The Arun Estates Group, which has 120 offices across the south-east, has said it is “delighted” to announce the recruitment from Countrywide of Keith Knight.

Knight will head up the Brighton and East Sussex division of its Cubitt & West subsidiary.

Knight originally worked for Arun in a senior capacity for a number of years before joining Countrywide in 2007.

At Countrywide, he rose to become managing director for the south-east, before being appointed retail director for the same area in Countrywide’s huge restructure in October last year.

Knight left just nine months later, in July this year, with Countrywide saying he was taking on “a new challenge”.

Knight’s new appointment at Arun has sparked a number of changes within its senior management team.

Knight’s predecessor in Brighton, Jon Lock, takes over responsibility for the east Kent offices of sister company Ward & Partners.

Aldo Sotgiu, previously Ward & Partners’ managing director, becomes managing director of operations for the group, working closely with group MD David Lench.

Lench said: “We are obviously very pleased to welcome Keith back into the Arun fold, where he previously made a significant contribution to the group’s early success.

“In addition to further reinforcing our already outstanding senior management team, his arrival has also given us the opportunity to re-assign responsibilities to ensure that Arun is even better equipped to grow and prosper amid the challenges inherent in a more difficult market.”

Knight, pictured, said: “From my own previous experience with the Group, I know Arun is run by people who really have estate agency in their blood, people who have worked their way up through the ranks to the very top of their profession.”