Richard Twigg, Connells group finance director, has been appointed Connells Group interim chief executive, to lead the business until it finds a permanent replacement for David Livesey, who announced earlier this year that he is retiring, after over 35 years of service with Connells.

The estate agency says that Livesay will now begin his much-deserved retirement with the best wishes of everyone at Connells Group. He has been central to building a business with over 1,200 branches, 14,000 staff, and a turnover of £1bn per annum.

A search for a permanent successor continues, but in the meantime Twigg is heading up the business.

Sarah Whitney, non-executive chair of Connells Group, said: “I’d like to thank David Livesey (left) for the central role he’s played in the success of Connells Group. He leaves with all our best wishes for retirement.

“Richard has worked across the Group in a number of commercial and financial roles. He is immensely experienced and has a wealth of knowledge about the business. I am looking forward to working closely with Richard during this interim period whilst we continue our search for a permanent successor.”