Directorate changes at Winkworth
Winkworth has announced the appointments of Tom Fyson and Jonathan Adams as non-executive directors of the estate agency franchise business, as well as members of the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee respectively.
The Company also announces that John Nicol, who has been a non-executive director of the firm and a member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees since 10 June 2014, has elected to stand down with effect from 12 September 2024 to pursue his charitable interests.
Fyson, a managing director of Blackdown Partners, an independent advisory firm providing public and private businesses with advice on corporate finance, M&A, capital markets, investor relations and strategy. He brings over 20 years of financial experience, having begun his career at KPMG, where he qualified as a chartered accountant, before moving into corporate finance in 2006.
Adams spent 14 years in M&A and as an equity analyst at JPMorgan before working as a global fund manager, initially at Citigroup and, subsequently, for 16 years at Investec. In 2022, he founded Butterwalk Advisory LLP, providing advice to, and investing directly in, small cap companies. He is a Senior Advisory Board Member to King’s College Cambridge’s Entrepreneurship Lab, a privately funded body with the goal of increasing awareness of entrepreneurship amongst its student membership.
Simon Agace, non-executive chair of Winkworth, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank John Nicol for his unswerving dedication to Winkworth and the significant contribution that he has made to the development and direction of the Company during his tenure.
“We are delighted to be welcoming two new members to the Board and look forward to Tom and Jonathan bringing not only their extensive professional expertise but also fresh pairs of eyes to the future growth of the Company.”
Former Fine & Country duo join By Design
James Cooper and Alia Khan, both formerly of Fine & Country, have agreed licences with By Design – a recently launched network of agents.
Khan is now managing director of By Design in Leicestershire, while Cooper, who has more than two decades experience working in estate agency, is now MD of the brand’s operation in South Devon.
Khan said: ‘The time was right for me to leave my ‘Associate’ role at F&C, and start my own premium estate agency with By Design. Its been great to see how well it has been received by the market: Leicestershire clientele love my new offering –
“I’m delighted to have won so many premium instructions already. I’m excited for the future, and eventually growing my own team of agents alongside me.”
Cooper added: “When the opportunity came for me to create something for myself, By Design had everything I needed to quickly establish a market presence here.
“I’ve got big plans for the future of the business, to expand geographically into some of the amazing areas, and homes, in South Devon and beyond, without the geographical restrictions I had before.”
David Lindley, a former chief executive of Fine & Country who launched By Design in 2022, said: “I am so proud to be working alongside Alia and James, two experts in the premium market, and support the growth of their businesses in Leicestershire and Devon.
“Alia and James were in similar positions, working for someone else’s premium agency and not enjoying the fruits of their labour. Now, with By Design, not only do they keep 100% of their commission but they are building an asset in their own businesses, with teams to support them.”
Gilson Gray announces key promotions
Rob McGregor has become head of estate agency at Gilson Gray’s property division, while Callum Sutherland now leads new business and homebuying at the firm’s residential conveyancing arm.
Fraser Cameron has also been appointed to legal director at Gilson Gray’s litigation team, which in the last 12 months has won a series of high-profile cases including short-term lets operators’ petition against City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed new licensing regime.
The latest promotions add to last month’s announcement that Emma Bradbury had been named chief operating officer at Gilson Gray financial management, after supporting its development in several roles over the past decade.
In total, there have been 18 promotions across Gilson Gray this year, including within its private client, corporate, residential, financial planning, and residential teams.
Glen Gilson, managing partner and chairman at Gilson Gray, said: “We have grown from strength to strength in recent years, and it is testament to the breadth and depth of our offering and experience within the firm that we have so many well-deserved promotions across different parts of our legal services. I look forward to watching the team develop even more in the years ahead.”
Matthew Gray, managing director of property services at Gilson Gray, added: “Rob and Callum – along with our other promotions within their teams – have thoroughly earned their new roles and will provide sound leadership to two increasingly important divisions within Gilson Gray’s property offering. We have seen substantial growth across our offices in Scotland and England over the past few years, with increasing demand for property services, which we only expect to continue this year and beyond.”
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