We take our weekly look at appointments and promotions across the housebuilding industry and its supply chain.
Jason Schofield, Cavanna Homes
Cavanna Homes has appointed property and regeneration specialist Jason Schofield as its new non-executive chairman, succeeding Keith Miller, who has retired from the role.
Schofield brings more than 30 years’ experience across the commercial, residential and mixed-use development sectors. A Chartered Surveyor by profession, he began his career in commercial property before moving into housebuilding. He spent ten years with Crest Nicholson as regional director and played a key role in major regeneration projects including Bristol Harbourside and Gloucester Docks.
He said: “I first came across Cavanna Homes around 15 to 18 years ago and was always struck by the level of decency and respect that resonated throughout the business.
“Even then, it was clear that this wasn’t a typical housebuilder. One of the notebooks I carry has the words ‘Do the right thing. Always.’ written on the front. It’s a principle that has guided me throughout my career and it’s one of the reasons I was attracted to Cavanna Homes.”
Katherine Mackintosh, Robertson Property
Robertson Property has announced the appointment of Katherine MacKintosh as managing director, with immediate effect.
She joined Robertson in 2008 from Highland Council, Katherine has played a key role in a number of Robertson Property developments. She takes on responsibility for leading the property development business of Robertson as it looks to expand its work with public and private sector organisations on masterplanning, town centre regeneration, housing and regional economic development across the UK.
Mackintosh said: “Property development is increasingly about bringing together the right partners, expertise and investment to unlock opportunities that create lasting value for communities”
Elliot Robertson, chief executive officer of Robertson Group, said: “Katherine has played a central role in some of our most significant regeneration projects and brings extensive experience of working with customers and partners to unlock complex development opportunities. Katherine is well placed to lead Robertson Property as it continues to help customers unlock investment, deliver ambitious developments and create lasting economic, social and environmental value.”
Richard Flamson, Persimmon Homes
Persimmon Homes North Midlands has appointed Richard Flamson as construction director.
He joins the company from Vistry, where he served as construction director, and brings with him more than 25 years of experience in housebuilding and construction. His career has progressed through a range of operational roles, from site manager to construction manager before moving into senior leadership positions.
Flamson said: “I am delighted to be joining Persimmon Homes North Midlands. I’m excited to contribute to the continued success of the business and help maintain the highest standards of quality, safety and customer service as we deliver much-needed new homes and support the communities we build in.”
Charlotte Goode, managing director North Midlands, added: “We are pleased to welcome Richard to the North Midlands business. He brings a wealth of experience from across the housebuilding sector and a strong operational background that will be invaluable as we continue delivering high-quality homes across the region.”
Andrew Sparrow, Allison Homes
Allison Homes has welcomed Andrew Sparrow as head of enterprise architecture.
He brings 25 years of experience within the housebuilding sector, beginning his career at 18 as a trainee programmer in the IT department of David Wilson Homes. Since then, he has developed a strong focus on cross-department working, and the role of data in shaping how organisations operate. Over his career, Sparrow has been involved in two business mergers and has seen firsthand the complexities and challenges of the housebuilding industry.
Reflecting on his new role, he said: “In housebuilding, it is about connecting the full lifecycle, land, planning, build, sales, and aftercare, so everyone is working with the same information, and systems support the whole journey.
“Allison Homes is at a really exciting stage of growth, which aligned with my personal career ambitions. There is the opportunity to build strong technology and data foundations now, so the business can scale confidently rather than fixing problems later.”
Ethan Richards, Long Harbour
Long Harbour has appointed Ethan Richards as asset manager, strengthening its asset management team as it continues to grow its single family rental housing (SFH) strategy.
A Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Richards arrives with experience managing office and residential projects across the full asset lifecycle. His previous role was real estate asset manager at MOMENI Group, where he managed leasing and project management for high-end residential and office. He has spent over two years at Helix, a Hines company, where he gained experience in landlord and tenant matters, ESG and client management.
Richards said: “It’s a fantastic time to be joining Long Harbour, supporting the company’s expanding single family housing portfolio.”
James Aumonier, chief operating officer at Long Harbour, said: “Ethan’s appointment comes at a critical time of growth for our single family housing platform, which will have over six new operational sites within the next five months.”
Ben Bryden, RAK Ceramics
RAK Ceramics UK has announced the appointment of Ben Bryden as interim managing director with immediate effect, following the retirement of managing director Alvin Biggs.
Bryden has been with RAK Ceramics UK for 10 years, having originally joined the company as head of projects before taking on the role of UK & Ireland sales & marketing director.
Bryden commented: “I would like to thank Alvin for his 14 years of service to RAK Ceramics UK and wish him a very happy and enjoyable retirement.
“It is an exciting time to take on the role of interim managing director. RAK Ceramics is a globally recognised brand, and I believe there is significant potential for us to strengthen and grow our presence in the UK.
“There is a great deal of opportunity ahead of us, and I am looking forward to bringing fresh energy, renewed focus and a strong sense of direction as we move RAK Ceramics UK into its next chapter.”
