The chairman of HouseSimple, Linda Grant, has left the role after just under two years and has been replaced by the former chief executive of Carphone Warehouse.
Grant joined the online agent in July 2016 and her position as a director of HouseSimple was terminated at the end of last month.
She has a media background, having previously worked as director of commercial development at Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) and as managing director of the Metro.
Grant has been replaced as chairman by Andrew Harrison, who has close links to HouseSimple’s financial backer, Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone.
Harrison led Carphone Warehouse until its £3.8bn merger with Dixons Retail in 2014.
He later became deputy chief executive of Dixons Carphone but stepped down from that role in December in order to lead a shake-up of its Carphone Warehouse subsidiary in his new capacity as chairman.
Sir Charles Dunstone is among a group of investors who ploughed an extra £20m into HouseSimple late last year.
Dunstone was already an investor in the firm through his Freston Ventures private investment vehicle that he runs with business partner Roger Taylor.
The pair put in £5m in 2015, and led an investment round last year which chipped in a further £13m.
Toscafund Asset Management, which gave financial backing to the easyProperty rebrand earlier last year, also added to its existing HouseSimple investment and a number of other unnamed high net worth individuals have contributed.
A spokesperson for Housesimple said: “We can confirm that Linda Grant has left the company and Andrew Harrison will be taking on the position of chairman.”
Comments (3)
No doubt this appointment was based on the great job Sam Tyrer also ex carphone warehouse exec did running countrywide ?!?!?
When are this lot going to realise that it is hard enough for an agency to make a profit charging a sensible fee, never mind charging next to nothing.
okay they are the don’t sell still pay mob, but their advertising costs equal or exceed the high street model; and therefore there is little or no saving for them, especially as they will have to employ more people to improve their services.
It is no wonder the bods at the top keep getting the chop.
Now, now, J1 – time to admit you’re fantasising here… we’re ALL fantasising… deluded… in denial… whatever –
the Almighty DelPrat says this model is ‘da fewture’ of our industry.