Rapleys appoints head of investment

Rapleys has promoted associate partner Rebecca Harper to head of investment within the partnership’s commercial division. Harper has been at Rapleys for nearly a decade, during which she advised on more than £300m of deals. The business described her as a “driving force” on alternative investment transactions. She advises primarily on the acquisition and disposal of individual properties and portfolios, identifying opportunities, highlighting asset management potential and providing valuation and rental advice to clients, mainly focusing on the automotive, out-of-town retail and leisure sectors. Justin Tuckwell, managing partner at Rapleys, said the business looked at external recruitment before choosing Harper for the job. “Investment is an area of the business we are keen to grow,” said Tuckwell. “We have looked at recruiting and met some great senior candidates, but we decided that we had the best person already within the business to lead the team. Becks will grow this part of the business and recruit the right people at different levels to support her.” Harper said: “There has been an increasing demand for alternatives in the last few years as investors look to diversify portfolios, spread risk and find value in niche assets. This is my speciality and it’s also something that Rapleys is absolutely a market leader on and has grown considerably in this area as a result. “Despite its growth, the business now has a real focus on its people, and I could not have felt more supported returning this time after my second maternity leave with the subsequent flexibility to do my job well, perform at the highest level and empowerment to lead this team and future growth. Rapleys is a very special place and I’m already getting stuck into growing the investment team to bring opportunities and add further value to new and existing clients.”