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Industry legend McClintock to leave Property Ombudsman scheme
Industry veteran Bill McClintock is standing down as board chairman of The Property Ombudsman.
His departure, in January, follows that of ombudsman Christopher Hamer this month.
McClintock, who owns the Guild of Professional Estate Agents and who has not slowed down after overcoming serious illness, has been TPO chairman for 12 years, and has been with the scheme for 13.
He joined when the scheme was called the Ombudsman for Estate Agents, having originally started as a marketing proposition for corporate agents.
His successor will be Gerry Fitzjohn, currently vice chairman of the TPO board.
McClintock, who has over 50 years experience in estate agency, joined the then Ombudsman for Estate Agents as chief operating officer in January 2003, becoming chairman the following year.
His role has been to manage the business of the company, raise sufficient funds from member agents to administer the scheme, recruit new members and represent the member agents.
McClintock said: “When I joined, there were 769 firms with 4,251 offices registered with the scheme.
“There are now around 14,400 sales offices and 13,500 lettings offices, so there has been a significant change during my time and the scheme has grown tremendously.
“One of my main achievements was encouraging the Government to enact the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007, which required all estate agents to register with an Ombudsman Scheme and to get the TPO Scheme approved by the Office of Fair Trading, both of which were considerable developments within the industry.”
McClintock will continue as a director of the Guild of Professional Estate Agents, and its spin-off Fine & Country.
He said: “I have really enjoyed my time with TPO and shall miss meeting so many connected to the industry.
“I hope to have made a difference in some way, but now I’m looking forward to taking some time out. I would like to wish my successor and friend Gerry Fitzjohn every success going forward.”
Fitzjohn, former national sales director at Countrywide, has been on the board since 2000 and became vice-chairman in 2010 – one year after the Ombudsman for Estate Agents changed its name to The Property Ombudsman.
Another industry veteran, Michael Stoop, currently on the TPO board and group managing director of Martin & Co, will become the new vice-chairman of TPO.
The reshuffle is announced after new ombudsman Katrine Sporle took over last week.
Bill McClintock
Gerry Fitzjohn
http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/industry-legend-mcclintock-go-leave-property-ombudsman-scheme/
