Gleeson poaches Vistry exec as new CEO

Sheffield-based housebuilder Gleeson Homes has announced the appointment of Graham Prothero as its new chief executive.

Prothero, currently chief operating officer at Vistry Group, will take over the hotseat at the £288m-turnover housebuilder from 1 January next year. He replaces James Thomson, who is standing down following the completion of ‘cultural and structural changes’, although he has agreed to remain on the board.

Prothero has been chief operating officer at Vistry Group since it was formed in 2020 as a result of Bovis Homes’ acquisition of Galliford Try’s Linden Homes and partnerships businesses.

As chief executive of Galliford Try in 2019, Prothero led on this ‘demerging’ of Galliford’s housing businesses. Prior to this he served as group finance director at Galliford for seven years from 2013 to 2020.

Gleeson, an urban regeneration specialist, earlier this year reported a 21.7% increase in pre-tax profit for the six months to 31 December and said it is on course to exceed its target of building 2,000 homes in the year. This would be an increase on the 1,812 built last year. It also reported turnover of £173.5m, up 17.5% on the £147.6m posted the previous year

In a trading statement today, Vistry said it would not be appointing a new chief operating officer and will instead distribute Prothero’s responsibilities throughout its executive team.

Dermot Gleeson, chair of Gleeson, said: “We are delighted to have secured Graham Prothero as the Group’s next CEO.

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“His outstanding track record and experience in housebuilding make him the ideal choice to lead the group in the next phase of its development. I am also delighted that James has agreed to remain on the board as a non-executive director, where we will continue to benefit from his knowledge of the company and industry.”

Prothero said: “I am very much looking forward to taking up my new role at MJ Gleeson. I have watched the company’s progress over the years and long admired the delivery of its focused strategy. It is rare to find a business that genuinely enhances people’s well-being in the way that Gleeson does.”

Gleeson is also one of 37 housebuilders to have signed Michael Gove’s fire safety ‘developer pledge’, promising to remediate tower blocks it has built over 11 metres in height over the past 30 years without drawing on the government’s Building Safety Fund.