Connells Group chairman Stephen Shipperley has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2022, after celebrating his 45th anniversary with the business earlier this month.
Shipperley started his career in 1977 as a trainee negotiator at the Connells Aylesbury branch and rose through the ranks, becoming chief executive in 1990 and Connells Group chairman in 2008.
During his tenure, Connells Group has gone from being a 20-branch regional estate agency to become the one of the UK’s largest property services groups, with over 1,250 branches employing 16,000 colleagues.
David Livesey, Connells Group CEO, said: “After such a long and successful career with us, Stephen will leave a lasting impact on the business.
“His appetite for innovation and hunger for success have shaped who we are today, and we thank him for his years of service to Connells group.”
Shipperley added: “I have been extraordinarily fortunate and lucky in my career. Firstly, to join estate agency as a profession and, most importantly, to have joined Connells.”
“The business has trained and developed me, given me opportunities and challenges, and enabled me to work with a wonderful team of talented and driven people who have made the business what it is today.
“Connells Group is blessed with a results-focused, dynamic culture where people are at the centre of everything we do; a true meritocracy.
He concluded: “The business has been able to achieve the great things that it has because of the experience and strength in depth of the management within the business, and I am immensely proud to have been a part of that management team.”
