After starting the year with several high-profile hirings at its Birmingham office CBRE has now completed a bumper round of promotions — with 12 staff members moving up the ranks.
David Smith, who joined the property consultancy in 2006, is now a senior director in the national team. Moving up from his 2009 appointment as operations director, his new responsibilities include all operational matters across CBRE’s 10 offices outside London, managing strategic development, business and financial planning.
Adrian Willet, who has been with CBRE for two years, has been named senior director of its Midland’s development team. He will advise on the sale and acquisition of commercial land and private rented sector-led investment opportunities for a range of landowners, developers, property funds and financiers in the residential sector.
Five associate directors have also been promoted to director. They are Charlotte Butcher, global corporate services; Eleanor Deeley, from development; Alison Grunstein, valuation; John Marsden, rating, and Paul Muldoon, engineering services.
Gareth Bennett and Fodos Gregoriou, both who work within global corporate services, Helen Palgrave, of property and asset management, and Daniel Read, a member of the engineering services team, have been promoted from senior surveyor to associate director. And John Roovers has been promoted to senior surveyor in the rating team.
“All of these employees have been with us for a number of years and these promotions are a fitting reflection of their hard work and commitment to CBRE,” said Martin Guest, managing director of CBRE’s Birmingham office.
A commercial property specialist with almost 10 years’ experience in the City of London is joining the eight-strong commercial property team at Battens Solicitors.
Robert Wright, whose spare time is taken up with competitive chess, will be a consultant at the 300-year-old law firm handling all aspects of business property transactions and instructions and working from its offices in Sherborne, Dorchester, Weymouth and Yeovil. “There are definite links between chess and property law,” he admits. “Both require strategy, vision, calculation and assessment.”
Bizspace, the Greater Manchester business accommodation agency, has appointed a new property director to its board.
David Guest, the former executive director at property developers Bruntwood, will oversee the commercial and operations team in supporting the sales team and centre managers across Bizspace’s nationwide locations.
Commercial property specialist Luke Rees has joined East Midlands law firm Fidler & Pepper as the latest member of its expanding commercial department.
Rees, who qualified as a solicitor in March 2009, will focus on dealing with all commercial property and land transactions such as sales and purchases, leasehold matters on behalf of landlords and tenants, commercial financing, business sales and purchases, share sales and purchases, and shareholders agreements.
The family run property agent Edwards & Co has promoted Richard Dinsdale to associate director. He has been with the South Wales company for almost eight years, joining as a graduate surveyor in June 2006.
Story: Cliff Goodwin
Photo: Neil Bird
