key appointments over the past 12 months including Simon Finlay as head of development. I am committed to ensuring that in the coming years, Macbryde plays a significant role in the delivery of much-needed quality homes across North Wales and the north-west of England.”
Two appointments, Barratt Developments
Two apprentices have joined David Wilson Homes East Midlands and Barratt Homes North Midlands at its New Lubbesthorpe development in Leicester. Dylan Parrish and Josh McCabe, both 16 and studying construction courses at Brockington College in Leicester, will shadow workers doing their chosen trade, start to take on more responsibility and work, and will eventually qualify in that area.
“We are really pleased for Dylan and Josh that they have earned apprenticeships with two giants of the construction industry,” comments Chris Southall, principal of Brockington College. “They are both capable of A-level study following their GCSE examinations, but have chosen a practical way forwards for their careers and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will be successful. We are thankful to both companies for offering these opportunities and to the support of Blaby District Council for driving forwards the apprenticeship agenda across the district. We have already invited Dylan and Josh to return to Brockington next year to talk to pupils about apprenticeships in construction. We hope that many others will follow their lead in the years to come.”
Two appointments, Redrow Homes
Redrow Homes Midlands has announced two key appointments. Hannah Watson joins the company as land negotiator, and Joe Blincoe has been named senior land manager. These appointments mark the completion of the five-strong land management team, which is led by land director Danny Cheal.
Blincoe brings five years’ experience within the property sector to the team, having previously held the role of land manager. “I have always been interested in architecture and the built environment, and I first started to think about a career in housebuilding while at university,” he says. “This industry allows me to be involved in projects from conception and have the benefit of seeing them develop throughout the construction progress, through to completed new homes.”
Meanwhile Watson has been working in the industry for four years and has a Masters degree in environmental and spatial planning. She previously held the position of land and planning manager for a strategic land company, where she was responsible for sourcing land opportunities. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Redrow Midlands team at such an exciting time,” she comments. “Working within this diverse industry enables me to gain experience in a number of specialities, as well as working with people with a whole variety of skills across all aspects of the property industry.”
Peter Carpinelli, Bewley Homes
Bewley Homes announced the appointment of Peter Carpinelli as its development director. Carpinelli, who has previously been a managing director for Linden, Redrow and David Wilson Homes, and regional director for a number of national housebuilders, brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise built up over many years in the industry. His remit will include overseeing the direction of the construction and technical departments, as well as working alongside the land team to optimise land opportunities, taking all technical and engineering matters into consideration at the pre-planning stage.
Carpinelli’s appointment comes at a time of growth for Bewley and further cements the strategic and future growth of the business. “I am delighted to be joining Bewley at what is an extremely exciting time in its history,” he says. “The company has made great strides in making a name for itself as a quality developer and I am looking forward to building upon this success and continuing to drive the business forward.”
Andrew Brooks, managing director of Bewley Homes, adds: “It is a pleasure to welcome Peter to Bewley Homes – his knowledge and expertise is second to none and will bring immeasurable value to our business going forward.”
Maureen Hynes, Gleeson Homes
Gleeson Homes and Regeneration has appointed Maureen Hynes as sales manager for the East Yorkshire area. Her new role will see Hynes ensure the sales team in the area are trained to an excellent level while helping to work towards Gleeson’s plans to reach 2,000 completions per year within the next five years. East Yorkshire is a new area for Gleeson Homes following the acquisition of land and the opening of a number of new developments along the east coast.
“I’m thrilled to join Gleeson Homes and be part of the team as we continue to expand in this exciting period of growth,” comments Hynes, who has a wealth of knowledge after more than 20 years’ experience in the housing industry, from team leader at Beal Developments to sales manager at North Country Homes Group.
