The Team
John Faith - Chairman
John is Chairman and founding shareholder of Kitewood and he has more than 40 years experience in the property sector. Before establishing the Company in 1993, John was senior partner of Faith Plc, a mixed discipline professional property practice advising on architecture, town planning and project management. The varied skills John brings to the company provide a focus on delivery in all spheres of the Group’s operating areas.
John’s view on business has allowed the company to expand and encourages the growth of team members to fulfil their personal ambitions.
Philip Van Reyk - Chief Executive
Philip joined Kitewood in early 2012 and along with John has guided the Company through a period of restructuring and focusing on key activities. Philip has many years’ experience in the property industry, operating in both the private and public sectors, and he has covered all aspects of the development process. Philip was Chief Executive of Fairbriar PLC for 18 years following its restructuring in the early 1990s. In 2004 he created VR Developments, a new company formed to rationalise the assets of Fairbriar, leading to its sale prior to joining Kitewood.
Mark Ewing – Finance Director
Mark has worked in UK real estate since 2005. During that time, he has gained a broad range of finance and commercial experience across the residential and commercial sectors, working on some significant projects in both development and investment.
Mark has operated at Finance Director level since 2013, working for quoted companies, private equity owned businesses and public bodies. This has included roles in housebuilding with Chartway Partnerships Group and Berkeley Group and with Covent Garden Market Authority as part of the ongoing redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms. He also has experience working for Housing Associations such as Clarion and the Peabody Trust.
Mark has an Executive MBA and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Noel Meredith - Non-Executive Director
Noel Meredith joined the Kitewood Board in November 2021, he brings extensive experience in corporate and property funding.
Noel's background in banking started when he joined Midland Bank after graduating from Cambridge University. He also worked at Country Bank and Svenska Handelsbanken before joining United Trust Bank where he worked for 20 years and was head of the Development Finance team.
Susan Nicklen - Sales Manager and Company Secretary
Susan joined Kitewood in 2012 and is responsible for the company’s sales and marketing team.
Prior to joining the company Susan was responsible for sales and marketing at Fairbriar, including the establishment and management of 800 serviced apartments.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Andrew Palmer - Development Director
Andrew joined Kitewood as Development Director in January 2019 having previously been a Director/Partner at DTZ and subsequently Cushman & Wakefield working within the residential team for 24 years.
At DTZ Tie Leung Andrew worked in all areas of the residential business prior to starting the City Land/New Homes team which, over a period of ten years established a top Agency position and formed a key market for Cushman & Wakefield business. The team were responsible for delivering a number of Trophy instructions including regeneration sites, refurbishment opportunities, mixed led schemes and Tower developments.
Andrew has a strong reputation for Land transactions, particularly within the peripheral and emerging London and South Eastern markets, in areas including Elephant & Castle, Woolwich, Deptford, Kings Cross and Croydon.
Kitewood’s business model and a foothold in a number of Southern areas such as Sussex and Kent, alongside a London focus presents a robust business platform of which Andrew forms a continuing part.
Justin Hesketh - Construction Director
Justin joined Kitewood early in 2024 and brings over 34 years’ experience in both main contracting and residential housing development. He started his career at Alfred McAlpine Construction working on various projects in London and the Southeast before transferring to the Partnership Homes division.
Justin has held directorship positions within the housebuilding sector since 2002 including 14 years at Taylor Wimpey, with the team winning NHBC awards including seals of excellence and the regional award for the large housebuilder category.
In 2020 Justin joined Countryside Homes and was responsible for all aspects of construction on their housebuilding and partnership schemes within their Southern division.
Frank Wright - Projects Director
Frank has many years’ construction experience having previously worked at contractor Bowmer & Kirkland and Fairbriar Plc. Before joining Kitewood Frank was recruited to oversee the £300m refurbishment of the South Block of the Grosvenor House in Park Lane.
Bill Rogers - Consultant Property Adviser
Bill is a Chartered Surveyor with over 30 years’ experience in the residential development and investment markets. Bill was with DTZ for over 20 years and established its Development and Investment teams. He founded his own property advisory practice in 2009. Bill’s work has included agency and consultancy throughout London on some of its largest development projects. He has been extensively involved with residential funds for many years including the establishment of London’s first Serviced Apartment Residential Fund with Fairbriar in the early 2000s.
Bill’s experience also covers the serviced apartment sector as well as inward investment to the UK from the Asian and Middle East markets.
Nicholas Brown - Commercial Director
Nicholas has worked in the construction industry for over 35 years and has a wealth of experience in all sectors and a strong background in Commercial and Project Management. He joined Kitewood in early 2017.
Much of his experience has been through involvement within housing development containing over 600 new residential units with associated community facilities. He has held Senior Management and Directorship positions within both national and regional companies, acting as both the client and the contractor and he has professional CIOB qualifications.
Sara Sweeney - Planning Director
Sara joined Kitewood in January 2016. She is a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RPI) and is responsible for managing the identification and promotion of strategic development land within the South East of England along with the Company’s existing strategic land portfolio.
George McLaughlin - Technical Director
Joining the Kitewood Group in August 2017, George overseas the technical and design aspects of Kitewood’s active property portfolio as well as any new prospective developments. Transferring from architectural practice, George was responsible for Technical Management at Barratt London where he worked for over 5 years delivering bespoke high-rise projects encompassing all RIBA work stages.
Ben Crozier- Land Acquisitions Outside London
Ben has been with the group since 2009. He brings a wealth of experience to the company with his main focus being on acquiring schemes outside London, primarily located within the South East of England.