Savills hires Bhakti Depala
Savills has strengthened its London planning with the appointment of director Bhakti Depala, who will be based in the firm’s Margaret Street office.
Depala, a chartered town planner, joins Savills from City of London Corporation where, over the last 12 years, she has held the positions of senior planning officer, head of planning delivery and, most recently, assistant director of the City Development and Investment Unit.
In her most recent position Depala’s remit was to promote the city as a place to develop and invest, as well as lead on engagement with developers, property investors and other key stakeholders. Her role included the management of the five City Business Improvement Districts as well as supporting the large and SME occupier ecosystem.
Whilst at the City Corporation, Depala led on high-profile tall building and major complex schemes in the Square Mile, provided strategic oversight on major development schemes from inception to occupation and led the development of the City’s award-winning Wind and Thermal Comfort Guidelines. Prior to her time at City of London Corporation, Bhakti worked at the London Boroughs of Camden, Lambeth and Wandsworth.
In her new role as Town Planning and Partnerships director at Savills, Bhakti’s primary focus will be to help grow the business, particularly in Central London and amongst the key clients who operate in that market. This will combine Depala’s technical planning expertise with business development activities and representing the team as a podium/panel speaker.
Depala said: “I’m excited to begin working with colleagues across the organisation and combining my technical planning expertise and business and partnership development activities to benefit both our clients and the wider business.”
HBF appoints director of Industry Attraction and Skills
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has appointed Andy George as director of Industry Attraction and Skills. He joins HBF from Barratt Redrow, where he held the position of head of talent management.
Having worked in the home building industry for almost 20 years, George has been responsible for developing multiple critical development frameworks and strategies beyond home building, within both the hospitality and supermarket sectors, accumulating a wealth of experience in key HR and development roles.
As a member of the Home Building Skills Partnership expert panel, Chair of the HBF Skills and Supply Chain Engagement group, and previously Chair of the HBF Career Attract Group, George has worked alongside HBF to drive collaboration and attraction activity across the home building sector for a number of years.
He replaces Jenny Herdman, who retired from her role as director of Home Building Skills Partnership in March this year.
George’s appointment also follows the Home Building Skills Partnership’s transition from operating as a separate brand, to being known as HBF’s Industry Attraction and Skills team.
George said: “I am delighted to be joining HBF at this exciting time for the industry and look forward to collaborating with its members as part of HBF’s Industry Attraction and Skills team.”
Neil Jefferson, HBF’s chief executive, commented: “The delivery of much-needed housing depends on a skilled workforce and, with Government’s ambitious targets, this is a pivotal time for the homebuilding industry to tackle the skills crisis.
“Andy’s breadth of experience securing diverse pipelines of talent will be crucial as we work to address the skills gap in the sector.”
Hello Neighbour welcomes Suzanne Smith to its Board
Hello Neighbour has appointed Suzanne Smith to its board as an independent non-executive director.
Smith, widely recognised for her website and YouTube channel The Independent Landlord, brings legal and property industry experience to the Board. She joins with immediate effect.
A former general counsel and company cecretary at Abcam PLC, Smith is now a portfolio landlord.
With 25 years as a lawyer, and expert knowledge of the private rental sector, she is well-positioned to help landlords navigate an increasingly complex market.
Richard Jenkins, CEO and co-founder of Hello Neighbour, said: “Her truly independent voice will be incredibly valuable as we continue to grow.
“Her insight will be especially helpful as we roll out our landlord self-service offering, which empowers landlords to let their properties safely and cheaply.”
Smith added: “I have always believed that being a good landlord means keeping the needs of tenants at the forefront of what we do. I am pleased to support Hello Neighbour in continuing to provide a service that empowers landlords to achieve this.
“Hello Neighbour’s commitment to providing a fair, value-for-money service that maintains high standards is a significant addition to an industry facing numerous challenges. I look forward to helping them maintain this strong and distinctive element of their business.”
Comings & Goings
