Purplebricks appoints Lee Wainwright as head of UK operations

AIM-listed hybrid estate agent Purplebricks has appointed Lee Wainwright as chief executive officer of its UK operations with immediate effect.

Wainwright, who has served as chief operations officer since March 2017, had a 26-year career with Countrywide, where he was a divisional managing director for 12 years, responsible for the growth and strategic development of a number of their brands and divisions.

As COO of Purplebricks, he has overseen the development of its operational and customer service teams and systems to support its rapid expansion and next stage of growth. He has played a key role in the recruitment and training of over 300 local property experts, has overseen the launch of its concierge service and the growth of its post-sales support and conveyancing sales teams.

Chief executive officer Michael Bruce said: "We are very fortunate to have someone of Lee's experience and track record in the industry heading up our UK business. He brings with him extensive leadership and industry expertise from his senior roles at Countrywide, and has already demonstrated his value in his time as COO at Purplebricks. Having grown to be one of the leading estate agents in the country in such a short period of time brings with it the need to develop and scale‐up our people and capabilities in customer service, recruitment, training, and build a broader business offering.

“We are committed to delivering the highest levels of customer service through a resourceful and agile technology platform and our talented pool of employees and management. I believe that Lee is the best person to lead this expansion and to grow the strong culture that exists in our special business."

At 0845 GMT, the shares were down 0.7% to 413.98p.