A former managing director with Countrywide has joined a major independent.

Curchods, a 21-branch business in Surrey which also trades as Burns and Webber, has appointed Michael Ansell as new group managing director.

Ansell, who takes up his position on May 3, comes with over 30 years’ estate agency experience – 29 of which were spent at Countywide.

He became its youngest subsidiary managing director ever appointed and latterly served as a divisional director for the firm’s London south division. He left the firm in 2011 and has since been acting as a consultant.

He now joins an exceptionally successful business, established at Weybridge in 1938 and which has been grown significantly during the last 25 years by John Slatter and Andrew Dewar.

Slatter and Dewar issued a joint statement saying: “Whilst we have kept pace with the ever-changing world around us, we decided it was time to bring in someone of Michael’s age and experience for the future operation and growth of the company.

“We are supremely confident that there will continue to be a good place on the high street for accomplished agents who add value to their client’s transactions.”