People: Leonard Curtis; L&Q Estates
Leonard Curtis has made an addition to its funding division, bringing on board Craig Jones as the business development manager for the Midlands.
With over two decades of experience in banking and finance, Jones has previously held roles at HSBC, where he managed 160 SME clients in the commercial team, and at Handelsbanken as a certified private banking manager.
In his new role, he will assist businesses in securing various commercial funding options, and focus on areas such as commercial mortgages, loans, and cashflow solutions, including invoice finance and bad debt protection.
He said: “At Leonard Curtis, I feel that we have a great opportunity to explore and develop our relationships with local accountants, solicitors, and other professionals by being there and accountable at the end of a personal phone, or face-to-face when businesses need help or have exciting opportunities to grow.
“Many high street commercial lenders use a credit scoring system to make lending decisions, but there is also a place for professional, experienced and expert decision-making. With over 200 lenders to choose from, we really are able to explore many different funding options thus expanding the horizons and opportunities for our clients.
“To me, the important part is having a desire to understand the business, understand what it means to the owners and key stakeholders, and find out the future plans. If you do that well with professionalism, honesty and integrity, then the right solution is much easier to find and long-lasting relationships are built.”
Land promoters and developers, L&Q Estates, headquartered in Warwick, has made two promotions to strengthen its infrastructure delivery division and reinforce its distinctive offerings in the sector.
Simon Taylor has been promoted to head of construction. His background includes working for CEMEX, a building materials conglomerate, and Skanska, a multinational civil engineering contractor.
Simon Taylor and Stuart Hodgkiss
At Skanska, he led major projects for clients such as Highways England, Network Rail, and HS2.
Before joining L&Q Estates in 2018, Taylor also gained valuable experience at civil and structural design consultancy, Tony Gee and Partners.
Starting as a project manager, he has steadily progressed through the ranks to associate technical director, and technical director, and now assumes the role of head of construction.
In another key promotion, Stuart Hodgkiss has been appointed as head of technical.
Hodgkiss embarked on his career by joining Birmingham City Council’s training program, steadily advancing to the position of senior engineer.
During his eleven-year tenure, he played a role in the design and management of projects, focusing on enhancing primary routes into the city.
Transitioning into the private sector, he later established a new infrastructure design consultancy, THDA Ltd, in 2003.
L&Q Estates became one of its clients.
In 2019, THDA Ltd underwent a complete equity buyout by a larger entity. Following the sale, Hodgkiss took a one-year sabbatical before joining L&Q Estates as technical director in 2020. Recognising his contributions, he has now been elevated to the role of head of technical within the company.
Adrian Clack, managing director at L&Q Estates, said: “Simon and Stuart’s promotions at L&Q Estates demonstrate our faith in their abilities, experience and determination to set high standards for their teams. We are securing new development opportunities across the UK and are continuing to drive the business forward.”
