27 September 2007
David Flowers, a former Group Property Director at Royal Mail has been appointed the new Director of Jersey Property Holdings for the States of Jersey.
Reporting to Ian Black, the Treasurer of the States, David will lead a team of more than 50 property professionals responsible for managing all aspects of the States portfolio which consists of over 500 buildings. His responsibilities will also include the procurement of new developments, the disposal of surplus land and property, planning and delivery of the maintenance of all property, commercialising property services, and ensuring the effective utilisation of States buildings.
The States has embarked on a review of the management of Jersey’s £1.4 billion property portfolio and in 2006 set up a new central Jersey Property Holdings Directorate. In line with many organisations with significant property interests Jersey recognises that major savings may be derived from effective central management of its property assets and this appointment is a major step forward in achieving this objective.
Ian Black, the Treasurer of the States is pleased with the appointment, "David is a property expert with extensive senior management experience in both the public and private sector. I am confident that he will be able to identify operational efficiencies and achieve excellent value for money from Jersey’s property assets whilst supporting the delivery of improved public services.
David himself is equally enthusiastic, "This role has many parallels with my previous position at Royal Mail and I am looking forward to similar challenges in an equally complex public sector environment".
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Notes to Editors:
1. For further information, please contact Ian Black on Tel: 440215
2. David Flowers was previously employed at the Royal Mail where he was employed as Group Property Director for the last 4 years, having previously worked as Property Operations Director for two years. As Property Director he took overall responsibility for the management of Property Holdings, a fully centralised property division delivering all property services in Royal Mail, including portfolio planning, property policy and standards, acquisitions and disposals, development project management, professional estates and full facilities management for all Royal Mail operations, as well as property regulation and compliance, and associated property legal services, finance and data systems support. The Royal Mail Property Portfolio is one of the largest property estates in the UK comprising over 3,900 premises with a floor space of 4 million square metres valued at over £2 billion.
3. Over the last six years David made significant contributions to the Royal Mail business; rationalising internal and external resources, driving up supply chain standards and efficiencies, and developing and implementing strategies to release asset value from surplus property. He increased facilities service standards and reduced the total cost of property to Royal Mail operations whilst managing the implementation of project expenditure of over £800 million and delivering over £300m in proceeds from the disposal of surplus property.
4. Before Royal Mail, David worked in senior roles in property development and facilities management for over 20 years. From 1998 to 2000 he was Group Property Director for Swallow Hotels and Leisure plc, where he managed and developed an estate of over 700 properties including Swallow Hotels, restaurants and pubs, together with breweries in Sunderland and Sheffield. Previously he was Divisional Property Director for Rank Group for four years where he drove the expansion of Rank’s gaming interests, Odeon multiplex cinemas and Rank Leisure nightclubs in the UK, Canada and Spain. Before that he was Property and Development Director for Whitbread for 10 years, where he expanded Whitbread’s restaurant and leisure concepts in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia.
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