With eyes turning towards the start of the Paris Olympic Games in exactly a month, Haslams Surveyors, one of the largest independent Thames Valley surveying and commercial property firms, has recruited a future Olympics hopeful in the shape of Tom Holwell. The former Fisher German employee, who joins Haslams's Reading branch as commercial agency surveyor, is also a flag American football pro. A variant of traditional American Football where players have to make "tackles" by pulling flags off opponents' hips, he plays quarterback for the Reading Devils and was recently selected for the Great Britain flag football team.

Howell is hoping to compete at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in four years' time and also recently qualified as a chartered surveyor. He will work in the firm's seven-person commercial agency team, where he is hoping to score a few early deals. Neil Seager, Haslams Surveyors managing partner, said in a statement: "Tom will play a crucial role in enhancing the firm’s agency team, providing our current and future clients with the expertise and capacity necessary to fulfil their aims and objectives."

Real estate agency Avison Young has promoted Joe Williams to director in its Birmingham offices after two years at the firm. Williams specialises in land and development agency, consultancy and valuation work and sits in the place transactions team, working with public and private sector clients in the residential sector. He has more than a decade of experience in the Midlands market and will work closely with colleagues in his new role to "drive forward the delivery of the firm’s strategic objectives". Williams worked at Cushman & Wakefield's Birmingham offices for almost 11 years, again in the residential sector, before his move to Avison Young.

Ellen Bryan has joined regeneration specialist Muse as a development manager in its southern team, based in London, after making a pair of hires in its North West team earlier this month. Bryan brings more than a decade of mixed-use regeneration experience, arriving from Blackstone-owned warehouse industrial developer St Modwen, where she was a senior development manager for around two and a half years. Her previous experience includes roles at Network Rail and Associated British Ports. Mike Auger, managing director at Muse South, said in a statement: "Ellen’s extensive experience will further add to our industry-leading southern team, based in our London office."

Flexible workspace operator Clockwise Offices has hired Mark Dansky, a former director at The Instant Group, to lead its acquisitions team. Dansky left The Instant Group in May after around a year and a half to join its rivals, where he will be leading the search and agreement of additional sites around the UK and in Europe. Before joining The Instant Group, he spent time at investment management firm Innovo Reim and agency Allsop, where he was a partner, according to his LinkedIn profile. He said in a post: "A thank you to my incredible former colleagues at The Instant Group for an amazing journey. I look forward to future collaborations and continuing to build on our shared successes."

Sir Howard Bernstein, a leading figure in the regeneration of Manchester, has died at the age of 71 after a period of illness. Sir Howard was the former Manchester City Council chief executive and is recognised as a driving force in the city's turnaround following the decline of its industrial sector. He stepped down from his role at the council in 2017, having worked for the local authority across a number of roles for 46 years. Sir Howard helped to lead rebuilding efforts after the 1996 IRA bomb and deliver sports-led regeneration via the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. He was knighted in 2003 for his services to the city and was the honorary president of Manchester City Football Club.

Banking giant Santander UK has strengthened its real estate finance team with the appointment of Allan MacKenzie as senior relationship director. MacKenzie has more than 25 years’ experience in the commercial real estate finance sector, and joins Santander from Lloyds Banking Group, where he held several roles, including head of commercial real estate for Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man, and managing director of commercial real estate and housing for Scotland, North of England and Midlands. The bank said he will manage a large portfolio of the its existing clients within the commercial real estate sector, working out of its Manchester offices and managed by Nick Peet, divisional head of real estate finance.

Global architect and planning firm Gensler has appointed Madeleine Hilton managing director of its Birmingham branch. Hilton will lead a team of 50 specialists in the built environment, using more than 20 years’ experience of working in the city to drive the growth across the Midlands. Gensler said Hilton's expertise spans education, industrial and logistics, transportation, residential and commercial sectors. She first joined the firm two years ago and was previously an equity partner at D5 Architects. She replaces Tariq Shaikh, who has led the Gensler Birmingham office for the past seven years, and becomes co-managing director of the company's Middle East offices from next month.