EYE NEWSFLASH: Connells Group announces appointment of new CEO

Helen Charlesworth

Connells Group has just announced the appointment of Helen Charlesworth as its new group CEO. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.

Connells Group, part of the Skipton Group, says that Charlesworth, who was managing director of Your Move between September 2012 and August 2014, is renowned for her exceptional leadership qualities which she has demonstrated across various sectors including retail, hospitality and estate agency.

Charlesworth’s most recent role was managing director at the Stonegate Group pub company, where she spent eight years leading the group, completing a number of successful acquisitions.

Charlesworth said: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Connells Group and am looking forward to getting back into estate agency.”

Stuart Haire, Skipton Group chief executive, added: “I am delighted to welcome Helen as Connells new Group CEO and look forward to working with her to help Connells onto even more exciting successes.

“I would also like to thank Richard Twigg for the excellent role that he has played over the last twelve months as interim CEO – Richard will revert to his formal role of chief finance and commercial officer following Helen’s induction.”

Charlesworth will join Connells Group at the end of September 2024.

 

EYE NEWSFLASH: Connells Group boss quits after 35 years

 

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13 Comments

  1. Yorkshireman

    OMG! Formerly Helen Woodhouse. I’ll say no more.

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    1. NHGURU

      Cant be the same person surley ?

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    2. Industry insider

      Skipton Building Society owns and makes the key decisions for Connells. However its very unusual to give this CEO role to someone with only 2 years experience at a much smaller agency.

      Bad news for the existing Connells senior management who have given many decades of loyal service. Clearly Skipton does not have confidence to promote them into this role!

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  2. But seriously...

    Anyone else reading Helen Charlesworth and thinking Alison Platt?

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  3. whatdoiknow58

    To be fair to the lady she does at least have some agency experience whereas Ms Platt had absolutely none and thought she could soon get up to speed… what could possibly have gone wrong?

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  4. Gangsta Agent

    kick in the teeth for the up and coming top nobs at Connells who thought many years of “kiss ass”, would get them the job

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  5. NHGURU

    What a solution

    GLA

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  6. Bryan Mansell

    Helen is an exceptional leader, notably with experience in estate agency. I had the pleasure of working alongside her and this is good news for Connells.

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    1. rsvstu97

      Time will be the judge of that.

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  7. Robert_May

    Late to the party on this one- If Carlsberg did change management challenges. I am going to applaud Helen for taking on a role few would relish and very few would be up to.
    If you look at this objectively she is taking on the double bubble of staff who are long term loyal to David , David and Co and another set of staff who had loyalties to another set of respected bosses. Can anyone here ( apart from Please Miss, Me Miss, over here Miss) really be confident of filling the void left by some very respected industry bosses in what is the most challenging market since the Miras crash?

    Whoever took over from Mssrs Livsey and Plumtree had some very big shoes to fill but given the second set for Bob, Grenville and Co Helen really has got a job on. I wish her well

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  8. Robert_May

    I’ve now run the numbers 78 brands with 82,000 listings. the biggest brand has nearly 12,000 listings alone. Most of the brands have been independent agents where the staff have had to adapt to corporate ownership, then had to endure the challenges of a change of direction that would challenge most professional estate agents and then the uncertainty of their group being sold to the group they were competing with for years as independents and then as corporate agents Just as all that starts to settle down 30+ year careers force another change on the group. Add to that transaction volumes are lower than at any time since 1989 so I am going to take my hat off to Helen and say to the people who can’t accept this appointment. Give her time and your support, you need to be working as a team. Helen’s job is to direct the ship but the day to day challenge of winning instructions in a tough market then finding buyers for the homes listed hasn’t changed.

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    1. NHGURU

      The bigger question is why both senior figures left so suddenly

      I said CWD would either be the deal of the century or an act of madness topped off with a large dollop of ego

      I’d imagine with all the shenanigans now going on and the yes sir please sir three bags full sir management left it’s going to an interesting couple of years

      Connells should have stayed just Connells -that was always the bright diamond of yesteryear

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      1. Robert_May

        Who knows? it’s not fair to speculate but from personal experience being required to train your new boss wasn’t something I was prepared to do.
        If you’ve waited loyally and patiently for a position and in everyone’s eyes deserve the job, continuing in your present role becomes untenable.

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