People: Lichfields; CBRE and Switalskis
Leeds planning and development consultancy, Lichfields, has made a key leadership change as it continues to expand and develop operations.
Senior director Chris Darley takes on the role of office lead for the St Paul’s Street-based firm from Justin Gartland, who continues his wider role as chairman of the board.
Darley, who joined the company in 2011, has a wealth of experience working with both public and private sector clients, delivering significant development plans and large-scale regional and national projects.
Leading a 15-strong team, he will be responsible for overseeing the overall management and growth of the office.
His appointment comes as the Leeds office celebrates its 10th anniversary.
It also follows Matthew Gregg joining as associate director from Sheffield City Council, where he was a principal planning officer, to grow Lichfields’ client base across South Yorkshire.
There have also been several promotions – Suzie Yates becomes planning director and Casey Smith steps up to senior planner. Katie Jones recently joined the firm as a new planning graduate.
Darley said: “I’m very much looking forward to taking over the reins from Justin, who has overseen the successful development and expansion of the office in the last 10 years.
“It will be very much business as usual as we move forward with everyone supporting our clients as the economy continues to grow and new planning projects are brought forward.
“I’m particularly looking forward to focusing on maintaining the strong growth and success we’ve achieved to date, while ensuring we continue to deliver the highest quality service to retain our position as planning sector leaders in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.”
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CBRE in Leeds has become the first advisory team in the city with a dedicated occupier specialist, as Charles Parkinson heads its new occupier services division for Yorkshire and the North East.
He moves across from investor/landlord advisory after three years in the CBRE Leeds Office Agency team to lead the occupier strategy for Yorkshire and the North East, joining up the super region offices of Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool led by Joe Rigby and Frankie Isherwood.
Rigby, head of occupier services, said: “Charles’s role will be to work with businesses of all sizes on their real estate strategy and direction.
“With the changing world of the workplace and office space in particular, occupiers are demanding specialised service delivery to help them attract and retain top talent, drive efficiencies within their real estate portfolio, and maximise economic value.
“We are really excited to have Charles taking this lead and look forward to benefitting from his knowledge and the experience he brings from other areas of CBRE.
Alex Hailey, senior director, CBRE Office Agency team, said: “Charles has been growing his relationships with occupiers since he joined the team in 2019 so this is a natural progression for him.
“We will be the only advisory team in Leeds with an occupier specialist, which will also benefit our investor clients as Charles can provide unrivalled occupier insights.
“We have also recruited a graduate surveyor, Ellie McCollin, who will provide additional support for the team.”
Commenting on his appointment, Parkinson added: “This is a key role as more and more occupiers are seeking specialist services to drive their property strategy and I look forward to working with a broad spectrum of businesses.”
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The Switalskis group has welcomed professional services marketing expert Gaynor Appleyard as head of marketing and business development.
The group-wide role will see her work alongside existing teams from the three Switalskis businesses to coordinate and strengthen marketing and business development across the Yorkshire law firm.
Appleyard’s 25-year career in the professional services sector spans brand, marketing, and business development roles at Deloitte, EY, BDO, Eversheds, KPMG, and Mace & Jones Solicitors.
Most recently, she was senior marketing and business development manager at DLA Piper in Leeds.
The Switalskis group employs 425 people and operates from 12 locations across Yorkshire. The marketing and business development brief includes Atherton Godfrey and Pryers Solicitors, both acquired by Switalskis in 2021.
Appleyard said: “I saw an exciting opportunity to shape marketing and BD across the group following the two acquisitions last year, and to bring those teams together under a cohesive, group-wide strategy.
“Now I know the business a little better, I know that commercial ambition and drive is backed by a strong focus on people and a genuine desire to make a difference, and that really appeals to me.”
Managing director, John Durkan, said: “I’m excited to welcome Gaynor to the team and look forward to helping her put her extensive experience and expertise to work across the business.
“Investing in our marketing and business development capabilities with a strategic group-wide appointment will help us build on the last 12 months’ growth and pave the way for it to continue.”