Josh Plant, Carden Group
Josh Plant has been appointed planning manager by the Carden Group team.
A Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI), Plant has an MSc in Planning from the University of Manchester and before that studied Human Geography at Manchester Metropolitan University. He joined Gladman Developments in 2018 as a graduate and progressed to senior planner, then went onto become an associate planner at Hive Land and Planning, leading on complex residential applications, regeneration projects and local authority-led schemes.
Plant said: “Carden’s proactive, commercially driven approach to strategic land promotion strongly appealed to me. The opportunity to be directly involved in identifying and unlocking development opportunities, through a combination of policy and promotion work, alongside driving planning applications aligned perfectly with where I wanted my career to go next.
“My career goal is to continue progressing within strategic land and development, taking a lead role in delivering complex projects and shaping planning strategies at a regional and national level.”
Two appointments, GLPG
London multidisciplinary real estate group GLPG has appointed Johnny Grassick (pictured left) as associate director and Emma Solazzo (pictured right) as senior associate within its Capital Advisory team.
Grassick has built his career in real estate finance, spending a decade at Investec originating and delivering debt solutions across multiple asset classes and throughout the full property lifecycle. He has also completed all three levels of the CFA programme, reflecting a strong analytical and technical foundation.
Solazzo has built her career across real estate M&A, capital markets and investment advisory, developing a strong understanding of how capital providers assess risk, structure transactions and underwrite opportunities. She joins following her work at Newmark in the portfolio capital markets team.
Nick Swerner, director of GLPG, said: “Johnny and Emma bring a depth of financial, capital markets and investment advisory experience that will further strengthen our Capital Advisory team. They both understand how capital providers think, how transactions need to be structured, and how to support clients through an increasingly complex funding environment.”
Lisa Plant, Alvesta Living Group
Alvesta Living Group has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Lisa Plant as head of marketing.
Plant previously served as head of marketing at St George – part of Berkeley Group – and held senior marketing roles in both the UK and Middle East.
In her new role, she will oversee all aspects of marketing activity for Alvesta Living Group, including its investment and asset management platform Alvesta Investment Management and Ascend, the group’s leasing and property management arm.
Paul Stockwell, chief executive officer of Alvesta Living Group, said: “Lisa brings a wealth of marketing expertise to the team at what is an exciting time for Alvesta Living Group. We are moving quickly to take advantage of the considerable opportunities across the UK living sectors, and Lisa’s capabilities will be crucial as we seek to capitalise on this growing sector and build platforms that provide the high-quality homes that residents need.”
John Hannaford, Barratt Redrow Foundation
The Barratt Redrow Foundation, the charitable arm of Barratt Redrow, announced that John Hannaford took the helm from 1 July.
Hannaford brings more than 18 years of experience in the sector. He succeeds Mark Rolfe, who led the board since 2021. He has built an extensive career in finance, working as both an accountant and investment banker at Credit Suisse, and also served as a trustee for four charities – reflecting a longstanding commitment to the sector.
The Barratt Redrow Foundation works closely with national and local partners to support children, young people and those most disadvantaged across the country. Since 2021, the foundation has supported more than 1000,000 young people across the UK.
He said: “I’m passionate about supporting organisations that help alleviate disadvantage, particularly among young people, and I’m proud that the foundation is making a real difference in this area. I look forward to continuing this important work and supporting our national charity partners, where our funding is helping to drive meaningful impact.”
Two appointments, Dolphin Living
Dolphin Living has announced the appointments of Catherine Raynsford and Piers Williamson as new board members as it continues to grow and manage its portfolio of homes.
Raynsford brings over 20 years of experience in residential development. At L&G, she is responsible for L&G Affordable Homes’ strategy, working in partnership with traditional registered providers to support sector recapitalisation and increase the supply of affordable housing. Prior to working at L&G, she was a director at The Hyde Group and is current vice chair of the Real Estate UK’s Affordable Housing Committee.
Williamson is the chair of Sustainability for Housing (SfH), the board overseeing the Sustainable Reporting Standard (SRS) for the social housing sector and brings over 40 years of experience working across the UK, US and European financial markets. He previously served as the chief executive of The Housing Finance Corporation for 22 years.
Damian Sullivan, Sigma Homes Group
Sigma Homes Group has promoted Damian Sullivan to planning director
Sullivan has played a key role in shaping the company’s planning strategy for more than six years, providing expert guidance on land acquisitions, leading consultant teams, and successfully progressing sites through the planning process, from initial appraisals to planning applications and appeals.
The company is currently progressing projects across Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and London, including sites in Greenwich and other strategic locations.
Christopher East, managing director of Sigma Homes Group, said: “Damian’s promotion is thoroughly deserved and reflects the significant contribution he has made to the business over the past six years. His planning expertise, commercial understanding and collaborative approach have been instrumental in progressing a wide range of projects.”
Sullivan commented: “With an exciting pipeline of sites progressing across the South East, I look forward to building on Sigma’s reputation as a trusted land and planning specialist and helping to bring forward well-designed, sustainable places for future generations.”
