A property specialist at Birmingham-based CPBigwood has been promoted to partner.
Karen Combellack, a manager in the Residential Service Charge Department, steps up from associate.
The firm manages approximately 20,000 flats and apartments across the country acting for investors, resident management companies, right to manage companies and plcs as well as developers and house builders.
Ms Combellack, a mother of two who started out as a secretary, joined Curry & Partners nine years ago – the firm merged with Bigwood in 2011 – from Pennycuick Collins.
She said: “I am thrilled – it is a great honour. Residential property management is a terrific career and has given me opportunities to progress up the ladder. CPBigwood is expanding fast and I am committed to helping the firm to continue this growth.”
Ms Combellack started out as secretary to the managing director of a firm of managing agents.
She left to raise her family and returning much later she decided to retrain in property management through a distance learning course created by Asset Skills, the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA), the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA), the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM), the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
That inspired her to continue training, and it has paid off.
Her work has involved the day-to-day management of a team of senior property managers, reporting directly to her on the management of their individual property portfolios.
Colleague and partner Brett Williams said: “Karen has continued to progress in her career due to her dedication and work with clients, customers and staff alike to ensure that our department constantly strives to provide a top class service for the buildings that we manage. I congratulate her and welcome her to the partnership. She is a tremendous asset.”