Those at the top will need to make more room for younger blood and new ideas, according to the new head of Savills’ Birmingham office.
Simon Farrant, who will take over from Barry Allen at the end of November, said: “Team is what its all about to me.
“It’s allowing people to grow to their full potential. It’s an industry that is going to move fairly fast with technology that comes into play and we have got to be nimble.
“Its our job in our tenure as head of office to let those that want to grow get to their full potential, with the guys at the top who have made it taking possibly more of a back seat in terms of a business plan. That’s what I want to allow…”
Former head of the Savills Birmingham office Barry Allen – who held the post for 20 years – said: “Those who are senior have got to learn they cannot block progress from others making their career, and all of us at a senior level have got to learn what they do, continue to move upwards, or frankly move out the way.”
Savills rotates office head positions regularly and Allen will continue to expand his national role in the development team.
Farrant will head up the agency as it moves into its new space at 55 Colmore Row in early 2018, and looks to expands its Birmingham business alongside the city’s booming property market.
Farrant points to the dismantling of the inner ring road, the extension of the metro, and generally more joined up thinking about how the city works which is all helping to change its perception: “Birmingham is now seen as a destination for head office,” he says.
“It is a really exciting place to be, far more exciting than when we started,” said Allen.
“The combination of Birmingham as a key regional city, and recognised as such, and a property sector, which is rapidly evolving. The combination of those things makes being up here in our industry an exciting place to be.”
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