People: Centrick; Marrons; Browne Jacobson

Property specialist Centrick has appointed a new director to spearhead its further growth in the booming build to rent sector.

Clare Johnson has joined the Birmingham-based business as build to rent director, leading its new VICI division which is currently working on a pipeline of over 1,000 units across the UK.

She joins the business having previously spent the last two years working as BTR director for brownfield developer Inland Homes where she worked alongside the planning, design, and technical teams to deliver their leasehold homes and BTR communities to the market.

She has joined Centrick to enhance their specialist BTR division VICI, and the end-to-end consultancy and management services on offer, building on her wide-ranging expertise in property development and property management. VICI delivers tailored advice and a fully integrated management solution for a wide range of BTR and mixed-use projects.

Johnson said: “I’m really excited to be joining a business as diverse as Centrick. They have a proven comprehensive trading background and in-house skill sets which sets them apart from other BTR operations out there, with not only a long-standing presence in property estate management, but also over 15 years of hands-on agency and marketing expertise; all the ingredients needed to deliver exceptional BTR schemes.

“We will be further investing in proptech in order to enhance our client-side services and provide an easy way for our customers to tap into the community lifestyle of living within a BTR community.”

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Planning, design and development consultancy Marrons has expanded its Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon teams with a trio of hires.

Partner Luke Hillson has joined the consultancy to head up its urban design and masterplanning function, while assistant planner Sarah Watkins and graduate planner Louis Jones will work to promote land and secure planning permission for developers, landowners and homeowners.

With a background in both town planning and urban design and almost 20 years’ experience delivering great places, communities and developments, Hillson is a recognised practitioner in urban design, and has extensive experience in masterplanning and strategic land promotion. He will be working from Marrons’ Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon hubs, but will be providing high-quality design consultancy services across the country.

He has joined Marrons following more than half a decade as a design director at Barton Willmore.

Watkins joins Marrons followed a two-year career break from planning to become a secondary school geography teacher. Prior to this, she worked within Countryside Properties’ development management team, working on regeneration schemes in inner London, including bidding on projects, acquiring planning permission and monitoring construction progress.

Jones has joined the team after completing his urban planning and development studies at Cardiff University. Alongside his new role, he will be working towards his masters in urban and regional planning at the University of Birmingham, which he will be completing part-time.

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Law firm Browne Jacobson has announced the appointment of a three-strong team from Irwin Mitchell to build on its restructuring and insolvency practice.

Partner and former head of restructuring and insolvency for Irwin Mitchell in Birmingham Stephen George has been joined by partner Amy Keogh in making the move to the firm’s flagship offices at 103 Colmore Row. They will be joined in October by the arrival of associate Sally Parkes.

Browne Jacobson’s restructuring and insolvency practice advises on high-value and complex contentious and non-contentious insolvency and restructuring matters for a range of stakeholders.

The team has particular strength in the manufacturing and retail sectors as well as considerable experience advising on cross-border insolvencies. The expanded team acts for, amongst others, Interpath, PwC, Teneo, Grant Thornton, A&M, FRP, RSM, BDO and Mazars.

George said: “It is an exciting time for all three of us to be joining the firm. Its investment in the West Midlands is a real statement of intent and we are looking forward to being a major part of their drive to further grow their offering regionally and nationally.”