Shenton Group hires director; HBD appoints managing director; Knight Frank picks private office lead

Real estate investor Shenton Group has appointed Manchester native Chris Middleton to help expand its office portfolio in the city centre, a market it says has "consistent demand for premium workspace in central locations".

Middleton joins the business as sales and leasing director following senior roles at Bruntwood, Vita Group and London’s Cadogan Estates. Shenton Group said he brings extensive experience in commercial leasing and delivering best in class customer experience".

He will lead leasing strategy, "focusing on stabilising and activating newly acquired buildings and ensuring best-in-class customer service for occupiers". It added that he will also play a key role in supporting the business’ acquisition strategy.

Shenton Group chief executive Colin Shenton said in a statement: "Chris brings a deep understanding of the market and the needs of occupiers, making him an excellent addition to the business as we continue to grow."

Henry Boot, the land promotion, property investor, developer and housebuilder, has appointed Hamer Boot as permanent managing director of HBD, its development division. Boot joined the company in 2013 and has held different positions since then. He was most recently executive director, investment and funding for six years. In December, he was given the responsibility of leading the firm’s strategic board day-to-day as part of a broader set of organisational changes. Boot will report to the firm’s chief executive Tim Roberts and represent the developer at ExCo and investment committee as a permanent member. He also worked for CBRE between 2010-2013.

Saneya Malani will lead Knight Frank's new private office in India in a "significant expansion to its private capital platform". The eighth office of its kind will focus on serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices and their advisers in India. Malani has extensive experience in client advisory, relationship management and business solutions and will work with clients "across all their global property-related requirements", including acquisitions and sales to investment strategy. William Beardmore-Gray, senior partner and group chair, said: "The continued evolution of our private capital strategy is an integral part of Knight Frank’s long-term business plan."

Amelia Bright is due to expand her role at Grosvenor Property UK by leading the firm’s development activity alongside her current position as executive director for the London Estate. Piers Townley is also set to become executive director, portfolio, to oversee the London Estate’s office, retail and residential teams. He has been with the firm for 13 years and will be part of the executive committee. Steph Ball will become executive director, investment, where she will oversee the private credit business and regional office portfolio. She has been at Grosvenor for 15 years and joins the executive committee. All appointments come into effect from 1 June 2026.

Vail Williams has hired Stefan Oehl as a partner in its building consultancy team in the Midlands. He has 25 years’ experience in the West Midlands, including at JLL and Drivers Jonas, and joins from consultancy Naismiths in Birmingham. Oehl is described as an "all-rounder, covering both the private and public sectors and across all building types, undertaking the project management and contract administration roles on a wide variety of schemes up to £10 million in value". Chris Davies, partner and head of building consultancy, said: “The appointment of Stefan underscores the commitment of Vail Williams to strategically strengthen key markets in which we operate."

Five Guys has made Stephen Holloway its property director in Europe. He will cover its major markets across the continent, including the UK, France, Spain and Germany. His LinkedIn profile shows that he was chief international developer officer at PureGym between April 2025 and March 2026, before going freelance. He spent 13 years at Costa Coffee, reaching partnerships director, and was also property director at Prezzo. He also spent seven years at IWG. "A really exciting time to join the business with loads of new real estate expansion opportunities across multiple channels, a broad existing property estate and a great team of people," he said on LinkedIn.

Patrick Pacious has stepped down from his role as president and CEO of Choice Hotels International. The company's board of directors has appointed Dominic Dragisich, chief growth and strategy officer, as its interim CEO. It will conduct a "comprehensive search" for a permanent replacement and will consider both internal and external candidates, the firm said in a press statement. Pacious served in the role since 2017 and spent circa 21 years at the company in total. He will act as as an adviser to the firm until 31 August to support the transition of the position. The departing CEO said: "Leading Choice Hotels has been the greatest privilege of my career."