Allsop appoints new CFO/COO

Allsop has appointed Lesley Connor as its new chief financial officer and chief operations officer.

The moves comes as the 116-year-Old firm expands its services and aims for an increasingly diverse partnership.

Connor joins from KPMG where she was a director leading internal transformation programmes.

Having started her career with the Big Four forum, where she qualified as an accountant, Conor subsequently moved into deal advisory where she became COO.

Conor, who also has experience operating in a variety of line management roles, has also previously worked in corporate business development at the Daily mail group within its consumer digital division, and as operation director for its digital recruitment division, which includes brands such as Jobsite, Cityjobs and Broadbean.

Conor, who will report to Scott Tyler, senior partner at Allsop, will be responsible for supporting Allsop’s continued growth as the partnership announces 46 promotions.

Conor succeeds Wayne Taylor, who had been Allsop’s CFO and partnership secretary since 2000. He will remain with the company as a consultant.

Savills appoints head of office in Sunningdale

Savills has promoted Charles Broadbent-Combe, a director in its Cobham sales team to take on the role of head of sales and oversee its multi-disciplinary Sunningdale office.

Having worked in the firm’s Cobham sales department since 2013, Broadbent-Combe steps into his new position with circa 10 years’ experience in the industry.

Having started his career at Savills after graduating from Birmingham University, Broadbent-Combe established himself as a sales negotiator within the residential sales business and was promoted to associate just two years after joining the company. He was subsequently promoted to associate director and more recently, director, and throughout his time with Savills has focussed on properties at the top end of the market.

Broadbent-Combe commented: “Having lived in Cobham my whole life and worked locally over the past 10 years, I’m extremely excited to be taking on the challenge of heading up the Sunningdale sales team and working closely with our lettings and residential development colleagues. Through working collaboratively with the offices, the area is one I know well, plus there are a number of similarities between the Surrey offices – by way of the property types and clients.

“I’ve had some incredible mentors over the past decade who have all supported me and I look forward to the next chapter in my career with Savills.”

Head of Savills Surrey region, Simon Ashwell, added: “Given his highly successful track record thus far his detailed knowledge of the region, I’m certain that he will be a success in driving our Sunningdale sales business forward.  He is an exceptional talent and credit to our business and has already demonstrated his ability to provide a first class service to our clients look forward to seeing him take the office from strength to strength.”

GetAgent announces two major hires

GetAgent, an estate agent comparison site, has announced two new hires to its executive team.

John De Pree joins as GetAgent’s first chief marketing officer with a brief to rapidly grow the number of vendor referrals over the next three years, with property industry veteran Mal McCallion, also joining the team as chief operating officer with a focus on nurturing relationships with agents.

McCallion brings almost 30 years of experience in the property sector, with his past roles placing him at the forefront of the launch teams of both Prime Location and Zoopla.

De Pree brings more than two decades of industry experience to the table from notable brands, including Tesco Bank, Betfair, Paddy Power, and most recently from Gett Taxi as their UK Director of Marketing.

McCallion, said: “GetAgent is all about helping great agents to flourish by fuelling them with quality vendor leads.

“When I started out in the industry two decades ago, quality of service was a differentiator that the consumer would judge a handful of local agents on, usually via word of mouth.

“Today, tech has helped property in many ways, opening up the market on a huge scale and providing a far greater level of choice. But it’s made it much more difficult for vendors to tell agents apart and that’s what GetAgent is here to address, providing clarity based on performance.

“GetAgent is dedicated to ensuring that great agents grow by providing them with quality vendor leads, for free – and only charging in the same way as agents themselves do, on completion. It’s a win for everyone involved in the transaction and I’m delighted to be joining them as they continue to drive innovation in the lead gen space.”

GetAgent co-founder and CEO, Colby Short, added: “As our business matures it is important that we bring in the talent and expertise to support our growth ambitions and we’re confident Mal and John’s experience will help reach many more vendors across the UK. I’m delighted to have them on board.”