We take our weekly look at appointments and promotions across the housebuilding industry and its supply chain.
Sean O’Sullivan, Wavensmere Homes
Wavensmere Homes has appointed Sean O’Sullivan as a technical manager, to be part of the team delivering the £150million Wolverhampton Canalside South development.
O’Sullivan joins from Lovell Partnerships Limited, where he worked as a development coordinator since 2021. Prior to that, he was senior architectural designer for Birmingham-based Ophir Architecture Ltd, and urban designer for Coventry-based IDP Architects.
Between 2008 and 2018, he accrued architectural qualifications at Waterford Institute of Technology, Coventry University, and Birmingham City University.
O’Sullivan said of this new position: “I am really excited to join a company with such a strong reputation for urban regeneration. My qualifications and career to date has been a blend of architecture and residential construction projects, so this role is an amazing opportunity to progress my career with Wavensmere.”
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, added: “Sean’s expertise and passion for residential-led regeneration makes him the perfect fit for our growing team.”
Andrew Robson, Allison Homes
Andrew Robson has been appointed as group commercial director at Allison Homes.
He brings with him some three decades of experience in the housebuilding and development sector. He began his career at Crest Nicholson, where he completed his training and degree, then over nine years advanced from assistant quantity surveyor to senior quantity surveyor. He then spent 10 years at CALA Homes, returning to Crest Nicholson in 2015 as commercial director for the Chiltern region before moving to Places for People in a director role for over four years.
John Anderson, group CEO of Allison Homes, said of Robson’s appointment: “We’re thrilled to have Andrew join us. His extensive experience in the sector, combined with his strategic mindset and focus on quality, makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team. As we continue to drive towards our strategic objective of becoming known as ‘the homebuilder you can trust,’ Andrew’s expertise will be crucial in supporting our ambitious growth plans.”
Nicole Heslop, Gleeson Homes
Gleeson Homes has welcomed Nicole Heslop as land manager for its Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear region.
She began her career in the housebuilding industry on Home Group’s graduate programme, where she started as graduate development manager. Upon graduating, Nicole quickly progressed to assistant development and delivery manager before being promoted to development and delivery manager in September 2023.
Heslop said: “Gleeson’s clear vision and commitment to transforming communities through affordable, quality homes really resonates with me and it’s great to be part of a business making a real difference.”
Chris Dodds, land director, commented: “It is a pleasure to welcome Nicole as Land Manager for Gleeson’s Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear region. Her experience will bring a fresh perspective that will help us identify new opportunities as we continue to strengthen our regional land pipeline as the market recovers.”
Six appointments, Helical
Helical has announced the promotion of Rob Sims (pictured) to the newly created role of chief investment officer, alongside five other promotions.
Sims joined Helical in 2018 and since then has been closely involved in the delivery of a number of significant development projects, notably The JJ Mack Building at 33 Charterhouse Street, EC1 and 100 New Bridge Street, EC4 which has just been forward sold in a £333million transaction.
The other promotions are: Matt Redgrove to the position of senior development executive; Fran Young becoming senior asset manager; Lesley Dodd to the role of group financial controller; Martin Bramhill to the position of head of tax; and Lucy Miller moving up to property and finance executive.
Matthew Bonning Snook, CEO of Helical, said: “Each and every one of the recently promoted individuals, with a combined 50 years’ experience at Helical, are playing an important role in enabling us to deliver on our strategy.”
Mary O’Connor, Knight Frank
Knight Frank has appointed Mary O’Connor to the group executive board as a non-executive adviser.
A highly accomplished Board-level executive, she brings over 30 years of leadership experience across CEO, C-suite, and non-executive roles. A dual-qualified US and UK lawyer, O’Connor’s previous roles include UK CEO of accountancy firm KPMG‘s non-audit business and senior positions with insurance broker Willis Towers Watson and the UK’s Financial Services Authority (now part of the Financial Conduct Authority). She is currently chair of the Audit Committee of Hargreaves Lansdown and serves on the board of Carne Group.
O’Connor said: “I am delighted to be joining Knight Frank at such an exciting time. The company’s culture of seamless collaboration and relentless client focus is impressive, and I look forward to contributing to its continued success.”
William Beardmore-Gray, senior partner and group chair of Knight Frank, commented: “Mary is a proven leader and commercially astute executive who brings invaluable insight to our business.”
Darren Kellaway, Edenstone Homes
Edenstone Homes has welcomed Darren Kellaway to its team in the role of senior sales advisor.
His focus will be on the company’s Willow Grange development in Exeter, where construction is already well underway, with the launch this summer.
Kellaway arrives with over a decade of professional experience, having worked in new homes sales since 2011, covering Devon, Somerset and Cornwall as a sales manager. His previous role was at a family-run SME housebuilder, similar to Edenstone.
He said: “I felt it was time to redress my work/life balance and joining Edenstone has provided the perfect opportunity to do that as they expand into new areas.
“It’s important to understand customers – what are their drivers for moving and what are their family dynamics. As someone who’s both sold and bought new build homes, my experience can help them.”
