Sixteen appoints duo of directors

John Scully, previously a partner at Knight Frank, and Graham Aitkenhead, former director at Avison Young, have been appointed to head up a new department at the Manchester-based real estate consultancy.

Sixteen Real Estate has hired Scully and Aitkenhead as directors to oversee the new department with a focus on rating and specialist landlord and tenant work.

Scully was partner and head of North West business rates and lease advisory at Knight Frank for eight years until this month. Prior to that, he was a surveyor at consultancy Gerald Eve.

Aitkenhead, meanwhile, was a director in the lease consultancy team at Avison Young in Manchester for four years and before that a partner at WHR Property Consultants. He, too, worked at Gerald Eve – for three years as a partner.

Sixteen has nine staff currently following the appointment last year of Dan Whitney as director heading up the planning department. It is working to expand its operations and provides services across the offices, retail, industrial, building consultancy, planning and professional disciplines.

Founding Partner Nick Nelson said: “The strategy for Sixteen has always been about enhancing the offering we have to clients with best-in-class director-level appointments.

“We believe Graham and John will complement the existing teams with their wealth of knowledge and strong track record of delivering exceptional results for clients.”

Scully added: “This is an exciting time to be joining the team at Sixteen and was the ideal opportunity for Graham and I to establish a niche rating and lease advisory team.

“Now, more than ever, we believe clients will truly benefit from strategic professional advice and we are looking forward to working with the team to maximise the opportunities that no doubt still exist.”

And Aitkenhead said: “The team at Sixteen have established a great business and I am really excited to be joining with John to help our clients at such a critical time.”