Estate agency director brings 25 years of experience back to Spicerhaart

Peter Mervill has returned to Spicerhaart to oversee the Yorkshire region as estate agency director.

Mervill, 46, will be offering help and support to his colleagues to help drive their business forward across the Haybrook brand.

He had previously worked for Spicerhaart for more than seven years, before moving to Sequence where he held the titles of area manager and area director.

Mervill commented: “I bring a significant period of experience within the South Yorkshire market, have understanding of all jobs within estate agency, a proven record of success and good area management experience, all of which I can bring to the role.

“While happy in my previous position, I am at a stage in my life and career when a new and fresh challenge is extremely exciting.

“My time at Spicerhaart before was extremely happy so I was delighted to have a chance to return and embark on a new chapter in my career.”

Daniel Ansell, Spicerhaart MD, commented: “It’s brilliant to have Peter back with us.

“There can’t be many people in the industry who know the market locally like he does, and the teams he is overseeing in Yorkshire will benefit greatly from him sharing his knowledge.

“I’m sure he will help us gain market share and deliver great results for Spicerhaart.”

New Board appointment at John Shepherd 

Lomond has strengthened its senior management team in one of its key heartlands.

It has promoted Katie Ridley into the new role of sales director of its Midlands brand, John Shepherd, whose six High Street offices cover the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

Ridley, who joined the business in 2018, will be a member of the Birmingham regional board of Lomond and will work in close partnership with John Shepherd CEO, Richard Crathorne, and operations and property management director, Chris Blick.

She will play a key role in growing the existing sales business, establishing a broader footprint for John Shepherd in the central belt of the UK, and supporting Lomond with strategic new acquisitions.

Additionally, she will support Lomond’s CEO Ed Phillips, chief finance officer Ian Sutherland and chief operating officer Lucy Jones on a series of group-wide projects, new initiatives and business improvements.

Richard Crathorne said: “Throughout John Shepherd and the wider family of Lomond brands, we are committed to promoting home-grown talent when opportunities arise.

“Katie’s proven expertise in sales – she previously spearheaded our Collection portfolio of prestigious properties as well as our land and new homes specialism – will be a great asset in the next stage of our expansion.

“This new board-level appointment is another clear signal of our ambitious plans to grow our business across several new locations, while focusing on delivering a great customer service to ensure we achieve the very best sales and lettings business across the Midlands.”

McCarthy Stone appoints new COO to lead growth 

McCarthy Stone, the developer and manager of retirement communities, has appointed Shane Paull as its new chief operating officer.

Paull has worked at the business for the past 23 years. He joined McCarthy Stone in 2000 and progressed quickly, becoming land director in its Southern division in 2006 and then divisional MD for Southern in 2012, a position he has held for the last 11 years. Paull has been responsible for the development of more than 100 retirement communities during his time as DMD.

Paull will take on his new role from Monday 3 April and will be responsible for McCarthy Stone’s strategic development functions, including land, planning, build, construction and health & safety, as well as group sales & marketing. He will report to the group’s chief executive, John Tonkiss, and will continue as a member of McCarthy Stone’s executive committee, supporting the company’s four divisional MDs. His replacement in Southern will be confirmed shortly.

Paull commented: “I am a passionate believer in the ability of retirement communities to improve the lives of older people, having seen this first hand for the past 23 years. I will use my experience at McCarthy Stone to continue to develop our product and its quality so it can support many more people in the future. My focus will be on helping us to innovate, drive consistency, control build costs, and develop our brand and proposition.”

Tonkiss added: “He is hugely respected across the organisation and the sector, and his experience of developing high-quality retirement communities is second to none. Shane will play a key role in driving growth in the business to move us back to building and completing 2,000 units a year.”