Thornfield Properties - Appointment - London, Portman Square
Date: 31 Jan 2008
A move to prestigious new offices on the corner of Portman Square and Wigmore Street last month and the recent appointment of 3 new senior team members signals a prosperous year is ahead for Thornfield Properties. With a development pipeline valued at over £2 billion and incorporating over 5,000 residential units, Thornfield continues to position itself as a market leader in Town Centre Regeneration.
As from 3rd March, Ivan Bennett, who joins from Hammerson, will take up the position of Associate Director - Construction. An ideal match for Thornfield's current portfolio of developments, his previous twenty years experience in office, leisure and retail led city centre regeneration schemes will prove an asset to the company.
Ivan has also been tasked with heading up and expanding the construction and project management departments at Thornfield. Over the coming months he will seek to recruit a team of experienced individuals to help deliver some of Thornfield's major multi-million pound schemes, which include the £330million Bury Town Centre project, known as The Rock, where Thornfield recently completed a £70m enabling works package hot on the heals of signing up M&S to join the list of other retailers who will anchor the scheme, including Debenhams and Next.
Commenting on his move Ivan said: "The offer to join one of the UK's top town centre regeneration developers and take a lead in developing its construction and development divisions presented an excellent opportunity that was impossible to pass up. I am looking forward to working with Jason [Marcus, Thornfield Chairman] and the team at what is a very exciting time for Thornfield."
Ivan previously held the position of Construction director at Hammerson after previous roles at Gleeds Management Services, Time Warner and John Mowlem Construction.
Matthew Secker has been recruited from Goodman, where he was an Associate Director, to the newly created role of Senior Development Executive at Thornfield. He will work on projects including Silver Hill, the £150 million regeneration of Winchester town centre; covering almost 20% of the city centre and part of the conservation area, this is a complex and challenging project.
James Rowbotham joined Thornfield last month as Development Executive, a role created in light of recent planning successes. He will be working on the substantial £350 million redevelopment of Hemel Hempstead town centre which will include an architecturally stunning £20m performing arts venue, designed by Allies and Morrison.
From starting his career in 2004 with DTZ and qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor in 2006, James has acquired a wealth of experience marketing prestigious developments. He was instrumental in marketing a £52 million mixed use, town centre development opportunity in High Wycombe for the National Grid, and a £50 million development at Pinner Road, Harrow on behalf of Transport for London.
Jason Marcus, Thornfield Chairman comments, "Ivan's expert knowledge within the sectors we operate adds further experience to our already vast skills base in London, as does the appointments of James and Matthew. We have plans to continue growing in terms of both the projects we take on and in recruitment terms at both our offices [Leeds and London] in 2008."
All three new recruits will be based in the London office and their appointments come just ahead of the launch of a new corporate identity for the company, which will see it pursue the title of the UK's leading town centre regeneration specialist over the coming years.
Left-Right: Matthew Secker, Ivan Bennett, James Rowbotham
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