Chris Dennis, Newmark executive vice-president, is hoping to expand the firm's property squash tournament after it made a comeback following a six-year break. The competition, established by Allsop in the 1970s and paused since 2018 due to COVID and other disruptions, returned this year, featuring 19 teams.

After games across three months, teams from Richard Winter & Co and Newmark took home the prizes in the main competition and the plate competition respectively. The finals were held at the at The Royal Automobile Club in London’s St James’s last month.

Firms taking part in the event included Allsop, Belmont Property, Colliers, Fladgate, Hanover Green, JLL, Kingley Partners, Knight Frank, Multiplex, Primary Health Properties, CBRE, BW Interiors, Rossco and Cushman & Wakefield.

Dennis said: "It was great to get squash back on the agenda and see so many old faces at finals night, including a couple who played over 40 years ago. I know that a number of teams have agreed to play matches over the summer with new friendships made."

Property firm AM Sci Tech has hired Jenn Foster as commercial lettings manager, expanding its lettings and management team at Aberdeen Energy and Innovation Parks. Foster previously worked in logistics and account management for CSL, part of DOF Subsea, and for the last five years worked with Barratt and David Wilson Homes.

She was a senior sales adviser based around Aberdeen and the north east while at Barratt. Foster will help to market the parks in Bridge of Don, in partnership with the parks management team and agents, Ryden and Knight Frank.

The Mayor of London’s development corporation has appointed Marianne Brook as its development director, as it pushes on with massive regeneration plans in the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area. Brook’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Gareth Blacker as OPDC’s executive director of delivery, leading the multidisciplinary delivery team. She has 16 years’ experience working on housing and development projects for clients including Berkeley Homes, TfL, National Grid Property and the NHS. Brook joins OPDC from Deloitte, where she spent three years.

Tony Horrell, CEO of the United Kingdom and Ireland at Colliers, has decided to retire from the role in 2025. Horrell’s decision follows his 42-year career in real estate as a capital markets expert and business leader.

Since joining Colliers from JLL in 2010, the global brokerage said Horrell had significantly expanded the business in the UK and Ireland to "create a top-tier player of over 1,000 employees, with a diversified offer across transactional and advisory services". Horrell will continue in his role until a successor is appointed.

For a recent in-depth CoStar video interview with Horrell that took place at the major Mipim conference in Cannes click here.

Avison Young has appointed Emma Taylor as regional head for the Midlands and South West, who joins from rivals Knight Frank after three years as partner.

Taylor has 20 years' experience overall in the commercial property sector and will work out of Avison Young's 3 Brindleyplace offices in Birmingham, leading on the Paradise and One Centenary Way instructions for Federated Hermes and MEPC.

She will also oversee the property management team across the Midlands and the South West regions. Taylor also spent more than 15 years at Cushman & Wakefield.

Andrew Dreaneen has joined Savills Investment Management as its global head of natural capital, working with Savills UK’s existing rural advisory practice. Dreaneen joins from Schroders, where he spent 23 years, latterly as head of alternatives, focusing on natural capital.

He was most recently head of alternatives at the firm, focusing on natural capital. Savills IM said that Dreaneen will take on overall business responsibility for the natural capital investment division, "leading on investment strategy, product design and capital raising strategies".

Hotel Co 51 has promoted experienced hospitality professional Wayne Androliakos to chief executive after two years at the firm, which is one of Dutch real estate group Vastint's hotel arms. Androliakos took up his new position at the beginning of the month, succeeding Tobias Linder who remains part of the Vastint Group as the head of asset management for Vastint Holding. Androliakos has more than 25 years of hospitality expertise and first joined Hotel Co 51 as UK regional director of operations in summer 2022.