Mystery surrounds the sudden departure of the managing director of Your Move, Helen Woodhouse, who has quit after only 18 months in the job.
A statement from the company, part of LSL, yesterday afternoon confirmed that Woodhouse, 41, has resigned and already left.
It is understood that all appeared entirely normal last week, with Woodhouse doing motivational roadshows for the company’s staff.
Woodhouse was an unusual choice for the managing director role, joining from Pizza Express where she was operations director. She had previously worked at Woolworth and Comet.
She became managing director of Your Move in October 2012 and was appointed as a director on January 1, 2013.
At the time of her appointment Your Move said it believed her wealth of experience in the retail sector and track record of success should bring a “fresh perspective to the business and prove highly beneficial to its future development”.
Woodhouse, pictured below, herself said of her appointment: “I am delighted to be joining Your Move, not only because I recognise it as a successful brand and business, but because the role itself presents me with ideal opportunities to apply my wide-ranging business skills.
“I look forward to embracing the challenges ahead and driving the business from strength to strength.”
She was brought in to succeed David Newnes after he was made estate agency director of the LSL group, which includes Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons as well as Your Move.
No reasons have been given for her departure.
The statement from Your Move said: “Helen Woodhouse resigned from the company and has left to pursue another opportunity. We wish Helen all the very best for the future and thanks for all she has achieved in her time with Your Move.
“We will be selecting someone from the pool of very experienced senior managers across the LSL group to fill this role.”
It is understood that Newnes himself is filling the role for the time being.
Well what a delight to get up and have a reason to switch on the PC for Property industry news (not adverts or vexatious tosh about online estate agents designed to incite posts and site views)
This news wasn't unexpected, these corporate types are very good at that (being corporate) but Estate Agency is not a naturally corporate business, Countrywide is only succesful because it has retained respected local indentities.
Perhaps this time round the recruitment agents will actually read the CV's of those capable of doing the job instead of chasing after high profile candidates that bring nothing but a fleeting previous position to the table.
It is a pity we can't refer to our lost achive on the old site but I predicted this at the time.
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Actually, the "lost archive on the old site" can still be dug out by "real property news" archaeologists.
Although today's almost uninhabited site is strewn with tumbleweed amidst the flashing lights and old stories (Eye had the money laundering fines story a week earlier) you can retrieve the archive.
The appointment report on Oct 5 2012 generated 34 comments, many of which are very telling. Someone (was it you, ampersat?) gave her six months at 2:1.
It's here (I think you have to copy and paste the link):
http://old.estateagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/New-managing-director-named-for-estate-agency-chain
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Hi Ajax.
An example of an excellent, informative, unbiased and well-presented article on a site which now seeks to inflame to get a response.
I wonder what happened to their journalists that they could change their writing style so drastically?
Oh – hang on – I see the piece was written by…
…
ROSALIND RENSHAW. Recent, totally worthy, winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
'nuff said, methinks. ;o)
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Is that an attempt by Peebee to obtain 'comment of the week' again
😉
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Paul….you have GOT to be comment of the week for that Pee Bee response…..spot on !
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Nope, wilko – that accolade should go to Mr Walker for his comment earlier this week.
But of course there's time… ;o)
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Hey…I'm not giving it up without a fight! 🙂
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Nope. Just a well-deserved dig at EYE's "competition", Paul H… ;o)
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Well deserved indeed, they've got a featured writer giving an 'impartial' piece today whilst plugging an online company that his got shares in…Dear oh dear!
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I heard that she disagreed with the company decision to sell properties for just £100 and get the purchaser to pay 2% (following the same route as Arun group.)
I have collected a number of promotional cards from our vacant properties that really are pushing it.
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If this is the case Wilko, good on her as I don't agree with it either – conflict of interest.
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''joining from Pizza Express where she was operations director''
Maybe she just got 'cheesed off' with the job and decided she could earn a better 'crust' elsewhere. Perhaps another firm where offering a bigger 'slice' of the action.
cant think of any more at the moment.
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Ahhh, wardy – you can always be relied upon for your insight matey! ;o)
All we need is Jonnie to show up and I'll be bu99ering up keyboards on a daily basis again!
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It was a bit lame really. It was either pizza 'based' gags or explain to a new vendor why I cant call his storage heaters highly energy efficient.
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In fairness to your new vendor, wardy – nsh ARE highly energy efficient.
No-one ever turns them on.
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Hi Ampersat
You can 'search' over there (they just don't make it easy…) if you want to return and have that dirty, creepy feeling all over you once more – but I pulled it up out of their archive for the **** of it.
