People: Gateley; Thomas Alexander Homes; Divert; and more

Professional services group, Gateley, has made 10 promotions in its Leeds office.

Hayley Hayes (Construction) has been promoted to partner.

Amelia Purdy and Amy Venson (Real Estate) have both been made senior associates, and Elizabeth Russell (Restructuring), Nicholas Attwooll (Regulatory/Litigation), Gemma Marie Lawn and Claire Hudson (both from the Residential Development team) are all promoted to associates. 

In addition, property consultancy Gateley Hamer has promoted Grant Penman and David Strafford to technical director and James Staniford to senior associate.

Roger McCourt, partner and head of the Leeds office, said: “All these promotions are really well deserved, and I congratulate each and every one for their hard work and commitment to delivering exceptional client service over many years as well as their excellent contributions to the Leeds office. 

“This year’s promotions show the depth and breadth of talent that we have in Leeds, and I look forward to seeing their careers continue to flourish with Gateley.”

These promotions are part of 78 revealed by Gateley across 15 of the group’s UK offices this year with nine made up to partner.

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Chris Warren

Yorkshire-based housebuilder Thomas Alexander Homes has made two new key appointments as it continues to grow following the recent launches of two new housing developments.

Chris Warren has joined as senior buyer, where he will play a key role in Thomas Alexander Homes’ procurement process by selecting and qualifying suppliers based on quality, reliability and cost.

He will also be responsible for negotiating prices, terms and conditions with suppliers to ensure they align with Thomas Alexander’s needs and objectives, helping the company to match its aspirations in a cost-effective manner.

Warren has held buyer, manager and director roles at companies in the housebuilding industry for more than three decades.

He joins following a brief period of retirement, having most recently worked for City, Town & Village Living LTD, where he spent four years as the company’s commercial, sales and marketing director, procuring a range of properties and developing them into private homes.

New head of sales and marketing, Gemma Bateman, has joined from Persimmon Homes, one of the UK’s largest house builders, where she worked for six years.

Her final two years were spent as head of sales whose responsibilities included overseeing the company’s sales function and coordinating impactful marketing strategies.

At Thomas Alexander Homes, she will lead the organisation’s sales and marketing functions and be responsible for ensuring it operates efficiently while also providing an industry-leading customer experience.

Alex Blease, managing director, said: “Since successfully launching two new high-quality housing developments in recent months, we’ve been looking for the perfect candidates to grow our team and enable us to expand the business, so we’re happy to have Chris and Gemma on board.

“With his vast industry experience, innovative thinking and familiarity with our company ethos, we couldn’t have found a more perfect addition to our team than Chris, while Gemma’s proven track record and her understanding of our target market will be an invaluable asset as we continue to chart our growth path.”

Bateman said: “The quality of Thomas Alexander Homes’ products, designs and specifications is truly industry leading so it’s a privilege to be heading up its sales team and I’m excited to see what the future holds for the business.”

Chris Warren added: “The flexibility and the overall feel of what could be possible at Thomas Alexander Homes are the main drivers for my decision to join the company and I look forward to being an integral part of helping it grow into an industry leader.”

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Yorkshire owned and operated waste and recycling company, Divert, has appointed a new operations director to bring a fresh direction to the business.

Sam Goodall has extensive experience in business operations within the recycling and waste management industry, spanning 20 years.

After he drove his last company forward from just under £5m turnover to £16m, he is joining Divert not only as the new operations director but also as a shareholder. He has previously worked on projects such as the 10-year masterplan at Leeds Beckett University.

Goodall will help Divert target a 55% annual growth rate in new customers across their commercial sectors. The new vision for the business also includes geographical expansion – searching to sustainably grow its service areas with the goal of increasing its market presence.

Goodall said: “It’s a great company that puts its customers and the environment at the heart of everything that they do.

“I see a real opportunity for us to become the number one independent waste/recycling provider in Yorkshire.

“We will continue to maintain the high levels of collections and customer service and focus as much as possible on helping customers achieve their environmental goals.”

John Verity, managing director, added: “Sam’s outstanding expertise in the sector is exactly the fresh perspective the business needed. We are excited to have him on board and are confident he will take the business to a new level.”

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Regional housebuilder, Harron Homes, has appointed James Poynor to the role of group managing director following the retirement of Ian Pendlebury after a decade with the business.

The company has two regional offices located in Leeds and Barlborough and operates across the wider Yorkshire area and into Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Latterly managing director for Taylor Wimpey Manchester, Poynor boasts a 20-year career working in the property sector in senior leadership roles.

He said: “I was already familiar with Harron Homes and impressed by the beautiful designs and handpicked locations. Having now spent time getting to know the people behind the scenes I’m inspired by the commitment and desire to succeed.

“This is a great opportunity for me to influence the business and play a more strategic role in how Harron evolves at what is a key moment in our sector.

“Challenges in the market are really putting housebuilders to the test and now is the time to unlock the potential of the business by putting the customer centre stage.

“I’m looking to drive consistency, develop our offering and ultimately grow our operational area making Harron the employer and housebuilder of choice.”