KF creates single European partnership
Date: 3rd March 2008 | 
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London, UK – Knight Frank LLP has announced the restructuring of its UK and continental European
businesses to operate as a single European Partnership.
From 1 May 2008, Knight Frank will align its continental European operations with those in the UK and Ireland
and will have 100% ownership of its offices in: Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Hungary, and Spain, and
promote six of its overseas partners to Proprietary Partner.
Filip Derijck, office head, Belgium; Jean Vandezande, head of agency, Belgium; Zdenka Klapalova, joint
office head, Czech Republic; Premysl Chaloupka, joint office head, Czech Republic; Philippe Perello, office
head, France; and Alberto Prieto, head of residential, Spain, with join Frederic Mangeant, office head, Spain
and the recently appointed Paul McDowell, head of Ireland and Robert Ganly, head of Ireland residential, who
became Proprietary Partner in May 2007 following Knight Frank’s acquisition of residential and commercial
property consultancy Ganly Walters Limited to provide its Dublin office.
Chris Bell, managing director – Europe, Knight Frank said: “We reviewed our business model in response to
client demand, which increasingly requires a broader integrated European business. This move provides the
platform for us to continue to give our clients the premier property advice across Europe.”
In September 2006 Knight Frank implemented its three year European growth strategy to capitalise on the
European opportunity. This included: adopting a best business model, increasing market share through
prioritising service lines, integrating its existing offices into a single business, and focusing on growth whilst
retaining its unique culture.
Chris Bell added: “Our continental European business is thriving. We have always been focused on growth and
in the last few years, have opened new offices in: Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Budapest,
Dublin, and Munich. Since then our turnover has increased to £60 million, and staff numbers stand at 820.
However, we recognised a need to provide a coherent European business which truly incorporates the UK and
the continent. Running Europe as a single business and where appropriate, bringing overseas partners into the
main Knight Frank Partnership, will provide our clients with the best people and platform into and throughout
Europe.
“Our focus is on further integration, expansion of current operations, and the opening of new offices, in particular
in Germany, Holland and Scandinavia. Our recent Irish acquisition, and the subsequent recruitment of a leading
Munich based team which enabled us to open our second German office, are testament that our strategy is on
track.”
Philippe Perello, office head, Knight Frank France said: “I started my career in 1991 and joined ‘Knight Frank &
Rutley’ as a junior negotiator with no other experience in the property industry. Since then and during 17 years, I
have always enjoyed working at Knight Frank. The work environment, the challenge, the values of the group
based on professionalism, integrity, merit, team spirit, have always been extremely important to me.
“Becoming part of the biggest privately owned consultancy firm in the property business is obviously a fantastic
chance for myself but also a strong motivation for my colleagues in the Paris office to pursue our growth and to
attract the best people. Paris is one of the key property markets and the global Knight Frank Partnership is the
perfect answer to the evolution of the market in order to continue to deliver the best service to our clients."
Knight Frank’s single European network of offices totals 38 offices in 11 countries (see Note 2). Its operations
in Germany, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine will be integrated in the next phase of its strategy.
Nick Thomlinson, senior partner, Knight Frank said: “We are focused on being an extensive integrated business
which will benefit our clients whilst capitalising on the unified European opportunity.
“Real estate holds no borders: we go where our clients demand and that is not just Europe but beyond. Our
Asia Pacific business which incorporates Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, and New Zealand, links into our
global network including our Africa operations and US based Newmark Knight Frank, allowing our clients full and
unrivalled access to all these markets. Our strength lies in our culture and core values of progressing global
growth and capitalising on market share opportunities in both the residential and commercial property sectors.
We continue to retain and recruit excellent talent in order to provide exceptional service to our clients. We are
committed to continue with our stated aim of widening our equity and look forward to welcoming all the new PPs
to the Partnership.”
The new continental European Proprietary Partners will join the recently announced eight UK PPs on 1 May
2008 (See Note 1), from which time, Knight Frank LLP will have increased its total Proprietary Partners to 60 (1
May 2007: 46).
For further information, please contact:
Nick Thomlinson, senior partner, Knight Frank, +44 (0)20 7861 1001
Chris Bell, managing director – Europe, Knight Frank, +44 (0)20 7861 1145
Olivia Gallimore, pr manager, Knight Frank, +44 (0)20 7861 1035