Knight Frank appoints new associate
Knight Frank has appointed Louna Del Barrio as lettings associate in its Southbank and Tower Bridge office.
Del Barrio comes to Knight Frank following four years at John D Wood & Co, where she was assistant lettings manager in the firm’s Kensington and Notting Hill patch.
Del Barrio commented: “This role is a fantastic opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of London’s multifaceted markets and I look forward to making a positive impact on the office growth in the coming years.”
Oliver Hepplewhite, head of Knight Frank’s Southbank & Tower Bridge Lettings, said: “We are delighted to welcome Louna to our thriving team. Her passion is evident, and I have absolute confidence that her addition will strengthen our offering in the area.”
Toni Smith leaves Primis
Toni Smith, chief operating officer (COO) at Primis Mortgage Network, has left the business, its parent company LSL Property Services announced.
Before joining Primis, Smith was business operations director of First Complete, formerly Home of Choice, before it was bought out of administration by LSL Property Services.
In 2018, First Complete merged with mortgage network Pink to form Primis. Following this, Smith was appointed COO.
Jon Round, group financial services director at LSL Property Services, said: “Toni has been with the business from the inception of LSL’s financial services division following the group acquisition of Home of Choice/First Complete. She has been a part of the executive team throughout this period and has helped build the business’ success over this time, supporting and leading staff and brokers through the integration of Pink and Primis.
“I am really sorry to see Toni leave the business, but I respect her decision. I would like to thank Toni for playing such a significant role in the development of Primis over many years and wish her every success in her future career.”
Smith’s departure was effective from 16 February and the process has begun to recruit her successor.
In the interim, the sales and marketing teams will report into Richard Howells, who joined the business as financial service COO last year from Sesame.
The Hill Group appoints Tony Parker to group finance director
Housebuilder The Hill Group has enhanced its leadership structure by promoting Tony Parker to the role of group finance director, overseeing all aspects of finance within the growing organisation. The move consolidates Parker’s previous role as residential finance director with the group finance director position previously occupied by Neil Williams, who recently retired after having been at the helm of the Group’s finances since 2011.
Parker spent more than 10 years at Kier before moving on to Hill in 2009, where he has played a significant role in the company’s growth over the past 15 years.
In his time at The Hill Group, Parker has supported the establishment of key joint ventures and developed robust financial strategies that have enabled Hill to grow from a turnover when he joined of just under £100 million to revenues of £716 million in the last accounts. In 2015, he negotiated a £150 million credit facility backed by NatWest, HSBC, Santander, and Lloyds, which supported land acquisition for Hill’s 2015-2020 business plan. The facility now stands at £220 million and runs until 2026. In his new role, Tony will spearhead the establishment of the financial agenda for Hill’s 2025-2030 business plan.
Parker commented: “Having been part of the company’s journey for over a decade, I’ve seen first-hand the company’s evolution, and I am excited to contribute further to our strategic goals. This new role presents the perfect time to bring together our financial operations and drive growth as we look towards the next market cycle.”
Andy Hill, group chief executive of The Hill Group, added: “Tony’s track record of expert financial management and deep understanding of our business model made him the ideal individual to oversee our group finance function. Unifying the department under his leadership will provide the ideal platform to support our ambitious growth targets over the coming years. Tony’s ascent to this role is one of many significant internal promotions we have made within our senior team in recent years.”
LRG poaches new group financial services MD from Alexander Hall
Tom Davies has now started his new job as group financial services managing director of Leaders Romans Group (LRG), having agreed to join the estate agency from Alexander Hall back in November last year.
This new position has been created at a time of rapid growth for LRG, both organically and through acquisitions.
Davies said: “It’s a very exciting time for the business that has particularly ambitious growth plans and I’m thrilled to be involved.”
Comings & Goings
