People: Director hire for architectural practice; President of Leeds Law Society announced; and more

Architectural practice Corstorphine + Wright has appointed Paul Thrussell as a director, based in Leeds and London.

Thrussell has joined Corstorphine + Wright with a key focus on commercial architecture, development of the practice’s Leeds studio, and generating new business.

Over his 30 year career, he has provided commercial design solutions for investment, end-user, and developer clients throughout the UK and Europe. He has worked with a diverse range of organisations and ran his own 80-person practice.

This has included the conversion of a number of high profile listed buildings including the Grade I listed Wool Exchange in Bradford, and York’s Chocolate Works, which was converted into a dementia care village.

Most recently, Thrussell was a senior director with international architectural practice NORR and was responsible for high profile commercial projects such as Debenham’s Oxford Street store in London and CEG’s Smallbrook Queensway regeneration scheme in Birmingham city centre.

Paul Turner, director at Corstorphine + Wright, said: “Paul has delivered projects for clients including PwC, CEG, MODA Living, Travis Perkins and a huge breadth of developers. His experience across a range of key sectors is absolutely invaluable and as a well-known personality within our industry, Paul will be instrumental in ensuring a continued pipeline of future opportunities for Corstorphine + Wright.

“Paul’s approach to architecture and design combines visual appeal, commerciality and high functionality and through his masterplanning studies, he has developed an inquisitive approach to the interaction of public and private spaces, providing a genuinely unique perspective.”

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David Cowgill, associate at Schofield Sweeney, has been appointed as president of the Leeds Law Society.

He served as deputy president for the last 12 months and his term of office as president will start on June 1.

He said: “It is an honour to be elected as president of the Leeds Law Society and I am look forward to representing the interests of solicitors and law firms in Leeds. My theme for the year will be engagement and collaboration with a particular focus on access to the profession and working with junior members who represent the future of our profession.”

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Property management and surveying firm Scanlans has strengthened its Leeds team with the appointment of Michael Willans as a senior property manager.

Willans has more than 20 years’ experience of residential block management. He was previously a senior property manager at Hunters RBM in Elland, West Yorkshire.

Before that he was a team leader at Eddisons in Leeds and then a director at Town & City Management in Darlington.

He takes on a business development role at Scanlans as well as property management responsibilities.

Scanlans currently manages apartment blocks along Yorkshire’s M62 corridor and Willans said he sees expansion opportunities across the county and beyond, in areas such as Durham, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

The firm’s Leeds office is on the Thorpe Park business and retail park, and is headed by David West.

In addition to property management, Scanlans’ Leeds-based team also offer commercial and residential property valuations, surveys and LPA receivership services.

Willans said: “Yorkshire is a thriving region with plenty of investment being made in areas such as Leeds city centre, which is making a real difference.

“The mood is buoyant and confidence in the property market is growing, which makes it an exciting time to be working in the region.”