Savills has announced that Mark Ridley will retire as group chief executive at the end of 2025 after a 29 year career at Savills, seven of them as group chief executive, as well as 41 years in the industry. He will be succeeded by Simon Shaw, currently group chief financial officer of Savills, effective 1 January 2026.
Ridley joined Savills in 1996 from Weatherall Green & Smith, where he had been a partner, to set up Savills Manchester office, before being appointed as head of Savills Commercial in 2008. He then became CEO of the then combined Savills UK business in 2013, and subsequently took on the role of CEO of UK and Europe in 2014.
During his career, Savills has become a truly global business and one of the world’s leading real estate advisors, with revenues increased from £40m in 1996, to £2.4bn in 2024 and staff numbers having grown from 679 to more than 42,000 today.
Simon Shaw joined Savills in March 2009 as CFO working alongside the group chief executive with responsibility for all financial matters, group strategy, significant M&A, Technology and Investor Relations. He is a member of the Group’s global and regional executive committees (Asia Pacific/EMEA/US). In addition, he is responsible to the Board of Savills plc for Savills Investment Management.
Shaw is Chairman of Grosvenor Hill Ventures ltd, Savills proprietary private equity investment subsidiary focused on investing in “Proptech” opportunities.
The selection of a new group CFO will now commence.
Stacey Cartwright, chair of Savills, commented: “Under Mark’s leadership, Savills has achieved significant growth and stronger balance, both geographically and by service line. He has successfully steered the business through BREXIT and its aftermath and the pandemic years, and more recently global macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds, navigating these very significant challenges whilst growing the business at the same time.
“We are all delighted that, following his retirement at the end of 2025, Mark will remain available in a senior advisory role supporting the business.
“Having used an external adviser to consider internal and external candidates, the Board has decided to appoint Simon Shaw, current Group Chief Financial Officer, as Group Chief Executive effective 1 January 2026, following Mark’s retirement from the Board on 31 December 2025. Simon is a highly experienced and respected senior Savills Executive who will lead the Group’s strong management team through the next phase of the development of the Savills business worldwide. The Board and I very much look forward to working with him as Group Chief Executive.”
Ridley added: “I am delighted that Simon will succeed me as group chief executive and I look forward to working closely with him, as I have done over the last seven years, to ensure a smooth transition at the end of this year.”
