NEWS&TRENDS Neighbourly boosts management


and Iain Stockdale-Smith and Matthew Sleath as director of operations. The new appointments are part


of Neighbourly’s strategy to provide enhanced support to its network of more than 250 franchisees.


p Simon Matthews, Matthew Sleath, Chris Mitchell and Iain Stockdale-Smith


u Neighbourly, a franchisor of home- service brands, has bolstered its management team in the UK. Coming a few weeks after welcoming


Philip Carr as its new UK managing director, Neighbourly’s expanded team includes Simon Matthews as fi nance director, Chris Mitchell as director of IT,


"Neighbourly continues to have a strong perf ormance in the UK and part of that is having the right leaders in place to ensure we continue"


Simon joined the organisation to assist with the strategic planning and direction of Neighbourly. He has over 25 years’ experience working in a range of senior fi nance roles.


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conveyancing sector every year. James worked for major


Liz and James Ferguson X-Press Legal Services


u James and Liz Ferguson bought the Cornwall and Devon X-Press Legal Services franchise in 2007. Both from corporate backgrounds, their work ethic, analytical minds and strong eye for detail, as well as impressive transferable skills, have enabled them to grow a thriving business. Now, 12 years on, they serve 23 legal fi rms and employ a team of three.


X-Press Legal is a property search and reporting company. The network undertakes 400,000 searches for the


corporations in demanding senior roles that involved lots of travel and Liz had a successful career as a customer services and logistics manager. After Liz's redundancy, the pair decided to look for an opportunity where they could work together. It was something they had often thought about, but employment, where the fi nancial rewards were good, had made it diffi cult for them to leave the security of corporate life. James says: “We'd always worked


for large companies, with a support network in place, but wanted to take control of our lives. So when we decided to embark on a project together, a franchise felt like the obvious choice. “Being part of X-Press Legal


Services has allowed us to be in business, but not on our own, as we are able to benefi t from an established business model, training, mentorship and the support of other franchisees. For us, it’s been absolutely perfect.”


Chris, a specialist of over 30 years in in IT, is now responsible for delivering innovative and strategic IT solutions for Neighbourly across Europe. His past experience includes 12 years in the New Zealand army. Iain and Matthew will work across the


brands to drive growth and identify new sales avenues for the franchisees. Iain brings a wealth of franchising and grounds maintenance experience, having formerly worked for a national company with over 220 franchisees for nine years, while Matthew has over 15 years of franchising experience, predominantly in the hospitality sector. Jeff Meyers, vice-president of


international operations for Neighbourly, says: “Neighbourly continues to have strong performance in the UK and part of this is having the right leaders in place to ensure we can continue to execute on our plan for transformation and growth. We are delighted to welcome Simon, Chris, Iain and Matthew to our Neighbourly family and I am certain that each of their experiences will be an asset to the organisation throughout their journeys. These new appointments are well timed as we are in a period of transformation, focused on supporting our franchisees to be the best they can be.”


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