Strategic South Coast promotions by Vail Williams
Property consultancy Vail Williams has made seven strategic promotions in its South Coast offices as business demand continues to grow.
The Portsmouth and Southampton office promotions are among 20 firm-wide changes which include six new LLP (limited liability partnership) members – taking the firm’s total headcount to 21 – including new partners and associates.
South Coast based David Ramsay, Vail Williams’ partner and head of planning, is named an LLP member. He specialises in providing strategic direction for each of the five planning teams across the firm and is also responsible for the day-to-day running of the South Coast team, providing planning consultancy advice to clients.
Also named as an LLP member is Joe Walker who joined Vail Williams in 2018 and is the firm’s head of lease advisory overseeing the firms’ wider service offering. Acting for both occupiers and landlords in lease renewal, rent review and lease restructure negotiations, Joe also provides general lease consultancy advice, is an RICS Accredited Mediator, and is an independent expert on the DRS panel.
David Podesta (Vail Williams’ head of development), who joined the firm in 2024, has been promoted to partner. He has worked extensively in residential development and has expertise in estate/asset management, lease advisory, disposals and acquisitions and facilities management.
Hannah Bennett (Southampton, lease advisory), who joined Vail Williams in 2022, has been promoted to associate. Her expertise predominantly covers the office and industrial sectors across the South Coast property market, providing a holistic approach for occupiers and landlords.
Also promoted to associate is Lucy Clifford Bowles (Portsmouth, building consultancy). Joining Vail Williams in 2023, she is a chartered building surveyor whose key areas are commercial property development, dilapidations and consultancy, as well as sustainability, surveys and schedules of condition.
Diana Southwell (Southampton, property asset management) is promoted to senior surveyor. She has 10 years’ property experience and joined Vail Williams in 2022 and is responsible for managing a range of properties for the firm’s clients across the South Coast.
The other four new Vail Williams LLP members are Suzanne Holloway (Gatwick, regional managing partner), Stephen Hobbs (Birmingham, partner and head of valuation), Guy Parkes (Thames Valley, partner) and Charlie Nicholson (Surrey, regional managing partner).
The promotions follow Vail Williams’ change in leadership at the beginning of June with Danny George taking on the role of managing partner from Matthew Samuel-Camps, who stepped down after a decade at the helm.
Danny said the end of financial year promotions were particularly well deserved and demonstrated Vail Williams’ unwavering belief in rewarding exceptional hard work as well as developing and retaining its own top talent.
“I congratulate my colleagues who have achieved a promotion. To me this reflects the incredible dedication shown by everyone who is adding value to this driven and successful firm as we embark on a new and ambitious growth plan.
“Our six new LLP members add a vast breadth of experience and unrivalled varied sector specialism to the partnership and I look forward to working closely with everyone as we face the challenges ahead, take the opportunities we’ve identified and strive to offer an even better service to our valued clients.”
The promotions come as Vail Williams launches a new three-year business plan aimed at further innovation, service excellence and sustainable growth.
Vail Williams’ full-service property advice includes commercial agency, investment and development advice, building consultancy, property valuation, planning, lease advisory, property asset management, business rates and occupier consultancy.