Ben takes
thefloor at lastyear’s ARMA
conference
Also thecontroversial High Courtdecision
in Phillips vFrancis,which he says “has left thewhole industry scratching its heads”. Benisclearly committed to raisingthe
profile of ARMAandimproving professional standards, so howdid he first getinvolved with theorganisation? His company, PremierEstates -ofwhich he ismanaging director – has been an ARMAmember since
2000.In2008hewas approached by then ChiefExecutive DavidHewetttoserve as a Councilmember. A stint on the technical committee wasfollowedin2010bythe role of vice-chairman and a seat on the Executive
theprofile ofARMAand improvingprofessional standards
Committee -the groupresponsible for appointing current CEO Michelle Banks in
2011.Aswellashis role as chairman, Ben remainsonthe ExecutiveCommittee andsits on the ARMA-Q and conference committees. “Formany years, PremierEstates benefitted hugely fromitsARMAmembership,”says Ben“andthereforewhenIwas askedtojoin theCouncil in 2008,Idecided it wasonly fair to give somethingback...I supposethat acceptingthe position wasjustaprogression ofmewanting to playmypart in furthering the organisation”. While he considers being asked to become
chairman“ahugehonour”, Benalsopoints outthatthe role alsomeans alot of committee work,meetingstoattendand constantemail andtelephone conversationswithboth member firmsandARMA’
ssecretariat.So howishemanagingtocombinewhatsounds
Flat Living Issue 14, Spring committedto raising Benisclearly
likeafull-timeposition with his‘dayjob’ at PremierEstates’headofficeinMacclesfield? “I have averycapablemanagement team whichmeant Ifeltcomfortable withmytime commitmenttoARMA,”hesays. However, ARMA-Q has addedawhole newdimension to theroleand he nowsuspects he “substantially underestimated” quitehowmuch timewould be required. Thelasttwo ARMAchairmenhave
hailed fromtheWest Midlands and Ben is fromCheshire,but he doesn’tbelieve there is anyrealdifference betweenmanaging developments in BirminghamorManchester. “London is clearlyadifferentmarkettothe rest of thecountry,” he says,“butonceyou get outsidethe capitalthe job is thesamewhether it’s in thesouth west or thenorth east. Our experience is that flat owners want value for money fromtheirpropertymanagerand that means ahighquality serviceatafairprice - wherever they live,” he says. Benstarted hiscareerinresidential lettings,
followed by astint with TemplarHousing,a localhousing associationinCheshirewhich had a private blockmanagement division. When Templar decided to dispose of their privatepropertymanagementportfolio,Ben led amanagement buy-out and in 1998 set up
PremierEstates.The rest,astheysay,is history. Now, with atrack record in property management rightacrossthe countryand plenty of experience of theissues that affect ARMAmembersonadaily basis, Benthinks he has theright insight to understand what themembershipwants fromitstrade association. “I also thinkthatmyexperience of running andgrowing PremierEstates givesmeacertain levelofbusinessacumen that is helpful to ARMA,” he says. “Although theorganisationisn’t abusinessitstill has to balance the books and it is anemployer with allthe responsibilities that go with
that.Ilike to think thatmywork ethos helps get things done andnot takingmyself tooseriously I caninjectalittlehumourintowhatcould otherwise be a fairly dry subject.”●
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