Homeflow promotes Nik Chotai to managing director

Homeflow has announced the promotion of Nik Chotai to the role of managing director.

Chotai, who has been with Homeflow for four years as director of finance & operations, takes over from the Homeflow founders Adam Laird and Jeremy Harford Tapp, who remain in the business full time.

Laird and Harford Tapp’s new roles will focus on their work with Homeflow’s larger agency partners, as well as driving further growth for the company through strategic product development and launches, commercial partnerships, and PropTech acquisitions.

Prior to his role at Homeflow, which powers hundreds of estate agent websites and provides lead generation software to thousands of clients across the full spectrum of the property market, Chotai worked in senior financial and operational roles for a number of technology businesses.

Based on substantial growth in estate agency customers over the past 12 months, Homeflow has also been expanding its teams across development, operations, customer services, as well as sales and marketing.

Chotai commented: “Following a year of continued growth, this is a hugely exciting time for Homeflow and I’m thrilled now to be heading the team as Managing Director. It’s an exciting time for us as we continue to expand and enhance our product suite for estate agents, to empower them to push their businesses forward.”

Laird and Harford Tapp provided this joint statement: “After a period of exciting growth, we’re really pleased to beef up the senior team and promote Nik to Managing Director. He will lead the day-to-day operation of the business, which will continue to evolve to support our estate agency clients. This will enable us to focus on our large agency partners, and to push for growth opportunities by expanding our website platform and lead generation offering to estate agents. We expect this to be through new product initiatives, partnerships and proptech acquisitions.”

LRG announces the promotion of Andrew Ralph to managing director of lettings, South division

Leaders Romans Group (LRG) has announced the promotion of Andrew Ralph to managing director of lettings, south division, from his previous role as regional lettings director. He moves into this role following the promotion of Alison Thompson to national lettings managing director earlier this year.

Ralph has worked for LRG for more than six years, having joined Leaders back in 2016 as branch manager in the Southend-on-Sea branch.

Since starting out as branch manager, Ralph has progressed within the lettings business, first to area manager in 2018 and then to regional lettings director later the same year.

He commented: “I am fortunate to work for a fantastic company, alongside great people, who place paramount importance on the development of employees’ skills and progression. My thanks to the senior management team for entrusting me in this new role. I very much look forward to the next chapter of my journey with LRG!”

Alison Thompson added: “Over his career with us so far, Andrew has demonstrated great leadership and has a clear understanding of the strategic approach of our business, and he will no doubt be a great addition to our senior team enabling us to achieve our objectives over the coming years”

CIEH announces new housing policy advisory panel

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has today announced the new membership of its flagship housing policy advisory panel.

CIEH has five member-led policy advisory panels covering key policy areas for environmental health; Housing, Environmental Protection, Food Safety, Public Health, and Health and Safety. The panels include representatives from all regions and nations of the UK, so that CIEH’s work is informed by a variety of perspectives and experiences. Everyone on the panel is a CIEH member and works with the organisation on a volunteer basis.

To highlight the vital role members play within the organisation, and to strengthen their voice and influence in shaping CIEH’s policy and campaigning activities, CIEH embarked on a sweeping refresh of all of its policy advisory panels. This refresh has allowed all members who want to be involved to engage with CIEH, and also to ensure that each policy panel has a diverse membership that truly reflects the wider profession.

Consisting of 19 environmental health professionals, the housing policy panel includes CIEH members with expertise across local government, the third sector, and academia.

• Anees Mank – Housing Development and Contracts Manager – Oldham Council
• Carlene M Thomas – Senior Setting the Standards Inspection Officer – London Borough of Ealing/Commissioning Alliance
• Dick Scott – Housing & Environment Consultant – Monitor BCS UK Ltd
• Ellis Turner – Senior Lecturer – Environmental Health – Programme Leader Msc Environmental Health – UWE Bristol
• Henry Dawson – Senior/Principal Lecturer – Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Ian Higgins – Health & Housing Consultant – The Health and Housing Partnership LLP
• Ian Sanders – Principal EHO – Hull City Council
• Jade Carter-Williams – Principal Housing and Health Practitioner – Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• Janet Wade – Environmental Health Officer – London Borough of Camden
• Jill Stewart – Senior Lecturer in Housing & Environmental Health – Middlesex University
• Jo Smith – Private Sector Housing Manager – Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
• Julie Liversidge – Operations Manager (Housing, Licensing & Compliance) – Nottingham City Council
• Lindsay Shaw – Lecturer in Environmental Health – Ulster University
• Liza Wheeler – Environmental Health Practitioner – Brighton & Hove City Council
• Mark Hughes – Retired – Lifeskills charity
• Michelle Hughes – Investigator – Bristol City Council (NTSELAT)
• Paul Cowings – Housing enforcement officer (Freelance) – Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Richmondshire District Council
• Richard Tacagni – Managing Director – London Property Licensing
• Zena Lynch – Associate Professor – University of Birmingham

CIEH has been campaigning for a national landlord register for England to improve standards in the private rented sector, and works as a key member of both the Fuel Poverty Coalition and the Renters Reform Coalition.

Ross Matthewman, Head of Policy and Campaigns at CIEH, said: “We are delighted to announce the membership of our vital housing policy advisory group. The breadth of experience and backgrounds from across the country will strengthen our work as we embark on a full schedule of campaigning on housing standards and sustainability.

“The refresh of our policy panels further highlights our commitment to ensuring that members are at the heart of our policy and campaigning work.”