Former Purplebricks chief lands new property leadership role
Former Strike and Purplebricks chief executive Sam Mitchell has been appointed chief executive of Rendall & Rittner, the residential property management business owned by Odevo.
Mitchell, who led Strike’s acquisition of Purplebricks in 2023 before leaving the business in 2024, joins after spending the past year as chief commercial officer at Lomond.
In his new role, he will lead Rendall & Rittner, one of the UK’s largest residential property management businesses, as part of the Odevo group.
Mitchell has held a number of senior leadership positions across the property sector during his career.
“I’m looking forward to building on the successful history together with the team,” he said.
Claire Shepherd, chief executive of Odevo UK, added: ”Sam brings a wealth of leadership experience and a genuine focus on people.
“His track record of scaling businesses across the property sector, combined with his people-first approach, makes him exactly the right leader to take Rendall and Rittner forward. We have exciting plans in the coming months and years, building on an incredibly successful history, and with Sam at the helm, we look forward to a very bright future.”
Valouran appoints Charles Leigh as partner
Property developer Valouran has appointed Charles Leigh as a partner, having been part of the business since its launch in 2022.
Leigh joined the company as sales director when it was founded by Alex Michelin and Matthew Robertson and has led sales across its London development portfolio, which comprises nine sites with a combined value of more than £4bn and around 2.7 million sq ft of space.
Before joining Valouran, Leigh worked alongside Michelin and Robertson at Finchatton from 2015, where he led sales for a number of high-profile residential developments, including Twenty Grosvenor Square, Kingwood in Knightsbridge and the early stages of The Whiteley.
He has more than 30 years’ experience in the prime residential market and has previously held senior positions at SPINK, CBRE and Knight Frank. His background includes overseeing sales strategies, marketing campaigns and buyer engagement across major residential developments in Prime central London.
Leigh commented: “I am incredibly proud to be joining Alex and Matt as a partner in a business that I have believed in since day one. It continues to be a privilege to work alongside such a talented team and to contribute to the growth and success of a business that is helping redefine Prime central London.
“Throughout my career, I have always believed that great sales are built on passion, trust, long-term relationships and a deep understanding of what buyers truly value: a great product, beautifully designed. Combining these has helped shape our commercial strategy as well as the design, positioning and experience of our developments.
“Sales is often the closest point of contact to the market, and the relationships we build with buyers, advisers and industry partners, provide invaluable insight into how people want to live today. With an outstanding team and some of London’s most exciting projects ahead of us, I look forward to helping shape the next chapter of Valouran’s growth.”
Boyer appoints Zoe John as associate director
Planning and design consultancy Boyer has appointed Zoe John as associate director, strengthening its senior planning team in Wales and the West.
Based in the firm’s Cardiff office, John will lead a range of residential and commercial planning projects for private sector clients across the region.
Her responsibilities will include strategic site promotion, development management and overseeing complex planning projects, while supporting the continued growth of Boyer’s regional planning practice.
John joins from GJP Ltd (Geraint John Planning), where she spent 11 years as an associate. A Chartered Town Planner since 2019, she has extensive experience managing planning applications, promoting development sites and coordinating multidisciplinary project teams.
Daniel Hodgkiss, land and planning director and head of Boyer Wales & West, said: “Zoe combines strong technical planning knowledge with the ability to manage complicated projects and keep them moving. That is increasingly important as development proposals must address a wider range of policy, infrastructure and stakeholder considerations.
“Her appointment adds further senior capacity to our Wales & West office and will help us meet growing demand from clients across the Region. Zoe understands both the detail of the planning process and the commercial objectives behind a project, making her a valuable addition to the team.”
John added: “The planning system is becoming more demanding, particularly for larger and longer-term projects, so clients need clear advice, careful coordination and a consistent strategy from site promotion through to delivery.
“I look forward to working with colleagues across Boyer and the wider LRG group, building relationships with clients and helping to secure deliverable planning outcomes.”
