Jon Round, group financial services director at LSL Property Services which owns First Complete, Pink and TMA, said: “Until recently we had separate roles leading the sales, recruitment and strategic development activities for the two networks First Complete and Pink.
“Richard Coulson has performed this role successfully for First Complete for many years, and I have now asked Richard to take on the same role for Pink Network.
“This will ensure that we have a joined up approach to each aspect of our business as we target our next phase of growth.”
Round said with over 30 years’ experience in the intermediary market, Coulson had achieved “outstanding results in recruiting, growing and developing businesses”.
He added: “Our individual network and directly authorised brands are supported by a single executive management team made up of people from each part of the business.
“This provides a great blend of knowledge, experience and expertise from each individual business and the wider LSL group.”
The individual brands and regional director teams remain unchanged. David Copland will continue to lead the development and growth strategy for TMA.
Coulson, a co-founder of Home of Choice, the network LSL Property Services bought out of administration in 2010, takes over from Mark Graves who resigned in July and left the network in early August.
Despite the appointment of Coulson as sales leader of both Pink and First Complete the firm denied any plans to combine the networks and said both brands would remain as they appealed to different cultures and types of business.
Round said: “Each of our businesses has its own competitive proposition, growth strategy, and identity.
“Some support functions are delivered by a single team that looks after all our financial businesses, other functions are delivered by brand-specific teams that look after firms within either Pink, First Complete or TMA.
“Each business benefits from the overall strength, expertise and buying power of LSL’s vast financial services business. This approach enables each network to retain strong elements of individuality and identity, whilst benefiting from a co-ordinated, joined up management approach and the financial backing of a large plc owner.”
Coulson’s appointment follows several departures from Pink’s senior executive team this year.
Mark Graves’ son Matthew Graves resigned as managing director of Linear, one of the Pink network’s biggest appointed representatives, in June.
Last month Lauren Bagley, marketing manager at TMA mortgage club, resigned and left at the end of July.
Simon Thomas, national sales director at First Complete left earlier this year.
Joanne Palmer, head of marketing and customer services, left Pink in June after 14 years.
And Nigel Dickens, Pink Home Loans’ financial controller, has also resigned recently.
Bagley joined Martin Wilson’s newly established The Right Mortgage Network earlier this week and it is understood that both Mark and Matthew Graves could be in talks with Wilson to join later this year, though Mark Graves declined to comment.
Meanwhile Gavin Earnshaw, head of compliance at Pink between July 2012 and November 2014, left the network and after six months at Castle Trust joined The Right Mortgage Network as compliance director in July this year.
Round said: “We have had a few people leave the business recently, though this is for a variety of different reasons.
“LSL is a large financial services business, the intermediary market has been growing strongly, it is inevitable that other businesses would look at successful organisations like LSL as potential sources of recruitment of staff.
“It is sad when people leave, but this can also present an opportunity to strengthen the team in a different way and bring in new people with fresh ideas.
“The size of our team has grown considerably to support our successful growth, and we will continue to do so over the latter part of the year. Our investment in supporting our firms and our growth will continue through the remainder of this year, into 2016 and beyond.”
