Stephen started his career in 1977 at 18 as a trainee negotiator at the Connells Aylesbury branch, before becoming branch manager at Connells High Wycombe aged 21 – which would become the most profitable branch in Connells for much of the 1980s. Stephen rose through the ranks, becoming a director in 1988 and chief executive in 1990, and Connells Group chairman in 2008.
His vast experience, passion for developing people and appetite to expand horizons have helped to make Connells Group the industry force it is today, cementing its position as the largest and most successful estate agency company in the property industry.
During Stephen’s tenure, Connells Group has grown from a 20-branch regional estate agency to the UK’s largest property services group, with over 1,250 branches employing 16,000 colleagues. The period saw a number of important milestones for the company, including the foundation of Rightmove, with Connells as a founding shareholder, the acquisition of Sequence from Royal & Sun Alliance in 2003 which trebled the size of Connells at the time, and the acquisition of The New Homes Group in 2007.
Stephen Shipperley said, “I have been extraordinarily fortunate and lucky in my career. Firstly to join estate agency as a profession and, most importantly, to have joined Connells. The business has trained and developed me, given me opportunities and challenges, and enabled me to work with a wonderful team of talented and driven people who have made the business what it is today. Connells Group is blessed with a results-focused, dynamic culture where people are at the centre of everything we do; a true meritocracy.”
“The business has been able to achieve the great things that it has because of the experience and strength in depth of the management within the business, and I am immensely proud to have been a part of that management team.”
David Livesey, Connells Group CEO, added, “After such a long and successful career with us, Stephen will leave a lasting impact on the business. His appetite for innovation and hunger for success have shaped who we are today and we thank him for his years of service to Connells Group.”
