People: Gerald Eve; Avison Young; Alwayse Engineering

Gerald Eve has announced the appointment of Hayley Miles as a development partner in the planning & development team based out of the Birmingham office.  

With over 22 years of experience in the property industry, including roles at AspinallVerdi and JLL, Miles brings a wealth of expertise to her new position.

She has worked on many high-profile projects, which include the Birmingham Levelling Up Zones, High Street Digbeth redevelopment, and masterplans for towns such as Chelmsley Wood and Wednesbury. 

During her 12 years working in the public sector, Miles played a role in initiatives such as the One Public Estate program and has worked with clients including HSBC, Galliers Homes, and IM Properties. 

Julia Chowings, partner at Gerald Eve and Head of the Birmingham office, said: “The addition of Hayley to our business, shortly after Charles Spicer’s appointment as national head of industrial & logistics, demonstrates our commitment to attracting the best talent and bolstering the national Planning & Development team. Her  extensive experience and proven track record in both the public and private sectors will further enhance our  capabilities and strengthen our commitment to delivering innovative solutions for our clients in the Midlands.” 

Hayley Miles, partner at Gerald Eve, said:“I have been excited to see the growth of Gerald Eve since the firm joined Newmark. I am now thrilled to join the business and contribute to its continued success. The Midlands  presents exciting development opportunities, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive impactful  initiatives that address the evolving needs of our clients and communities.” 

Real estate firm Avison Young has announced the promotion of Joe Williams to director in its Birmingham office.

His promotion comes two years after joining the firm.  

With over a decade of experience in the Midlands market, specialising in land and development agency, consultancy and valuation work, Williams sits within the place transactions team, providing a market-leading service to public and private sector clients in the residential sector.

Joe Williams

In his new role as director, he will support Avison Young’s Birmingham office to continue to provide a first-class service for clients, while growing the team and working closely with colleagues to drive forward the delivery of the firm’s strategic objectives. 

David Martin, regional managing director for Birmingham at Avison Young UK, said: “Joe’s promotion to Director is a clear testament to his hard work. His years of experience in land and development have made him an asset to the team, and he has been instrumental in the delivery of great results for our clients. I look forward to working closely with Joe in his new role – and to bringing new talent into the team to enable the continued growth of the business.” 

Williams said: “I’ve had a fantastic couple of years with Avison Young in Birmingham and I’m very pleased to be stepping into this new role and continuing our great work. There’s a lot of optimism in the Midlands market at the moment and, in partnership with my colleagues, I’ll be focused on delivering an unparalleled service for our clients as we move into the second half of the year.”

Dean Falconer has joined Birmingham-based Alwayse Engineering as the company’s new head of global partnerships.

Having started his career as an apprentice with Rolls-Royce before qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Falconer also brings with him 17 years of experience in sales at companies including Gould Alloys (part of AMA Metals Group), Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Integrated Polymer Solutions.

Dean Falconer

He joins the company in a series of senior hires that includes Claire Umney as managing director and James Turner as head of sales for UK & Ireland, following the acquisition of the Birmingham-based engineering company by Lifco AB in 2023.

Falconer said: “After my first week at Alwayse I can see so much potential already. We have fantastic products, a growth mentality and a great team culture. Everyone is pulling in the same direction to achieve a common goal. For me, the mission is to grow the sales with our Global Partners by finding new applications and revenue streams to explore as well as growing market share in existing markets.”

Claire Umney, managing director of Alwayse Engineering, said: “Dean has the ideal combination of first-hand engineering allied to technical sales experience that enables him to understand the high load-bearing challenges many of our potential customers are facing. We have some very ambitious plans to grow our international customer base and Dean’s appointment is a key component of our business development strategy.”