Grenville Turner in final farewell to Countrywide

In his final duty to the property group, Turner chaired the firm’s annual general meeting yesterday and handed over responsibility as chairman to Peter Long.

After almost 10 years at Countrywide as chief executive and chairman, Grenville Turner has now stepped down and left the business with effect from 27 April 2016.

Following the appointment of chief executive Alison Platt in may 2014, Turner agreed with the Countrywide board to remain in the business as non-executive chairman.

In his final duty to the property group, Turner chaired the firm’s annual general meeting yesterday and handed over responsibility as chairman to Peter Long, who joined the business in February this year having formerly been chief executive of Tui.

Turner said: “I have now stepped away from Countrywide completely and have full confidence in Alison and her board’s ability to steer the company successfully.

“When she took over as chief executive, the board asked me to remain in place to oversee a smooth transition.

“Since then Alison has done a terrific job developing her own strategy for the business and she has a strong and competent team around her.

“I wish them all the very best success for the future.”

Turner has a number of other roles including being a member of the Zoopla board and chairman of Watkin Jones, a development business primarily focused on the student accommodation and private rented sectors which floated on the stock exchange last month.

Additionally he chairs three firms backed by private equity giant Oaktree, also a shareholder in Countrywide.

Those include Bellpenny, currently headed up by Turner’s former Countrywide colleague Nigel Stockton, Titlestone Property Finance, a development lender and Threesixty Developments.

He also sits on the DCLG board and is vice chairman of the English National Ballet.