Propertymark Trust names five new ambassadors
Five new ambassadors have been appointed by the board of Trustees of the Propertymark Trust after an intensive and robust recruitment process.
The five are: Jess Masterton, Michael Oomerjee, Natalie O’Sullivan, Rachel Ollington and Ben Stokes.
Jess Masterton has been in the industry since 2011 and has seen first-hand the transformative impact that learning, development, and opportunity can have on people’s lives.
Michael Oomerjee is a highly experienced estate agent and respected property professional based in West London, with a career spanning over two decades in the industry. He is also the Propertymark Regional Executive for West London.
Natalie O’Sullivan works for a small, independent estate agent based in Worcestershire where she is part of thesenior management team.
Rachel Ollington founded, grew, and successfully sold her own sales and lettings agency, working now as an industry consultant. She has first-hand experience of the challenges agents face.
Ben Stokes has been in the property industry since 2004 and a Propertymark member since 2011. He is actively involved with the organisation and in 2025, became ARLA Propertymark Vice President.
Existing Trustees Toby Martin, Mary Lou Press, Simon Leadbetter, Jasmyne Devereaux, Sian Hemming-Metcalfe, Richard Worral, Hayley Elson, Sarah Goddard and Katie Fitzgerald continue in their roles.
Lauren Scott-Simpson, chair of the Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jess, Michael, Natalie, Rachel and Ben as Ambassadors and are certain that they will all contribute significantly to building on the work we have already done and have planned for the months and years ahead.
“Having recently appointed five new Trustees, we now have an extremely strong team of Trustees and Ambassadors, ready, willing and able to move the Trust forward and build on the incredible work already achieved.”
Lloyds Living appoints Chris Duggan as chief investment officer
Lloyds Living has appointed Chris Duggan as chief investment officer, bringing back a senior figure involved in the platform’s original launch as it looks to scale its investment across the UK rental housing market.
Duggan returns to the business he helped establish after several years at Legal & General, where he was investment director in its single-family rental arm. He was part of the founding senior team at Citra Living, which later rebranded as Lloyds Living, before joining L&G to focus on investment and operational strategy.
He brings around 15 years of investment experience to the role and has overseen the deployment of more than £1bn into single‑family and multifamily rental housing across his time at Lloyds Living, Citra and L&G. His work has included some of the largest institutional commitments to the UK “living” sector to date.
Earlier in his career, Duggan spent seven years in capital markets at JLL and Knight Frank, advising institutional investors on residential and mixed‑use transactions. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation.
As chief investment officer, Duggan will be responsible for investment strategy, capital allocation and deployment across Lloyds Living’s single‑family rental and affordable housing platforms. The business is one of the UK’s largest institutional investors in single‑family rental and has set out plans to materially expand its portfolio in the coming years.
Partnerships are expected to remain a core part of that growth strategy, including investment partnerships with housebuilders and developers and development partnerships aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Chris has built particular experience in this area through his work with institutional capital and residential developers.
His appointment comes as Lloyds Living continues to expand its role in addressing the UK’s structural housing shortage, against a backdrop of sustained demand for rental housing and increasing institutional interest in the sector.
Matt Burgess, CEO of Lloyds Living, said: “He [Duggan] played an important part in shaping Citra in its early days, and the experience he has gained since — particularly in structuring partnership investments at scale — makes him exactly the right person to lead our investment strategy at this stage of our growth.”
Dandara appoints finance director
Dandara has appointed Nic Davenport as divisional finance director for its housebuilding division, strengthening its leadership team as it pursues ambitious growth plans over the next five years.
Davenport joins from Vistry Group where he held a range of senior roles including divisional finance director of the West Division. He began his career as an auditor at Deloitte, working with clients such as Taylor Wimpey.
In his new role at Dandara, Davenport will oversee the financial performance of the company’s national housebuilding business. He will support regional growth across the division, including regional expansion and strategic land acquisitions, while helping ensure the business remains efficient and resilient in the rapidly evolving market.
Based in Dandara’s Milton Keynes head office, Davenport said: “Working for Dandara is an honour for me as the company embodies the values I believe a housebuilder should have – a passion for building excellence and customer service, alongside a strong commitment to the communities it serves.
“Much of Dandara’s success is down to the fact that it doesn’t operate like an anonymous corporation, the business is structured to give autonomy to regional management teams who know their own local markets best. That ensures that the homes that are delivered in each region genuinely reflect the needs of local buyers. I’m looking forward to spending time across the regions, supporting the teams as the business continues to grow.
“While market conditions are currently challenging for the industry, housebuilding is inherently cyclical. Our focus will be on ensuring we are well-positioned to respond quickly and take advantage of future opportunities when they arise.”
Trevor Dempsey, CEO at Dandara, added: “Nic brings with him strong financial and operational experience from across the housebuilding sector, that makes him a valuable addition to the team. His experience gives him an insight into the day-to-day challenges of a housebuilding business, that goes far beyond the balance sheets.
“He has an important role to play as we continue to grow the company and strengthen our delivery across private sale, affordable housing and Partnerships. His expertise will be instrumental in helping us take the business to the next level, while ensuring we remain firmly grounded in the core values that define who we are.”
