Property Appointments: IPF; Redrow; Wates

REAL estate lawyer Darren Williamson has been appointed chairman of the Midlands region of the Investment Property Forum.

The forum is considered the UK’s leading membership organisation for property investment professionals.

Mr Williamson takes over from James Cubitt, a director in the valuation and advisory services team at Colliers International in Birmingham, who held the office for two years.

Mr Williamson is a partner and national head of real estate at Freeths, and is based at the firm’s Nottingham office. He is responsible for a national team of over 160 and specialises in advising developers, funds and retailers on commercial property matters. He is the first East Midlands-based chairman of the Midlands branch of the IPF.
He has been a board member for four years.

Passing the baton, Mr Cubitt said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the term as chairman during which we have grown the Midlands membership to its highest ever level and firmly established the IPF Midlands annual dinner as the premier industry event in the Midlands. I am confident that in Darren I am leaving the organisation in very capable hands.”

The IPF was established in 1988 as a forum for senior professionals in the property investment market. Its aim is to promote property as an investment class through research, education and debate. The organisation has over 2,000 members across the UK, with regional groups in the Midlands, North of England and Scotland.

The Midlands Region was set up in March 2000 with just 25 members. Since then it has grown to more than 230.
 
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James Poyner, managing director of Redrow Homes’ Midlands divisionJAMES Poynor (left) has been appointed managing director of Redrow Homes’ Midlands division, based in Tamworth.
 
His remit includes developing the company’s strong presence in the West Midlands, while also identifying new opportunities for growth in the East Midlands.
 
Mr Poynor, 43, joins Redrow from Countrywide, where latterly he was group residential development director, overseeing its planning, land, consultancy, new homes sales and investment arms in the new homes sector both in the UK and Hong Kong.

He said: “We (Redrow) have a very strong presence in the West Midlands, plus a cluster of sites in the Leicester area, but I would like to see us pushing further east into Nottinghamshire and perhaps Derbyshire with new land acquisitions. These are areas where we have built successfully before and are perfect for Redrow’s product.”  

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John Carlin, Business Unit Director for the Midlands, Wates CONSTRUCTOR Wates has appointed John Carlin (left) as Business Unit Director for the Midlands.

The senior appointment comes as the business looks to strengthen its presence across the region, targeting new business in the commercial, private residential and higher education markets as well as growing its public-sector portfolio.

Mr Carlin joins Wates following a 24-year tenure with Bowmer and Kirkland, 11 of which was spent as Divisional Director, which saw him lead the business’ retail and mixed-use project portfolio across the country.

With 36 years of industry experience, he has a wealth of knowledge on a range of issues, including early adoption of off-site modular construction.

He will lead the established Midlands team in delivering its regional project portfolio, which currently includes Ardstone Capital’s refurbishment of Phoenix House in Birmingham.

Mr Carlin will also be charged with expanding the business’ presence in the region, underpinning the Wates Group’s strategy to double annual turnover to £2bn.

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