Laura Dam Villena takes over from James Hyman at Cluttons
Cluttons has hired Laura Dam Villena from Knight Frank as head of the company’s London residential agency business.
Dam Villena, who has worked in London’s estate agency sector for 15 years, joins as a partner from Knight Frank where she led the Hyde Park office for four years. She had previously set-up and run the firm’s first office in Queen’s Park, NW London.
She will now lead the strategic vision for Cluttons’ London residential estate agency branches in Chelsea, Hyde Park, Islington, Tower Bridge and Wapping, as well as work with the wider residential side of the business.
Chris Morris, recently promoted to head of London lettings, will be supporting Dam Villena in her new role – replacing James Hyman, who is assuming the strategic role of strengthening and growing the business’ UK residential investment service line alongside Jo Leverett.
Dam Villena commented: “The company has been a key driver of the UK property market for over two centuries; each part of the business, from residential valuations to property management, is brimming with talent and delivering great results in the capital’s most exciting residential markets. I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and helping to increase the ways in which we can offer our clients best-in-class service.”
John Gravett, managing director at Cluttons, commented: “Laura Dam Villena is an established star in the prime market. Our ambition over the next five years is to accelerate our profitable growth in the London residential sector. We’re delighted to have her in the team, and we know that her experience and ideas will provide that additional spark in our ambitions for growth.”
Winkworth names replacement for Margaret Doregos as company secretary leaves
The directors of Winkworth have announced the departure of Margaret Doregos as company secretary with immediate effect. She served in her role since 4 June 2009 and now intends to pursue other interests.
Doregos, who is still listed on the Winkworth website as being company secretary for both Winkworth franchising and Winkworth PLC, until yesterday oversaw the day to day running of the internal accounts department, ensuring all monies throughout the network are paid on time and each department remains within their individual yearly budgets.
The Board expressed its gratitude to Doregos’ valuable contribution and dedicated service to the company during her tenure.
The Board also announced that it has appointed Andrew Nicol as company secretary. He has been CFO for the Group since 2016, is now CFO and company secretary.
Employeess invest in SLC Property
Two employees from SLC Property have taken their commitment to the business to the next level by making a personal financial investment in the company and joining the board of directors.
Sable Leigh Property (trading as SLC Property) has been in operation since 2016 and is a national property consultancy providing a wide range of land and planning services.
The company has seen growth across new sectors and has increased its employee headcount by 25% in two years.
Russell Mills and Susan Fisher have been instrumental in this success, with Russell leading the Acquisition and Development team and Susan the Rail and Regulation team.
Mills said: “SLC Property is a fantastic business, which is why I’ve long aspired to have a stake in it. There is a growing opportunity for the business as we are well-placed to support our clients navigate challenges such as planning reform.
“I’m excited about seeing us grow further and to assist even more clients across various sectors with their property challenges, supporting projects to be delivered more efficiently, on time, and within budget.”
Fisher added: “I’ve been with SLC Property for nearly a decade, and I love everything about this company, particularly the ethos and genuine care for our people. I also enjoy supporting our clients with rail regulation, and our team has a lot of knowledge to help work with transport authorities and the government on rail reform.
“I’m looking forward to being part of our decision-making process and supporting our company’s success even more!”
As part of this move, Susan and Russell have been appointed to the Board of Directors to drive future expansion. Susan is now Operations Director, and Russell will become Managing Director, replacing Julie Throssell.
Ian Walters, founder and director of SLC Property, said: “When starting a business, the dream is that your team will share the same level of enthusiasm as you do for it, so having Russell and Susan invest their own money is something special. This highlights our success in building a company that inspires passion for our work and our culture.
“I look forward to Russell and Susan joining our board, and I would like to express my gratitude to Julie Throssell for her leadership and support as acting managing director.”