Darren Jones, Hillcrest Homes
Darren Jones, previously managing director of Himor and director of economic development at Oldham Council, has joined Manchester based Nikal Group as development director. Nikal co-founder and managing director, Nick Payne, comments: “We are delighted that Darren has joined us. He brings to the team 30 years’ of private and public sector experience in regeneration, development and management. He will provide strategic advice, help deliver complex brownfield projects where we work in partnership with landowners, local planning authorities and community groups across the UK and help us focus on expanding the activities of our homebuilder brand, Hillcrest Homes.”
Meanwhile, Jones says: “I have known Nick for 35 years and greatly admired the achievements of the Nikal Group so was delighted when he asked me to come on board. I look forward to working closely with Nick and the Nikal and Hillcrest Homes teams to deliver some fantastic new projects.”
Jon Green, Barratt Developments
Barratt Developments, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has appointed Jon Green as managing director for its Southampton-based division. Green joined the housebuilder in 1995 and has been promoted to the new role from his previous job as construction director. The division includes developments in Hampshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex and Green said he was delighted to be leading a division where he has worked for the last 23 years.
“Trading since the beginning of the year has been strong driven by good customer demand for our high-quality new homes and an attractive lending environment,” says Green. “We are proud to have been awarded five stars for customer satisfaction for the ninth consecutive year, reflecting our commitment to industry-leading quality and customer service. We celebrate our 60th anniversary this month, and as the UK’s largest housebuilder we continue to focus on growing our housing output, creating jobs and supporting economic growth across the region.”
Jay Lewis, Linden Homes
Jay Lewis has been promoted to trainee site manager at Linden Homes’ Greyfriars Quarter development in the centre of Gloucester, having joined the company in April 2015 as an apprentice and having now achieved an NVQ level two. Responsible for assisting the site team, Lewis now works alongside project manager, Paul Latham, to ensure the new homes are delivered to a high quality, on time and on budget.
“My project manager, Paul has been a great mentor and really took me under his wing in the early days. I’m now working towards a level four NVQ in site management and love being onsite – the camaraderie is just brilliant,” she comments. “A typical day involves assisting in the running of the site, health and safety paperwork, onsite health and safety checks, working with different trades and meeting with customers. I am so pleased that I chose housebuilding. Many people think of it as a career for men, but I am happy to be changing that misconception.”
Andrew Hammond, Linden Homes’ divisional chairman, says: “It is encouraging to see that Jay is enjoying her onsite career with our Western region, where we currently have two trainee site managers. We are committed to helping young people into the industry, which is testament to our management trainee programme and intake of apprentices. Joining the housebuilding industry offers a wide range of routes and options to meet individual skillsets and interests so we take a bespoke approach to all our trainees. This ensures that they are provided with the right balance of education and on-the-job experience to help them prosper in what will hopefully be a long career for them in the sector.”
Simon Cawte, Churchill Retirement Living
Churchill Retirement Living has appointed Simon Cawte to the newly created role of public affairs director, based in the company’s new London office in the heart of Westminster. Cawte will work closely alongside Churchill’s chairman and CEO, Spencer McCarthy, to build awareness and political support for specialist retirement housing, highlighting its importance to our ageing population, and its many wider socio-economic benefits. For the last five years Cawte has been public affairs director for Battersea Power Station, one of the largest regeneration and development sites in Europe.
A key part of his role at Churchill will be to escalate the importance of older people’s quality of life in the context of an ageing population and the urgent need for more homes that can cater for that demographic. As a specialist retirement housebuilder, Churchill believes that helping older people move into accommodation better suited to their physical, social and economic needs has to be at the heart of creating a society equipped to meet an ageing population which is striving for better health and economic outcomes; Cawte will be looking to help politicians, legislators and commentators understand and value that.
Two appointments, Caesarstone
Caesarstone has strengthened its team with two new sales appointments for Scotland and Ireland. Marie Hosie, sales manager for Scotland, has worked in the kitchen industry for nearly 20 years. She brings with her a wealth of experience, having been a manager at both John Lewis, including in its fitted kitchens department, as well as a business development manager for several stone and Corian fabricators. Prior to Caesarstone, she was at MCD Marketing where she sold Corian for nearly 13 years.