Now then – way 'back in the day' of October 2012 you hadn't adopted 'Ampersat' as your monicker – so I'm looking at each post and wondering which is you. Erm… actually, no I'm not – I think that may be one of the first times we locked horns over a particular matter… am I right? ;o)
I still stand by what I said then. Ms Woodhouse had NO CREDENTIALS for the job. Other than previously holding senior(ish) positions at various retail organisations – most of which seemed to slide into receivership either during of after her employment – there was nothing that indicated she was 'right' for the position. That being said – someone in LSL thought she was the person to take the job forward, so she got it.
As I said at the time:
"I always wanted to be a brain surgeon. I have no relevant experience; no necessary skill as my hands shake like sheep **** snowballs; and I'd probable lobotomise everyone I touch.
HOWEVER, if the board of recruitment at the hospital feel that I have what it takes when I apply for the job, then I will fulfill my dream – to the severe detriment of any patient I come within scalpel's reach of.
In short – don't knock the lady. She only applied for a job.
Those who hired her should live or die by their decision."
It is THAT person who should now be looking back at the last eighteen months, and answering to the Board as to why their decision was right.
I just wonder if THAT person is now like a sheep ***** snowballs? ;o)
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It's interesting that companies employ persons in the top jobs that have no understanding of the business. A bit like cabinet ministers.
Rightmove have a policy NOT to employ estate agents…perhaps that is why their understanding of our businesses is so poor?
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Well, wilko – you've hit the metal spike on its flattened end there.
…mind you, a certain Mr Shipside might take you to task about RM not employing (former) Estate Agents…
Maybe Ms Woodhouse would have benefited from a year in a branch in Cleethorpes or some other exotic location learning the ropes before tugging them from the helm.
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…mind you, a certain Mr Shipside might take you to task about RM not employing (former) Estate Agents…
His no 1 stated that…not I.
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I think the only time we disagreed is when you were wrong about the value of a Rightmove subscription, otherwise we tend to think fairly much the same way.
Returning there now would be like hauling up Ratners for the Fire Sale of cheap tat.
Anyhow although there is much enjoyment to be had from mocking a good Petard Hoisting I am mindful not to cause Ros any more hassle, embarrassment or bad feelings from those we have all left behind so will say no more on that.
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Wise words, mon ami.
EXCEPT about me being wrong, that is…
…unless you are my wife – in which case, yes dear. ;o)
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An example of a go-getting CV wooing the board and blinding them from to the lack of actual experience in this industry. Skills are transferable, experience less so.
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"An example of a go-getting CV wooing the board and blinding them from to the lack of actual experience in this industry."
That being the case, then the Board would be to blame for their choice, yes?
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In my opinion yes. Cant blame the applicant for going for the job, the decision maker should be the one against the wall. The individual(s) that said 'yes she doesn't know a lintel from a lentil but she knows her way around the pick'n'mix aisle, lets make her MD' should have a long hard look in the mirror.
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It was not like that the recruitment company had closed the door on genuinely qualified for the job applicants well before the closing date. The appointment process was one of ‘we have filled the job with a candidate we have already buy let's use the opportunity for a high profile advertisement.
A total sham and an expensive one!
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The ability for me to type properly, even more less so.
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Hang on everyone… reality check.
I worked for Helen as an RMD for 7 months. She was not an expert on the property market and would be the first to say so – but it was our role to deliver results in the regions. She is however, an strong leader, full of energy and worked ******* hard. Helen's role was to focus and coordinate a joined up message and deliver results. These results were duly delivered. I am not ashamed to say that I learned a much from her – her retail background translated well into Estate Agency and gave me an insight into the benefits of attention to detail and presentation .
The chap who runs British Gas probably can't install a boiler – and many CEO's of hospitals probably cant whip out your appendix – Helen wasn't employed as a negotiator.
How many lets has the CEO of Foxtons agreed? None. They aren't doing too badly are they?
Whatever the reason for her departure, it wasn't sale by tender as that was a key focus last year too. It's not a new thing for Your Move, in fact it pre-dated my time.
So enough of the speculation. It is usual for people to leave swiftly in large corporates. They wanted me to leave quite quickly – and that was just in my first week. 😉
I enjoyed working with Helen. It wasn't always easy, she is tough and uncompromising – and I spent some considerable time on the naughty step. When I resigned, she was very kind and understanding and managed to conceal her smile – nearly. Nevertheless, she is a person for whom I have a lot of respect.
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Fair comment, Mr W.
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I have been in the position of picking a firm out of a desperate situation and have a fairly good idea of what works and what doesn't. If you had supplied that as a reference for the lady I am afraid there is not a single quality in there that would help that particular organisation out of the hole they were in and remain in and as 18 months have proven she has not performed nearly half as well as the quiet and affable Ian Wilson at the all too often maligned Martin and Co.
The point is not necessarily to be able to do the job but to understand and motivate staff to want to smile, want to win instructions and want to sell property.
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