JLL appoints industry heavyweight to lead new residential business

JLL has recruited well-known industry heavyweight Simon Horan to lead its residential development business in the Midlands.

Horan, who worked as development director for Savills and CBRE before working as business development director for Henry Davidson Development, will build a new team in Birmingham, working across the Midlands region.

Ian Cornock, lead director for JLL Midlands, said: “We are seriously committed to developing our residential business and delighted that we have someone of Simon’s calibre, experience and contacts to help shape and grow the new team.

“We’re very much looking to the long term and the future of cities, responding to the rise of the ‘living’ sector, driven by changing demographics, population shifts and a new view of place making.”

Horan said: “Residential development is evolving to create some very exciting and innovative opportunities for investors and developers alike and JLL’s strategy to grow its professional team and skills come just at the right time.

“If you look at JLL’s residential business in London and Manchester, you’ll see they’re already a very serious contender in the residential sector and being able to lead a team and aim for the same level of market dominance in Birmingham and the Midlands, is an exciting prospect.

“In the spirit of JLL, we’ll be looking to bring new ideas to the fore and take a much more holistic approach to residential schemes and place making, creating new communities where people want to live, work, have fun and relax, which also provides many added value opportunities for investors and developers.

Simon added: “By integrating what we do into the wider team such as planning, valuation and public sector advisory work, we can advise not only on residential but mixed-use opportunities, essentially creating a fully integrated service provision covering all aspects of development consultancy for clients.”

JLL said Horan is the first of a number of announcements to be made about the new team in the coming months.