Meanwhile Colleen Burns will develop the company’s business in Ireland. Burns has a strong background in retail and sales management. Her previous role was business development manager for Ireland at CRL Stone; she has also held other management roles within the telecommunication industry.
“Scotland and Ireland present us with significant opportunities to continue and develop Caesarstone’s business within the UK and we are delighted to have such a strong sales team looking after these regions,” comments Amir Reske, managing director of Caesarstone UK. “We keep being told that we have the best products on the market and with high-calibre appointments such as these, we can extend the reach of those products as well as ensuring the best service too.”
Neil Vickers, Rippon Homes
Mansfield-based housebuilder Rippon Homes has strengthened its team with the promotion of Neil Vickers to contracts manager from site manager, after working his way up the company since the age of 16. Vickers will now oversee all construction sites, ensuring they are running to programme with the responsibility of health and safety, training of staff and the setting up of new developments.
Starting in 1991, Vickers joined Rippon Homes as an apprentice bricklayer, and worked his way up to site manager, in charge of the day-to-day running of various sites. “I like the challenges that my new role includes. I now oversee all sites rather than just one, increasing my responsibility,” he comments. “My main goal is to up production and continue to deliver the good quality homes Rippon Homes builds. I am very excited to use the experience I have gained in the 27 years I have been working for Rippon Homes.”
Ian Dyke, managing director at Rippon Homes comments: “Neil has settled naturally into his new position, following up from his previous role. Neil has shown continued commitment and hard work throughout his time at Rippon and his promotion was extremely well deserved.”
Katy Snow, Omega Contracts
Kitchen manufacturer Omega has appointed a new head of internal contract operations for its fast-growing national contracts division. Katy Snow has joined Omega Contracts from Moores Furniture Group, where she worked as head of clients services and previously as tender and contracts manager. With over 15 years of management experience, directing numerous teams within complex operational environments, she will be responsible for developing the Omega’s contract operations strategy.
“Omega Contracts has performed exceptionally well in the last 12 months with exceptional growth and record turnover,” says group contract sales director, John Cahill. “We are delighted to welcome Katy who will play a key role in driving our contracts business forward. A key element of her new role will be to support the business develop a high-performance culture where quality and operational service levels are consistently achieved and exceptional high quality KPIs are achieved through continuous improvement.”
Harriet Dickson, Hayfield Homes
Hayfield Homes has welcomed new sales manager Harriet Dickson to its management team. Dickson brings a wealth of insight and experience from her agency experience in the new homes sector and in her new role will oversee development sites from start to finish, covering everything from reviewing house types and instructing agents, to the interior design and sales management. Hayfield Homes’ current and upcoming developments span Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire and continue to be well received by the property market.
“With a series of successful developments under its belt and two imminent new site launches, I’m thrilled to have joined Hayfield Homes at such an exciting time,” she says. “I am very much looking forward to being a part of the team and further building on Hayfield Homes’ success.”
Mark Booth, managing director of Hayfield Homes, adds: “Harriet is already a huge asset to our company. Her extensive understanding of the new homes market and the intricacies of the purchasing process means she is perfectly placed to channel the purchaser’s point of view, really enriching our customer experience process – an ethos that runs through the core of our business.”
Paul Neto, Delph Property Group
Delph Property Group has appointed Paul Neto as its new head of construction, to oversee all aspects of Delph’s residential development pipeline with a focus on identifying new sites in city and town centre locations across the UK. Neto brings over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry to his new role, starting his construction career in 1986 and has experience as a consultant, contractor and developer, with previous roles as managing director of the UK construction arm of HB Reavis and various management positions for VINCI Construction UK.
Howard Crocker, the company’s managing director, says of the new appointment: “We are excited to welcome Paul to Delph. In recent years, Delph has played a crucial role in providing finance to regional housing developers that were overlooked by institutional lenders. With his extensive construction experience, Paul will help ensure that Delph remains the ideal funding partner for housebuilders developing in the UK’s regions.”
