Cooke & Arkwright
News
Recruiting in a recession
18/11/09
While many firms have made redundancies or chosen not to replace staff who have left their employment during the recession, chartered surveying firm Cooke & Arkwright has recruited five new members in the past 12 months ‘in order to maintain a strong position both in the current climate and in preparation for a return to a better property market.’ The new recruits, three of whom had previously been made redundant by other leading surveying companies, have joined the Retail and Office agency teams, and Rating and Management departments.
Chairman Roger Thomas said that while the recession had made things difficult, it would be short sighted to pare back staff numbers. “It’s important to preserve continuity of the high quality, professional service that our clients have come to know and expect, and that means retaining sufficient levels of staff throughout our services. When the economy picks up we will be well placed to respond to increased demand,” he said. “We have been delighted to welcome our new recruits on board during the course of the year, and to provide them with the opportunity to progress their careers and contribute their individual qualities to our professional teams.”
Nicholas Swetman joined Retail where he deals with acquisitions and disposals, landlord & tenant matters, and rent reviews on behalf of a number of major clients including Principality Building Society, Greggs and Panther Securities. Nicholas is a member of the RICS and graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Economics, before going on to take a Postgraduate Diploma in Surveying. He previously worked for DTZ’s investment and retail teams in Cardiff as a graduate surveyor, and prior to that, for King Sturge. He has represented Glamorgan 2nd X1 and Wales Minor Counties at cricket and is also a keen golfer with a handicap of nine.
Nick Marsden joined the firm’s Rating department and is currently training for his APC in order to achieve membership of the RICS. Born in Aberystwyth, he was educated at Bishop of Llandaff High School in Cardiff. He graduated from Reading with a first class honours degree in Estate Management. Nick has represented many public sector clients and commercial property occupiers throughout Wales and England in a rating capacity, including eight Welsh unitary authorities, Greggs the Bakers, Principality Building Society and Capper & Co. He previously worked for Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC and GVA Grimley.
Kate Simpson recently joined the Office agency as a senior surveyor and works with Roger Thomas and Ben Bolton dealing with a variety of local and national clients including JR Smart, Charnwood Group, Aviva, Mapeley and Principality Building Society. Kate previously worked for GVA Grimley in industrial agency and valuation. She is a Member of the RICS and has a BSc in Land Management from the University of Reading. Kate was head girl at Cardiff High School and was a member of the Sherman Theatre Youth Group and the Welsh National Opera Youth Group.
Emily Thomas works in Property Management dealing with Commercial Estate Management and Landlord & Tenant work. Instructions include Southgate House, The Wharf and Trinity Court in Cardiff; SA1 development in Swansea; Cradley Business Park and Granada Trading Estate in the West Midlands; and a number of Western Power Distribution Depots across South Wales. Emily graduated in Land Management at the University of Reading and previously worked for DTZ in Bristol. She is a member of the RICS and is a fluent Welsh speaker. A keen golfer, she was Welsh Junior Golf Champion in 2001.
Jason Ross is the Property Manager responsible for a number of large commercial and residential sites across Cardiff, including Castle Court next to the Millennium Stadium and is involved in scheduling service charge budgets and negotiating contracts, as well as day to day management. Jason recently completed an industry recognised qualification in Managing Safely. He previously worked for Peter Alan Estate Agents as a sales negotiator and spent one year within the residential lettings division. Jason also has a background in computing and enjoys a game of snooker in his spare time.
Pictured: Roger Thomas seated, front, with from l to r, Kate Simpson, Nicholas Swetman, Nick Marsden, Jason Ross and Emily Thomas