Global real estate advisor Avison Young has announced the arrival of five new recruits to its team in Manchester, strengthening its position in the regional market and bringing the office’s headcount to 125.

Ben Bellis, Matthew Walters, Lewis Chester and Will Jones join the business in the roles of Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Graduate Surveyor, Senior Building Surveyor and Quantity Surveyor, all within the firm’s Building and Project Consultancy team, which operates nationally and internationally with work ongoing on a number of schemes across the UK and in Europe.

Ben joins Avison Young from AUEROS Infrastructure, where he worked on a range of infrastructure projects following his graduation from Liverpool John Moores University. In his new role as part of the Cost Consultancy team, Ben will be supporting across a variety of sectors, including health, leisure, industrial and infrastructure.

Matthew arrives at Avison Young as a Graduate Surveyor, having studied building surveying at Sheffield Hallam University and completed work experience with GHG Solutions in risk surveying and asset surveying. In his new role, Matthew will be working towards his Assessment of Professional Competence with RICS, undertaking dilapidation surveys, preparing schedules of condition, and carrying out contract administration duties, alongside surveying responsibilities.

Lewis joins the team as a Senior Building Surveyor, having become chartered during his previous tenure of three years at Cushman & Wakefield. At Avison Young, Lewis will specialise in project management, dilapidation and technical due diligence.

Will spent the first four years of his career working in London for L&Q Group, the development arm of London’s largest housing association. He then relocated to the North West, joining Baker Hollingworth where he worked for three years. Will joins Avison Young’s Cost Consultancy team as a Quantity Surveyor, supporting across a variety of sectors including health, leisure, industrial and infrastructure.

Outside of the office’s Building and Project Consultancy team, a further new recruit has joined the business to help shape the next phase of growth. Callum McDougall has joined as an Associate Director in the Lease Advisory team.

Callum brings with him over 11 years of experience from Mason Owen. In his role at Avison Young, he will be advising both landlord and occupier clients on rent reviews and lease renewals across the North West and nationwide.

Paul Chesworth, Principal, Building and Project Consultancy at Avison Young, said:
“I’m very pleased to welcome Ben, Matthew, Will and Lewis to the Building and Project Consultancy team during such an exciting period of growth for us. Their collective skillset and experience will certainly strengthen our capability as we continue to take on new projects and deliver results for our clients in the UK and Europe.

“Investing in new talent is important to us, and these appointments reflect our ambition to continue to grow and diversify our offering.”

Barry Crichton, Managing Director, Manchester at Avison Young, added:
“The arrival of Callum and our four new colleagues in Building and Project Consultancy is an exciting milestone for the office. Our team in Manchester is consistently evolving, and we’re delighted to be in the second half of the year with such a strong team to help us reach our goals.

“The new recruits bring with them such a diverse range of experiences and skills, and we’re looking forward to seeing them collaborate with the wider business to continue to deliver a best-in-class service for our clients.”