People: Morro Partnerships; Knights; Wright Hassall

Midlands developer Morro Partnerships has announced the appointment of two new managing directors.

Tom Broadway will head the West Midlands team, while Simon Preston will oversee growth in the East Midlands.

Broadway brings more than 20 years of experience in construction with a career spanning site engineering at Balfour Beatty to project director at Galliford Try before taking on the challenge of the affordable homes sector.

He also has a proven track record of successfully delivering projects, including experience with PFI models and student accommodation.

He said: “I firmly believe in Morro’s vision and values, and I’m excited to work with our partners to build lasting relationships and deliver much-needed affordable housing in the region that means so much to me. Seeing families move into new homes is a great feeling and I truly believe this is where my passion lies.

“I will also be focused on fostering a solid team culture and driving our sustainability agenda as we prepare for the Future Homes Standard and the drive for more energy-efficient housing. Drawing on my own experience and the opportunities I was given, I also want to be an advocate for developing the next generation of construction professionals through mentorship and training.”

Preston also brings extensive experience to his new role, having worked in the construction industry for three decades in both technical and commercial areas.

After 20 years at Westleigh, culminating in the role of business development director, he continued his career supporting the delivery of quality affordable homes for Housing Association partners across the Midlands before transitioning to consulting, which led to his involvement with Morro.

Preston is focused on building high-performing teams and leveraging his expertise to deliver exceptional projects.

He is passionate about creating a positive and collaborative work environment and ensuring client satisfaction.

He said: “I’m proud to be joining Morro and to have been offered this exciting opportunity to lead the East Midlands team. The commitment to people, innovation, and sustainable practices at Morro aligns perfectly with my own values and it feels like a pivotal time to be involved.

“There are several challenges within construction and the housing sector as it stands, but with that comes the opportunity to innovate, and I look forward to working with the talented team here to expand our reach in the East Midlands and deliver exceptional value to our clients and communities.”

Matt Moore, CEO at Morro said: “Both Tom and Simon share Morro’s core values, including a people-first approach, a focus on sustainability, and a dedication to building longstanding partnerships. They will play a crucial role in driving the company’s ambitious growth plans and solidifying our position as a leading partnerships developer.

“With a growing pipeline of more than £500m alongside more than 20 live construction projects, we have a keen focus on sustainable expansion while making a positive impact on the industry. We are proud to be one of the region’s largest true partnerships businesses, and both Tom and Simon share the same passion as I do in Morro making a positive impact in our communities and industry.”

Knights has strengthened its real estate team with the appointment of a partner with significant experience advising on complex, strategic and high-value development and investment transactions.

Daniel Walsh joins Knights’ Birmingham team and brings a wealth of experience from senior roles at CMS, Eversheds Sutherland and Gowling WLG.

He has spent almost two decades working with developers and investment clients to navigate a wide range of transactions, with a particular focus on the development of large-scale logistics schemes and urban regeneration projects.

Darren Walker and Daniel Walsh

Walsh works with developers, institutional investors and property funds.

He has worked with developer clients on some of the largest logistics and distribution facilities in the UK and mixed-use urban development schemes.

He also advises major investment clients on acquisitions, sales and asset management of properties across a range of sectors.

Daniel Walsh, partner at Knights said: “I’m delighted to have joined Knights and to be back in the Midlands, where I have spent most of my career. I’ve worked in the legal sector for almost 20 years, but moving away from the traditional law firm to the next generation of legal and professional services is exciting.

“The scale of the business’ ambition, coupled with the genuine sense that everyone is working together as one team, is something I wanted to join. I’m looking forward to being part of what is an exciting period of growth for the business.”

Darren Walker, client services director at Knights said: “Daniel is a great addition to our team. He brings a huge amount of experience and know-how to a strong team that is involved in some transformative projects here in the Midlands and across the country. His arrival will help us to deliver on our plans for growth in 2025, with more talented professionals set to join as we aim to become the provider of premium professional services in the UK regions.”

Midlands law firm Wright Hassall, based in Leamington, has made four promotions across the firm, including two new partners.

Anna Sutcliffe and Rees Herrod have been promoted to partner, while Penelope Sankey has progressed to senior associate, and Daniaal Afzaal has been named as an associate.

Sutcliffe, who is in the firm’s contentious probate team, specialises in inheritance disputes including claims under the Inheritance Act 1975, disputes between executors and claims in respect of the validity of wills.

She also has a particular interest in trust disputes, including advising trustees subjected to potential claims as well as beneficiaries wishing to challenge the administration of a trust.

Herrod, who is in Wright Hassall’s corporate team, specialises in a wide range of company law matters
including share and asset sales and purchases, equity investment rounds and company restructuring.

Sankey is also in the firm’s corporate team and works with business owners, companies and shareholders, advising on a range of corporate and company law matters, while Afzaal, who is in the business immigration team specialises in dealing with a wide range of corporate and personal immigration matters.

Phil Wilding, managing partner at Wright Hassall said: “We are extremely pleased to announce our latest promotions. These have been awarded in recognition of each colleague’s hard work, dedication and contribution to Wright Hassall as well as their continuous display of our FAIR values of being flexible, ambitious, inclusive and respectful.

“We are very proud to have a structured career pathway in place which supports colleagues to develop and progress should they wish to and this latest round of promotions is a testament to that and to the ambition of our colleagues who I look forward to continuing to work with. I would like to congratulate all of those who have received a promotion and thank them for their outstanding work and contribution to the firm.”