Reto adds: “I am delighted to be joining Delph. Through its varied funding models and emphasis on collaborative partnerships, Delph has gained a reputation of doing things differently. I look forward to using my knowledge of the industry to help Delph explore new technology and construction methods, increasing the implementation of off-site manufacturer to help the company deliver more homes than ever before.”
Ash Sheikh, Muir Homes
Muir Homes, which is currently on site with eight projects and turned over just under £30m in the 2016/17 financial year, has appointed Ash Sheikh as its new sales and marketing director. He arrives from Barratt Homes East Scotland and brings around 20 years’ experience in the housing sector. He oversaw his division of the national housebuilder become the most profitable management team outside of London. He has an MA in Financial Economics and an MSc in Business Marketing and IT.
Of his move, Ash says: “I am looking forward to working as part of such a successful, ambitious and forward thinking company, and am ready for the challenges and opportunities this will bring. I have worked all over Scotland and England, so have an in-depth knowledge of the housing market as well as regional economic trends. I also have particular expertise in creative marketing campaigns, so I am keen to work with the wider Muir Homes team to get started on some fresh new ideas.”
Alastair White, managing director at the company, comments: “Ash is a fantastic addition to our team and I am delighted to have him on board. He is talented, inspiring and has a wealth of directly relevant experience.”
Two appointments, Maple Grove
Eric Wright Group has added Nik Puttnam as senior development manager and Richard Willacy as development project manager to its growing development arm, Maple Grove. Puttnam worked with the company’s managing director Karen Hirst at the Central Salford urban regeneration company and Salford City Council before joining Liverpool City Council as a divisional manager for development and housing. Willacy joins from consultancy Naismiths, bringing with him 30 years’ experience in construction.
“Bringing Nik on board is a significant coup for the company,” says Hirst. “Having worked together for eight years, his experience in seeing developments through from inception to delivery is unrivalled. Working with Andrew Dewhurst, Allan Gundry, Richard Willacy and the wider team, Nik’s remit will be to develop existing partnerships, forge new ones, and bring forward new stand-alone development opportunities.”
Puttnam comments: “The opportunity to work with Karen at one of the North’s most respected and reliable development companies was one I simply couldn’t turn down. Maple Grove has developed long-term relationships with both the public and private sector and I look forward to working with the team to further grow this arm of the business.”
Peter Matthews, Keepmoat Homes
Keepmoat Homes in Scotland has appointed a new regional managing director, Peter Matthews, taking charge of a team of 84 staff at a division that was only opened two years ago. He joins from Taylor Wimpey, where he spent more than 10 years and reach the position of managing director for East Scotland. Previous employers include RAC plc, Reuters plc and Goldman Sachs International. The company has also promoted colleague Beth McNeil to operations director.
Matthews says of his move: “I am very excited to have joined Keepmoat and about the growth prospects for our business in Scotland. There is a fantastic opportunity here to build new communities and transform the lives of our customers using Keepmoat Homes’ partnership model. Our priority in Scotland is to continue to deliver our planned growth, in a controlled manner, by focusing first and foremost on the needs and desires of our customers.”
Sandy McBride, divisional chairman, North West and Scotland, comments: “We have achieved great things in Scotland over the last two years and I am delighted to welcome Peter to the team as we continue to build on our work there and meet the ongoing demand for new homes. Congratulations must also go to Beth who has been with the Scotland team from the very beginning and has excelled in her previous roles, leading to her new promotion as operations director. The vision of Keepmoat Homes goes far beyond bricks and mortar as we strive to create new neighbourhoods, support communities and transform lives through our work – I know that Peter and Beth will work with the rest of the team to continue this vision as we grow our business in Scotland.”
