John Lewis property director to step down

John Lewis Property & Development director Chris Harris is stepping down after more than five years at the business.

Harris will remain at the firm until November and will then look to set up his own investment business.

He is understood to have already received approaches from potential private equity backers.

Harris joined the John Lewis Partership in February 2018. During his tenure, he was part of the £500m deal with investment company Abrdn to develop 1,000 rental homes across the UK.

Previously, he worked as property & procurement director at Arcadia Group and vice president Operations & Real Estate at Blockbuster.

Harris’ departure follows a number of recent business moves by the partnership under the leadership of Chairwoman Dame Sharon White.

In February, John Lewis boss Pippa Wicks stepped down after less than three years at the company. Shortly after, Nish Kankiwala was appointed as the first-ever CEO of the John Lewis Partnership.

Spicerhaart Lettings expands its property management division 

Spicerhaart Lettings has strengthened its property management division with two new hires.

Natalie Giles has been appointed as the new property management director for the North, joining Sian Lewis as PMD for the south, under the leadership of Spicerhaart Lettings managing director Satwant Basi. Joel Walker has been appointed as one of nine property management area directors.

Basi explained: “We have undertaken a complete restructure of our Lettings division in recent months, now giving Property Management equal weighting to Residential Lettings, and we have been building a highly experienced and effective team, who are focused on building long-lasting relationships with our landlords and supporting our tenants.

“Our landlords can visit and speak in person to the person responsible for looking after their unit which only increases trust as, ultimately, we are their eyes and ears.

“In the few months since we restructured, we have already seen significant improvements across the board in terms of client retention, income and customer satisfaction, reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional property management services and strengthening our position in the market. We have many more development plans in the pipeline.”

Giles, 32, brings more than a decade’s experience, of working in the private rental sector, social and supported housing, commercial lettings and residential sales.

In her role as property management director for the north, she is looking forward to meeting the different teams and helping everyone to work to the same processes and standards, at the same time ensuring each area keeps its individual family feel.

Giles, who is also a mentor with Agents Together, said: “It’s a really exciting time to be with Spicerhaart Lettings as there are plenty of opportunities for people to develop their careers with us.

“We’re actively recruiting within our Property Management team across the country at a variety of levels, so there are opportunities to suit anyone who is looking to join our organisation and who are driven to provide outstanding customer satisfaction.”

Joel Walker, 31, has taken on the mantle as property management area director for the East Midlands region covering South Yorkshire, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Peterborough managing teams that are responsible for more than 2,300 properties.

His previous role was head of property management with independent lettings agent Fit Property in Sheffield, and he has previously held various roles at Countrywide.

“I’m most looking forward to nurturing an environment where our property managers thrive, and deliver excellent service whilst having fun,” he said.

Walker, who plays for inclusive rugby team Sheffield Vulcans in his spare time, began his career in property as a teenager while searching for a summer job before heading to university.

He joins the following as a property management area director: Charlotte O’Connor, Victoria Hart, Temi Hazarbasanova-Stuart, Nick O’Reilly, Emily Phillips, Amanda Keogh, Emma Fagan and Natalie Carter.

Redrow Thames Valley welcomes new head of construction

Redrow Thames Valley, which is currently building homes across Oxfordshire and Swindon, has appointed Ross Graves as head of construction, who brings over 20 years of industry experience to the role.

Graves started his journey in the construction sector at the age of 16 as an apprentice at Stone Mason.

He quickly worked his way through the ranks, before later becoming a site manager overseeing large housing developments.

In his former role, Graves managed a construction team and oversaw the production and operations processes, as well as supporting the team to win multiple awards.

Graves’ new role will see him take responsibility for driving the wider division forward, by managing the construction department and launching the division’s upcoming developments, including The Maltings, in Haddenham.

Graves said: “ I’ve always had a passion for the part I play in a customer’s journey – there’s nothing quite like seeing a beautiful home being built from scratch before handing over the keys to its new owners.

“Part of my new role is to enable us to ensure that we are providing the very best homes possible, delivering high quality customer service and giving more people across the region the opportunity to become Redrow homeowners. It’s a privilege to create places that people call home – I get real job satisfaction out of building thriving new communities that our homeowners make the centre of their universe.

“The current economic climate brings an added set of challenges – but I know the Thames Valley team are more than up to the task.

“I’m thoroughly looking forward to kicking off my new role, and I’m sure my background in the construction sector will stand me in great stead to ensure the Thames Valley division continues to build the best homes in the region.”

Comings & Goings