Property service provider DTZ has confirmed a raft of appointments across it Yorkshire and Midlands offices — including two new agency heads.
Senior DTZ director Keith Hardman (pictured above) — currently advising local authorities on eight development projects with a combined value of more than £500m — has been promoted as the new head of the property service agency’s Leeds office.
Hardman has been with DTZ, and its 2007-acquired Donaldsons, for 22 years and is currently the head its UK development team which specialises in delivering town centre development and regeneration schemes.
He has acted for Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust on the sale of 19 acres of surplus land at Seacroft Hospital and is in the process of advising the Homes and Communities Agency on several disposals, including the iconic Holbeck Tower Works at Holbeck Urban Village, where contractor Carillion has been selected as preferred developer.
Hardman admits he is looking forward to his new role. “As market conditions improve, the future plans for DTZ in the UK, and Leeds in particular, presents an exciting challenge and one that our 110-strong team is well prepared for,” he added.
“Having known the business and my colleagues for a number of years, I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with them in delivering results to our growing client base.”
In Birmingham, DTZ has expanded its project and building consultancy team with the appointment of Stephen Mealings (pictured below alongside Craig Chatwin and Richard Nock) as director heading up its newly created Neighbourly Matters team.
Based in the Midlands, but with a national remit, he will concentrate on “neighbourly matters” such as rights to light, daylight and sunlight analysis, party walls, access to neighbouring land, access agreements, easements and boundary disputes and act as an expert witness.
With 25 years’ commercial property experience, Mealings is also an active member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is a past West Midlands regional chairman. He has also twice been elected to the RICS’ governing council.
“I am extremely pleased to join DTZ’s project and building consultancy team and I’m looking forward to the challenge of establishing this new team and offering a new service to DTZ’s clients,” he said.
Joining DTZ’s 16-strong project and building consultancy team is Richard Nock who returns to the firm as associate director after 14 months at engineering firm, AECOM. Craig Chatwin is also joining from AECOM having recently qualified as a chartered building surveyor.
Elsewhere, Kent-based law firm Brachers has expanded its commercial teams with three senior appointments.
Public procurement expert, Jonathan Askin is joining the county-wide practice as lead partner in its East Kent Discovery Park office. He has held posts as senior commercial lawyer for the UK Government and senior legal counsel at the Health Protection Agency, now renamed as Public Health England.
And Maria Curtis and Barrie Jones, who join from Barnes Marsland and Gullands respectively, will both be strengthening Brachers’ commercial property department.
Siglion — the joint venture company between Sunderland City Council and management and construction services company Carillion — has recruited experienced commercial property specialist Paul Stewart as asset manager. His responsibilities include overseeing the partnership’s portfolio of retail, industrial and business centre assets.
Irwin Mitchell has recruited solicitor Joanne Shaw to its Sheffield-based property litigation team. A real estate litigation specialist, she joins the firm from the Birmingham office of Eversheds.
Corinne Travis is joining the valuation team at property consultancy Knight Frank’s Leeds office from Sanderson Weatherall, where she was a valuation and corporate recovery specialist for six years.
Story: Cliff Goodwin
Photos: DTZ
