Mills swaps Manchester for London

Respected investment agent Jonathan Mills is to head south and take up a senior role in the firm's West End investment team.

Mills said: "I love Manchester and I would only leave for an opportunity I couldn't turn down. A good seat in a strong West End investment team doesn't come round very often. It's taken a lot for me to leave and I actually don't really feel like I'm leaving. I'll be waving a flag for Manchester from London."

Mills has been at JLL in Manchester for 11 years and will start in London in January 2013.

Among the biggest deals Mills was involved with in Manchester were selling Towers business park for £47m for Wereldhave; acquiring the Chancery Place site and arranging speculative development funding; selling One New York Street for Bruntwood for £42m; buying 58 Mosley Street for the Cobbetts head office for £45m and selling it on practical completion for £65m; and advising Allied London on the sale for £184m of 3 Hardman Street in Spinningfields.

Mills will keep his family home in Stockport for now and try commuting.

Chris Ireland, lead director in Jones Lang LaSalle's capital markets team, said: "After many successful years working in Manchester, Jonathan's move to London is a positive change and a natural progression, which will advance his career and enhance his contribution to the UK business. Andrew Hawkins, a director in our City investment team made a similar move from Manchester six years ago and has continued to have a hugely successful career in the capital."

Matthew Stretton, also a director in the firm's Manchester capital markets team has left the firm to join Cushman & Wakefield.

David Lathwood, lead director, North West regions, Jones Lang LaSalle, added: "We have a five-strong capital markets team in Manchester under the very capable leadership of Simon Merry. We will continue to expand our already enviable client base and drive the growth of our multi-service business model across Manchester and the North West."