Rural Solutions' planning team grows; Bruton Knowles hires associate; Bromwich Hardy sponsors rugby club

Specialist land practice Rural Solutions has hired Lindsey Wright as associate director in its national planning team. Wright joins the national consultancy with more than a decade of strategic planning and development experience, spanning both public and private sectors. The recruit was most recently consultant senior planning officer at South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils. She also worked as a senior planning officer with Cotswold District Council and was a project manager at Arcadia Planning and Development. Wright will lead planning projects across the East of England at Rural Solutions and is based in Suffolk.

Bruton Knowles has appointed Jimmy James as associate in its national valuation team. James will support the firm's valuation work across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and the wider Midlands region, bringing circa 20 years’ experience in valuation advice across a range of property assets. He joins from Kirkby Diamond, where he provided valuation advice for loan security purposes across commercial, industrial and residential property. Prior to this, he worked at Aitchison Raffety as a commercial valuation surveyor, advising clients on a range of property matters. At Bruton Knowles he will provide valuation advice across commercial, industrial and residential property.

Commercial property agency Bromwich Hardy and its founding partner Tom Bromwich have agreed to sponsor Coventry Rugby Club for a fifth consecutive year. Coventry RFC plays in the English Champ division and finished third last season. Its past internationals include David Duckham, Fran Cotton and Peter Rossborough. Bromwich sits as a trustee on the Coventry Rugby Community Foundation board and is a key organiser of the foundation’s annual business luncheon. The agency took on academy player Will Dorrell as an apprentice in September, with the firm saying this reflects its "commitment to encouraging young talent in business as in sport".

CBRE Investment Management has appointed Alice Wilcox as head of EMEA client solutions. She will rejoin CBRE IM on 1 November and succeed Chris Wood as part of a "planned and collaborative succession process". The investment manager said Wilcox will be responsible for leading its EMEA client solutions officers team, overseeing capital raising, client engagement and strategic growth initiatives across the region. She will work with investment lines across the business to support clients and strengthen CBRE IM in Europe, the Middle Estate and Africa, and is based in London. Wilcox rejoins from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, having worked at CBRE IM from 2013-2022.

Premier Inn owner Whitbread has recruited Stuart Hookins as estates director for the UK & Ireland, bringing more than 25 years of experience in senior property leadership and corporate finance role. Hookins joins Whitbread as outgoing estates director Simon Hobbs prepares to retire after around 20 years with the business. Hookins was most recently group property director at Royal Mail Group, where he was responsible for a nationwide estate of more than 1,800 properties and led major programmes of investment, acquisitions and disposals. Prior to that he spent 17 years at The Co-operative Group. Hobbs formally retires from Whitbread on 1 September.

Lysara, EV parking infrastructure specialist, has completed its senior leadership team after hiring Ben Marks as chief financial officer. Marks joins from Ares following its acquisition of the international business of GLP Capital Partners, where as finance director and then CFO of the European business he helped take assets under management from circa $3 billion (£2.23 billion) to more than $10 billion (£7.44 billion). He also spent 15 years at housebuilder Berkeley Group from 2004, before becoming finance director of St George. Lysara bosses said Marks' appointment "puts the platform’s leadership fully in place for its ongoing expansion across the UK and Europe".

Organisers of a charity barbecue in Sutton Coldfield are asking local property businesses and others to get involved in this month's event by donating prizes for the tombola and auction. The charity "Bra B-Q" was first held in 2019 when local restaurateur Fran O’Meara, who owned The Boathouse at Bracebridge in Sutton Park, fell ill with breast cancer. When Fran died in 2022, her friends and colleagues continued to raise money for charities that supported other patients. It has become an annual event, raising more than £40,000 for the Birmingham Hospice, formerly the John Taylor Hospice. This year's event takes place on 22 August from 1.30 to 9pm on at The Duke Inn.