The chairman of Strutt & Parker in Scotland is stepping down.
Andrew Rettie, who joined Strutt & Parker in 1987, retires at the end of this month (April 2018). He will hand over the reins to Jon Lambert, head of Strutt & Parker’s forestry arm John Clegg & Co, where he has worked since 1993.
Andrew Rettie’s retirement comes just weeks after overseeing the move into one office in the centre of Edinburgh, bringing together the surveying and estate agency firms of BNP Paribas Real Estate UK, Strutt & Parker and John Clegg & Co under one roof.
This in turn follows the merger last year of BNP PRE UK with Strutt & Parker and John Clegg & Co, UK leaders in buying and selling forestry, to become one of the UK’s largest property consultancies, providing advice and support to clients on all matters relating to commercial, residential and rural real estate.
Mr Rettie, who has overseen the opening and subsequent expansion of offices in Inverness and Perth in the last 10 years as well as new residential agency departments in Edinburgh and, last year, in Perth, said: “It gives me considerable satisfaction to report that, having overseen widespread growth, I am leaving our Scottish business in good shape.
“We are proud to be able to give our clients a very professional level of service in all the property spheres, utilising and harnessing the skills of the BNP PRE, Strutt & Parker and John Clegg & Co brands.
“I am handing the overall leadership of the business in Scotland to Jon Lambert and I am very confident that under his governance – with support from the other directors north of the border – the combined businesses will continue to flourish and go from strength to strength.”
Mr Lambert said: “I am delighted to be assuming the leadership of a Scottish business that has been nurtured and built up over many decades. Thanks to Andrew’s careful stewardship in Scotland and the exciting merger of three successful UK brands, I am taking over a robust, progressive and multi-disciplinary property business that is part of one of the strongest surveying firms in the UK.
“My professional work for John Clegg & Co remains the same but this is an exciting role for me at a very positive time for the wider group. I look forward to working with all of my colleagues in the future as we continue to grow and expand. However, our focus is the same. As has always been the case, our clients are at the heart of what we do and we remain intent on giving a high quality service across the property industry. This includes keeping up with technological changes and adapting to 21st century demands to ensure we can provide all the services our clients require and expect in a rapidly changing world.
Mr Lambert added: “Scotland is a distinct region within the BNP PRE group; the new Scottish HQ in Edinburgh is currently the only office in the UK where the three firms are united. As such, it embodies the spirit of collaboration behind the merger and provides a fantastic opportunity to embrace the synergies across the individual property sectors. I look forward to capitalising on that potential.”
The firm’s Scottish headquarters are now at 76 George Street in Edinburgh, in newly refurbished ground and first floor office space, and offer a comprehensive property service. BNP PRE provides commercial investment and agency, valuations, rating advice, property management and facilities management; Strutt & Parker’s residential arm specialises in the prime Edinburgh city market, country houses and estate and farm sales, while the John Clegg & Co team are experts in buying and selling forestry as well as forestry valuation and asset management.
The firm’s other Scottish offices in Glasgow, Perth, Banchory and Inverness offer commercial agency, valuation, rating advice, property management, facilities management, farming, land management, planning and additional residential sales teams.
The firm will continue to operate under the three brands of BNP Paribas Real Estate, Strutt & Parker and John Clegg & Co.