People: IM Properties; Heligan Group; BDO LLP

Solihull-based property developer, IM Properties has made two appointments that mark the beginning of a new chapter for its residential and strategic land division – IM Land.

Richard Knight has been promoted to the senior management team of IM Properties as UK residential delivery director.

Knight will spearhead IM Land’s strategic growth to seek out new opportunities and oversee the delivery of the already substantial portfolio within IM Land, which has the potential to deliver over 13,000 new homes.

Glen Langham joins as residential planning director, bringing over 25 years of experience and expertise working at a senior level within Gallagher Estates, Bloor Homes and AC Lloyd.

Knight said: “With the substantial backing of IM Properties, we enter 2025 with renewed focus and a clear strategy. Glen’s appointment underlines our commitment and ambition to grow our residential strategic land and development business.

“We continue to work in partnership with local authorities, institutions and landowners to maximise the value of their land, while also collaborating with developers and housebuilders to deliver high quality, sustainable developments in line with IM Properties’ Sustainable Futures strategy which focuses on delivering against the three key pillars of People, Planet and Place.”

Langham said: “I am excited to join IM Properties at a pivotal moment in the business’s growth plans, delivering schemes which align with my own professional goals and values. It’s going to be a busy year with existing and new opportunities, and I look forward to working with IM Land’s highly skilled and dedicated team, to help contribute to its continued success.”

Tim Wooldridge, managing director of IM Properties said: “We are fortunate to have the exceptional expertise and leadership of Richard and Glen to lead the team and help us deliver sustainable, high-quality developments while driving growth in the years ahead. Together, we are well-positioned to capitalise on the opportunities within the real estate sector and build on our reputation for maximising value and delivering best-in-class developments.”

 

Heligan Group has appointed Nick Leitch as managing partner to strengthen investment leadership and accelerate growth.

Leitch is a highly respected professional in banking and financial services, with expertise in addressing transaction-based, working capital and growth funding needs across diverse corporate sectors.

He brings a wealth of experience from his eight-year tenure at Shawbrook, where he served as managing director.

Nick Leitch

During this time, he built and led the corporate lending business in origination, portfolio and asset management into a nationally recognised business.

At Shawbrook, he excelled in spearheading funding for transactional M&A and buyouts, achieving growth to £1B in facilities within the non-clearing bank specialist lending markets.

With over 30 years of experience in banking, investment and commercial leadership roles, Leitch began his career at banks including First National, Barclays and Lloyds TSB, where he developed an extensive understanding of secondary and mainstream banking.

Building on this foundation, he transitioned into restructuring and debt advisory at Ernst & Young before moving into private equity and investment roles with Endless and Seneca.

He said: “Joining Heligan aligns with my ambition to return to investing, business building, and driving growth in equity markets with a unique sector specialism. The team’s expertise in intelligence, law enforcement, and cyber security is unrivalled, and I’m excited to build on this success to position Heligan as the leading investor and adviser of choice in technologies for Nation State and Enterprise Security, Crime Prevention and Public Safety.”

Dr Tim Grasby, CEO of Heligan Group said: “We are delighted that Heligan’s growing reputation has enabled us to attract someone of Nick’s calibre to join our team. His exceptional track record in leadership roles, executing strategic vision, and achieving award-winning recognition in a highly competitive landscape will be pivotal in sustaining and accelerating our continued expansion.”

 

Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has strengthened its Midlands team with the senior appointment of Alan Walsh.

Walsh joins the Birmingham audit team as a partner with a focus on audit quality, culture and people development. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked alongside a broad range of audited entities including FTSE100 companies.

Walsh specialises in the energy and utilities sector, working with large components of UK and overseas listed groups.

At BDO, he will be responsible for utilising his extensive audit and assurance experience, as the firm continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to audit quality.

He joins from PwC where he has spent the last 25 years delivering audit and assurance services.

Kyla Bellingall, regional managing partner at BDO in the Midlands said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Alan’s experience to the Midlands team. Having the right people in place to drive our ambitions, while supporting audited entities in the complex areas of audit and assurance, is vital.

“I do not doubt that his extensive experience, combined with a vast knowledge of the regional marketplace, as well as deep sector expertise, will be a real asset to our team as we look to grow our audit practice responsibly and sustainably.”

Walsh said: “I’m extremely proud to be joining BDO. The firm has a strong presence amongst mid-market audited entities and I’m looking forward to supporting those existing relationships while helping to forge new ones. I’m also delighted to be joining an enthusiastic and motivated team – one that feels challenged, supported and ready to succeed.”

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