People: Crystal Specialist Finance; Centrick; Harper James
Dan Morris
A Tamworth-based finance firm has recently elevated two key members of its team, to strengthen connections with regional professional entities seeking tailored property finance solutions.
Crystal Specialist Finance has announced the appointment of Sat Bhandal as corporate sales director and Dan Morris as intermediary sales director.
He will oversee an expanding team of client relationship directors, dedicated to addressing all aspects of property finance requirements.
CSF offers a range of financial advisory services and product offerings sourced from an extensive network of over 100 lenders across six sectors: Bridging, buy mortgages, commercial, development finance, second-charge loans, and specialist residential.
Bhandal said: “Crystal Specialist Finance has already established itself as one of the UK’s most respected property finance specialist distributors,” said Bhandal, who previously gained extensive experience in the finance markets with NatWest and Yorkshire Bank. The speed and efficiency with which we respond to every property professional enquiry, no matter how complicated, are recognised to be industry-leading and in my new role I intend to ensure that these benefits are available to an increasing number of regional clients.”
Morris takes full responsibility for the management of the telephony and field sales teams and will leverage his experience to drive growth through new and existing finance broker relationships.
Group sales director, Jason Berry: “This strategic decision underscores Crystal Specialist Finance’s commitment to nurturing talent from within the business and empowering employees to take on greater responsibilities. Both Sat and Dan have been with us for a combined 11 years and are exceptional individuals who have proven track records of achieving sales growth. In their new leadership positions, they’ll both be able to own and maximise the opportunities that exist in their particular channels, and I have no doubt they will serve the needs of both their teams as well as our brokers, introducers and professional partners superbly.”
Property specialist Centrick has appointed four new team members to grow its building safety and compliance team.
James Capper, who has been promoted to group director for building safety and compliance, has been joined by four new recruits as the company builds on its solid foundations in the sector
With more than a decade of experience in property and the built environment, Capper holds member status at both the Institute of Fire Safety Managers and Institute of Residential Property Managers among other governing bodies.
Having been instrumental in growing Centrick’s building safety team in a changing landscape, he now oversees the building safety division across the group to include VICI BTR Portfolio Management, PRS Portfolio Management and Building & Estate management, supporting clients and customers in navigating the new and existing building safety regimes. He holds a number of level six qualifications in the built environment and ensures Centrick operates within the PAS8673 framework for management of higher-risk residential buildings.
Connor Scherer has joined as associate director in building and safety compliance. Prior to joining, Scherer worked as part of the Cortland Group under its LIV brand as head of building safety before becoming portfolio director for a large freeholder.
He has worked on over £60 million of cladding remediation projects from start to finish, as well as the delivery of on-site compliance for live schemes. His extensive experience has kept him well-versed in the intricacies of building safety and compliance which enables him to navigate the complexities of this sector.
Bettina Winger has been appointed building compliance manager. Winger has over seven years’ experience working in asset management for a large and prestigious freeholder. Specialising in health and safety, compliance, fire safety and risk management as well as buildings insurance, her experience enables her to efficiently manage large portfolios and ensure they adhere to building safety regulations and legislations. Her appointment strengthens the administrative governance of Centrick’s broader teams.
Centrick has also created a role for managing agents by appointing Elaine Birkley as resident engagement manager. Berkeley’s appointment will not only fulfil a new requirement from the Building Safety Regulator but also bolster Centrick’s building safety offering to higher risk buildings with a specific focus on the PAP requirements of BSA 2022 and safety cases.
Louise Rillie has also joined the team as building remediation manager. Having worked in property for over eight years, Rillie has extensive experience across the industry and understands the complexities of the sector. She is highly skilled in project management and major works and understands the importance of projects being delivered on time and with regular communication updates throughout.
Phil Johns, group managing director at Centrick, said: “Our ambition as a group has always been to deliver a truly exceptional service, building a team of highly skilled property professionals that genuinely care about our clients and the residents we support. The arrival of these four experienced and talented individuals clearly demonstrates that commitment is stronger than ever.”
Harper James, the full-service commercial law firm has bolstered its commercial property practice by appointing Parmjit Gill as head of commercial property and Sarah Fecitt as senior commercial property solicitor.
Their appointments form part of the firm’s ambitious growth plans to double its turnover by 2026 and they support an increasing client demand for commercial property and construction support. The commercial property team’s sales revenue doubled over the last financial year while the firm grew by 42%.
Gill’s career spans more than 20 years. She has led a national team of lawyers to deliver the full spectrum of commercial property law, and she is also well-versed in advising and supporting clients on acquisitions, disposals, site assembly, and development contracts in both a commercial and residential context, as well as investment finance and refinancing.
During Gills’s career, she has handled deals ranging from £3m to £300m. She gained experience at global multinational law firm Eversheds and served as a Partner at Roythorne Solicitors. Additionally, she has worked as General Counsel at SevenCapital, a prominent UK property developer, and as Head of Legal at Crosslane Property Group.
Fecitt has over 15 years of post-qualification experience in private practice at Top 50 and Top 100 law firms, including Birketts LLP and Weightmans LLP. She has also spent time working for The Emerson Group, one of the UK’s largest privately owned property investment and development companies. A specialist in commercial real estate, Sarah has a plethora of experience in transactional matters between tenants and landlords, refinancing, auctions, acquisitions, portfolio management, development and more.
Speaking on her appointment with Harper James, Parmjit Gill comments: “It is an exciting time to join Harper James as Head of Commercial Property as the firm embarks upon its ambitious growth plans. I was drawn to the firm’s culture, the quality of clients and work and its alternative approach in the legal sector. It’s refreshing to be able to offer all our clients the opportunity to work with senior lawyers coupled with complete transparency, accountability and accessibility around costs. Harper James challenges the traditional approach and I think it’s about time too!”
On Parmjit and Sarah’s appointments, Legal Services Director, Ashley Mott adds: “Welcoming Parmjit and Sarah, both highly seasoned specialists in commercial property law, and appointing Parmjit to head up the practice marks a significant step forward for the growth of our commercial property law offering. Their arrival further bolsters the expertise of our team of senior commercial property solicitors and enables us to support our clients’ growing commercial property requirements.”
