BK names head of client services

Bruton Knowles has promoted partner Ian Pitt to the role of head of client services for the Midlands. In this new role Ian will be responsible for business development, client management and the day-to-day running of BK’s Birmingham office.  The promotion has been made following a successful recruitment drive which has led to the expansion of many of its teams including development and regeneration, professional and building surveying.   Bruton Knowles partner and business development director Patrick Downes comments on Ian’s promotion, "Our Birmingham office has expanded recently due to several major new business wins and new opportunities in some of our key markets across the public and private sectors.  Consequently we needed to put in place a highly skilled and experienced head of client services based in Birmingham.  Ian has achieved a great deal over the last two years, not only as a partner but as a professional practitioner and also in providing mentoring support to our APC students. I believe he will contribute a great deal to the business in his new role". Ian joined Bruton Knowles in 2003 as partner and head of professional services in Birmingham.  In this role Ian has been responsible for helping to expand the 6-strong professional services department working in a variety of areas, including all aspects of valuations, rating and landlord and tenant advice. Although predominantly based in the Birmingham office Ian also works with clients and colleagues at BK’s Wolverhampton and Nottingham offices. In his new role Ian will seek to maximise business development across the teams and to grow the existing client base, which includes public sector bodies such as Birmingham City Council and Wolverhampton City Council, and private sector companies including Amtrak, Floors to Go, Taylors of Martley, Redrow and Crosby Homes as well as all of the major high street banks. Ian comments, “With BK’s broad services and skills base, we are well placed to take advantage of the growth in the market across both the public and private sectors, particularly given BK’s appointment as one of only 7 property consultants on the Office of Government Commerce’s national framework agreement. The consultancy’s skilled people and our strong reputation will help us build on our existing client base”. During his time at Bruton Knowles Ian has also supported several graduates undertaking the APC (Assessment of Professional Competence).  As a RICS accredited assessor for the APC Ian has been able to mentor Bruton Knowles graduates through the two year training programme and examination that leads to professional accreditation.  In recent weeks another graduate currently under Ian’s supervision has passed the APC examination in their first attempt.  This is the third year in a row that Bruton Knowles has had a 100% pass rate for the APC. Ian adds, “I am particularly proud of the graduates that I have supported so far through the APC.  It is a tough and rigorous programme that demands a lot of the graduates when they are already facing substantial workloads in their own roles.  BK recognises this and uses a thorough understanding of the APC to provide the right combination of hands on experience, support and tuition to gives graduates the best chance of success. The sustained 100% pass rate is a real credit to the graduates and to BK". Prior to joining BK Ian worked at Gerald Eve for 10 years as a professional services expert dealing with a range of private and public sector clients. Whilst at Gerald Eve, Ian also had a secondment with Bass plc as a property manager at their Centrum 100 offices in Burton on Trent.