Two appointments, Storey Homes
Storey Homes has announced two senior management team appointments, with Ian Bennett joining as head of land and planning and Chris Pipe as finance director. Bennett brings significant experience in the sector, acquired at Taylor Wimpey, Bellway Homes and David Wilson Homes; Pipe returns to the property sector and rejoins managing director Katy Jordan, with whom he has worked previously at another housebuilder.
Bennett comments: “Storey Homes offers a flexible approach to identifying and buying land and it is something I hope to build on to ensure the company reaches its growth potential.” Pipe says: “It gives me great pleasure to be working with Katy again. I will bring a ‘safe pair of hands’ to the company with some 15 years’ experience in the property finance business which will allow me to support her and the rest of the management team to achieving Storey Homes’ aspirations. I enjoy the variety of working with small housebuilders, where each development is distinct.”
Katy Jordan says of the new team members: “Both Ian and Chris bring many years of experience in the housebuilding industry in their respective fields to Storey Homes. We welcome their expertise at a time when Storey Homes is growing its residential portfolio of luxury homes. Ian will be a crucial member of the team in order to help secure great sites with planning opportunities for new homes, while Chris has an expert eye for financing that will also increase our funding opportunities in order to deliver our targets.”
James Wyre, London Green
Bolstering its in-house design capabilities, residential property developer and investor London Green has appointed architectural technologist James Wyre, who was previously working at DHP, working on a range of projects across the residential, education and commercial sectors. With a BSc (Hons) in Architectural Design Technology from the University of Wales, Wyre trained in architectural technology, building technical design and construction to reach his current chartered status.
At London Green, he will be responsible for producing construction drawings and information for sites, working alongside the internal architectural team. “I joined London Green having been impressed with the company’s recent growth, approach and strong track record,” says Wyre. “As an SME with such an exceptional range of in-house capabilities, the company sets itself apart from other similar-sized developers. My role as architectural technologist will see me producing designs for many of our upcoming sites, including the flagship schemes in Basildon and Bromley. I will also be providing a different way of thinking when we are looking to purchase new sites, offering alternative design ideas that may not have been considered previously. It’s an exciting time to join and I am looking forward to helping London Green continue on its successful path.”
James Tregoning, director at London Green, comments: “We’re delighted that James has joined our growing team at such an exciting time for London Green. Bringing strong technical knowledge and experience, James will be a crucial figure in the realisation and efficient delivery of our high-quality housing schemes.”
George Wall, Acorn Property Group
George Wall has joined regeneration property specialist Acorn Property Group as funding assistant at the company’s London office. From the degree in global financial management which he earned at Regent’s University London, he went on to spend three years’ with a specialised lending company in the role of assistant underwriter of short-term property bridging loans.
In his new role, Wall will be working alongside Acorn’s group managing director and funding director, Melanie Omirou, and the development appraisal team, where he will be analysing senior and mezzanine debt for ongoing projects and facilitating origination of new debt. George comments: “I was drawn to working with Acorn by the company’s entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve always been fascinated by real estate as an asset and from a finance perspective, it’s great to work on projects combining value-added strategy with high-level, risk-free returns.”
Omirou adds: “We are really pleased to welcome George to the Acorn team. His experience in funding will be a great asset to our business and we are very happy to have him on board.”
Helen Wright-Shaw, William Davis Homes
Midlands-based housebuilder William Davis Homes has added a new face to its team at Skylarks, its development in Chesterfield, appointing Helen Wright-Shaw as sales consultant. She brings with her 19 years of experience in the new homes sector.
She says: “Since launching Skylarks off-plan [June 2018], we’ve had people queuing for the sales office to open so they can secure the premium position properties currently available. For me, it’s such a rewarding role, especially when you see people’s faces as they move in and start to make memories. I’m excited to be part of this new community in Chesterfield.”
She says of the development, which is offering 15 house types with from two to five bedrooms: “One of the most striking things about our homes is how evident the build quality is throughout and how much pride our tradespeople take in their work, which our customers will soon be able to see for themselves when we open our show homes later this summer.”
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