Cheap says goodbye to Avison Young

Manchester-based office expert Chris Cheap has left the consultancy to pursue other ventures after spending 22 years with the firm in a range of senior roles.

Cheap is understood to have been placed on long-term gardening leave by Avison Young after tendering his resignation in late November.

His departure comes more than two decades after he joined GVA Grimley as a senior regional director in 2004, some 15 years before the business was acquired by Avison Young.

After GVA’s takeover, Cheap was made managing director for UK regions. He was also head of the firm’s Manchester office between 2016 and 2023.

In 2023 he was appointed as chief transformation officer, during which time he was charged with crafting Avison Young’s growth strategies across the UK.

A well-known face on the Manchester property scene, Cheap has been involved in several high-profile commercial schemes in the city including One St Peter’s Square, Island, and Piccadilly Place.

In January 2024 he was made the firm’s managing director of transactions, a role that saw him spend a larger proportion of his working week in the capital.

Avison Young and Cheap were approached for comment.