Alexander Leon joins Harding Green
Alexander Leon, previously head of sales and acquisitions at Jackson Stops, has joined Harding Green under partner Ben Scrace’s team.
Leon has more than 30 further years of experience across sales and acquisition, having also worked for Winkworth and John D Wood, among others.
Leon said: “The UK property industry is shifting toward a more client-focused model, and Harding Green stands out as a company that empowers property professionals to prioritise their clients’ interests over corporate targets. After a long and successful career with traditional agencies, I’m thrilled to bring my experience to Harding Green and look forward to collaborating with so many accomplished professionals who share a commitment to exceptional client service.”
Scrace commented: “With over three decades of experience in prime central London, Alexander’s expertise and dedication to achieving the best outcomes for his clients are invaluable. His extensive market knowledge, coupled with his work on both client and personal developments, brings a unique perspective that will greatly benefit our team and clients. We are fortunate to have a professional of his calibre with us and look forward to seeing the impact he’ll make here at Harding Green.”
Homes England announces leadership changes
Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has announced that chair Peter Freeman and chief executive Peter Denton will be stepping down from their roles after four years leading the agency together.
Denton will be moving on in the New Year whilst Freeman will handover to his successor when the recruitment of a new chair is completed later next year.
Freeman said: The agency has a vital role managing many of the government’s interventions to accelerate housing and regeneration across the country by supporting our partners in local government, affordable housing and housebuilding. It has been a privilege chairing the organisation since 2020 and working closely with our partners and incredible staff operating from offices across the country.
“Under Peter Denton’s leadership, despite economic headwinds, the Agency has met its targets and increasingly demonstrated its pivot back to a place-based organisation. I look forward to continuing to lead the Agency until my successor is appointed, and will then focus my attentions on my role as chair of the Cambridge Growth Company.”
Denton commented: “Our work together at the Agency as “the Peters” has reflected a period of intense activity and achievement for the Agency. We successfully navigated the transition to being a fully-fledged and empowered housing and regeneration Agency delivering strongly, especially in affordable housing, and initiating many catalytic regeneration projects throughout the country.”
The government will be initiating a formal process to appoint new leadership for Homes England. A search for a new Chair will commence next week and an Interim CEO will be announced shortly.
Matthew Pennycook, the housing and planning minister, said: “On behalf of the government, I would like to thank Peter Freeman and Peter Denton for their leadership of the Agency over recent years. Their efforts have been integral to reshaping Homes England into an effective national housing and regeneration agency that is increasingly focused on exemplary place-based regeneration and placemaking as well as new housing supply.
“I wish both Peters all the best in their future endeavours. We will shortly begin the process of recruiting their successors, with the search for a new Chair starting next week and an interim CEO will be confirmed shortly.”
The new chair and interim CEO will be working at pace to implement the priorities set out in the recent letter from the housing minister, with a strong focus on boosting growth through the delivery of new housing supply and place-based regeneration.
Nottingham Building Society announces Alison Pallett’s retirement after four-decade career
Nottingham Building Society has announced the retirement of Alison Pallett, sales director, after a 42-year career in financial services, with Matt Kingston set to step into the role from March next year.
Pallet joined Nottingham Building Society two years ago bringing extensive experience from the mortgage market. Since then, she has played a major role in delivering projects on behalf of the company.
Her contributions include expanding support for homeowners such as the foreign nationals mortgage offering and guiding the intermediary sales team toward new growth opportunities.
Kingston, currently serving as head of national sales at the firm, will move into the role of sales director in March when Alison steps down.
Pallett said: “Working with Nottingham Building Society has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It’s been incredible to see the business make real strides in the mortgage market and broaden our reach to support first-time buyers, particularly with the launch of our foreign nationals mortgage offering earlier this year. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, and I know Matt’s leadership will only drive us further forward. His passion for our mission and commitment to our brokers and customers make him the perfect fit.”
Kingston commented: “I’m honoured to be taking on this role at such an exciting time. Under Alison’s leadership, we’ve made a real difference for our broker partners and our customers, and I look forward to continuing that work. My focus will be on expanding our support for prospective homeowners, and delivering the commitment, as part of our rebrand, to continue our evolution into a specialist lender. Together with our talented team, I’m excited to see how we can continue to grow and make homeownership accessible for more people.
Comings & Goings
