Spicerhaart names joint CEO team

Two directors of Spicerhaart are set to take over as joint chief executive of the independent agency brand.

It comes as its founder Paul Smith was promoted to executive chairman.

Group managing director Antony Lark and national operations director John Phillips have been unveiled as joint chief executives.

Smith said: “This strategic decision marks a new era of leadership and reflects our continuing commitment to growth, innovation and digital transformation. Antony and John both have a proven track record and complementary skills and they are the ideal candidates to lead our company.”

Lark joined Spicerhaart in 2013 as Just mortgages’ managing director, having previously been with Countrywide for almost 17 years. He became Spicerhaart’s group managing director in 2019. 

Lark said: “John and I have always worked closely together and we see this as an amazing opportunity to continue the great work that Paul has done in developing the Spicerhaart family.

“Over the past few years, Paul has spent a lot of time in educating us in the finer details of the business, giving us a very rounded knowledge of all aspects, and he will continue to provide strategic decisions as we move the business forward.

“We have been working on some very exciting plans to grow our Partnership model, particularly in lettings where we have very successfully trialled the model of employed staff members based at home.”

Phillips spent 23 years with Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward before joining Spicerhaart in 2015.

Phillips added: “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved, transforming our financial services and surveying businesses and ensuring that our teams are fully compliant and process driven.

“We’re now very focused on growing our number of self-employed finance specialists.

“I feel very honoured that Paul – an industry legend – has entrusted the running of his business to Antony and I as we, too, are great believers in supporting others to come into the industry and helping them fulfil their dreams.”