FOLLOWING of this month's International Women’s Day, estate agents Leaders has revealed the strong female presence on its board of directors and among senior management.

Despite operating in the male-dominated property industry, Leaders is committed to equal opportunities and this ethos is evident from the very top of the business.

Indeed, across the company as a whole, some 70 per cent of its 1,300-plus employees are female.

Four women who have reached the top at Leaders:

1) Allison Thompson – Managing Director

Allison started at Leaders in 1992 as an administrator in the company’s branch in North Laine, Brighton. She soon progressed and was promoted to the roles of branch manager, area manager and lettings director before becoming managing director in 2016.

2) Emma Wells – Lettings Director

Emma is one of the company’s most experienced lettings experts, having been in the industry for more than 20 years. She joined the company through an acquisition in 2011 and now manages the northern part of the Leaders branch network.

3) Kathy Valverde – Lettings Director

Kathy started her career as a secretary at an estate agents in 1979 and has subsequently enjoyed extremely successful periods in both sales and lettings. She joined Leaders in 2003 through an acquisition and is now responsible for more than 50 branches and hundreds of staff in the south.

4) Alison Guyton – New Homes Director

Alison has worked in property for 18 years and joined Leaders eight years ago. She initially headed up the company’s Marketing department before being promoted to the role of New Homes Director in 2017. She works with developers to maximise returns and ensure smooth and speedy sales.

Allison explains: “Despite a number of our competitors employing an overwhelming majority of men, we are very proud to be successful in the property industry with a female-dominated team.

“With International Women’s Day taking place in March, we felt this was the perfect time to declare our commitment to supporting women in the workplace and providing an equal opportunity for career progression.

“We want to encourage as many women as possible to consider the benefits of starting or progressing their career in property with us – and as a large proportion of our senior managers are female, what better progression incentive is there than the knowledge your talent and commitment has no limits?”

Leaders also places tremendous importance on offering its employees options to improve their work-life balance and to help them meet family commitments. This includes offering flexible working and job shares.

Allison adds: “I have always loved working in the property industry. Every day is full of new challenges and different responsibilities, but ultimately the most rewarding thing is being able to make a difference to people’s lives by helping them to sell, let, buy or rent a home.

“I would urge anyone thinking about a career change to get in touch and find out more about how you can realise your ambitions with us.”

For more information on a career in the property industry contact recruitment@leadersromans.co.uk

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