George F. White has promoted three of its team to salaried Partners. The promotions come at a key time for the business, as continued growth to expand its services and geographic footprint are top priorities.

Jessica Clark has become a Partner within George F. White’s Rural Team. Having been with the firm since 2007, Jessica has developed a specialism for supporting clients with rural grants. In this new role, Jessica will work closely with clients on professional valuations for lending security, capital taxation as well as the sale and acquisition of property across the agricultural and commercial sectors.

Jessica said: “When I joined the business, I really wanted to be a Chartered Surveyor but didn’t have the right sort of degree, so George F. White put me through a Masters degree so I could qualify. Ever since I have seen the firm work hard to support people through their own career pathways, developing in areas they enjoy and are passionate about. In this new role I’m looking forward to evolving our services alongside changes in the industry so clients can continue to feel confident that they are moving in the right direction.”

Alexander Jackson has moved from Associate to Partner. After joining George F. White as a graduate in 2010, Alexander has built his career with the business, specialising in rural property and land assets, with particular experience in advising clients on dispute resolution, tenancy succession and rent reviews. In his new role, Alexander will support clients across a range of valuation areas including taxation, lending security and strategic planning as well as providing assistance with compensation and compulsory purchase claims.

Alexander said: “I've always had ambition towards progressing in this industry and it's been great to be able to work towards that goal within the same business since entering the profession after university, which is a rare opportunity. Having longstanding team members means there's a strong variety and depth of experience in the company, and clients can call us to support their business. This promotion to Partner means I’m able to lead the way in helping clients to be reactive to market changes, rather than deterring from plans.

James Carruthers also takes the role of Partner. He originally joined the business in 2017 as a Senior Surveyor and specialises in commercial property, leading on valuation work as well as negotiating commercial lease terms. The commercial property space is a key area of growth for George F. White, following the company merging with Johnson Tucker LLP earlier this year. In his new role, James will support the expansion of this service, growing George F. White’s footprint across the region and beyond.

James added: “The growth of our commercial team has seen us develop a strong client base with a diverse mix of property assets. Within this new role as Partner, I will continue to uphold the high professional standards that George F. White is recognised for, as well as lead on our support to clients in changing markets to help them to meet their goals.”

The triple promotion exemplifies George F. White’s outstanding commitment to nurturing its team and growing property industry talent from its home in the North East. As the business continues to increase its footprint across the region, a recruitment drive is underway with a number of roles currently available.

Sally Hart, Managing Director at George F. White, concluded: “Jessica, Alexander and James have been with the business for a number of years and to see them grow during this time to now become Partners is something they should be incredibly proud of. I’m passionate about each of our team members understanding what their personal journey within the business could look like, supporting their development and keeping great people with us. Not only does the trio’s expertise offer a pillar of support to clients, but their progression is an example to young people that there are exciting career pathways in the property industry right here in the North East.”