Nick Chadbourne has been appointed as the new non-executive chair of the Conveyancing Association, succeeding Nicky Heathcote, who leaves at the end of her second term.
Chadbourne recently stepped down from conveyancing service provider LMS, where he spent a decade as chief executive. During his time with LMS, Chadbourne worked across the home-moving market with lenders, conveyancers, mortgage advisers, suppliers and panel managers, giving him a broad view of the property transaction, what its different stakeholders need and where many of the pressures and points of friction exist.
The CA role provides an opportunity to use his cross-industry experience on behalf of the conveyancing profession as a whole, Chadbourne said.
“Having spent 10 years running LMS, I have had a unique view across the property transaction, working with a large number of stakeholders, including the CA and its membership, and seeing first-hand where many of the pressures and points of friction exist.
“The next few years are going to be hugely important for conveyancing and the wider home-moving market. Reform of the home buying and selling process is coming, and it is vital this happens with conveyancers rather than to them. Conveyancers need a credible and informed voice in the room while those changes are being shaped, rather than simply being brought into the conversation once decisions have already been made.”
Chadbourne’s experience will be particularly valuable to its members, the CA said, coming at a time when the home buying and selling process is the subject of significant reform, with Chadbourne keen to ensure conveyancers have a strong and informed voice while future changes are being shaped.
Board member Victoria Mortimer said: “We are delighted Nick has agreed to become the new non-executive chair of the CA. His experience across the conveyancing and wider property market, and the relationships he has developed, will bring an important new perspective to this work.
“This is a significant period for the conveyancing profession, both in terms of the wider reform agenda and the commercial and operational pressures we continue to face. Nick understands both sides of that equation and shares the Board’s determination that the CA should provide a strong voice for its members. We look forward to working with him as he takes up the role, and to introducing him formally to members in Liverpool next month.”
Chadbourne said his initial focus will be on listening to CA members and affiliates, before agreeing longer-term priorities with the CA board. The CA needs to balance its work on major industry reform with a strong focus on the everyday commercial and operational issues affecting conveyancing firms, he said.
“The CA has built considerable credibility and has shown it is prepared to take a leading role in the bigger debates about how we improve the home-moving process. I want it to continue that work, but I also want to make sure we are just as focused on the practical issues our members face every day.
“Fee levels, caseload pressures, maintaining technical knowledge and the practical problems firms encounter week-in, week-out all matter, and the bigger reform agenda cannot be allowed to crowd those issues out. I want the CA to be equally trusted on the longer-term issues and the everyday ones.
“My first priority, however, is to listen. I want to speak to legal member firms and our affiliates, and understand what they think we do well, what we could do better and what they need from their representative body.
“From there, we can set our priorities and build our plans for growth and reform together, based on what members and affiliates are actually telling us. I would like to thank Nicky for her tireless work for the CA. She has achieved a huge amount during her time here and I’m looking forward to building on everything she did for the Association.”
Mortimer also thanked Heathcote on behalf of the board, adding: “She has worked tremendously hard and has made a real difference; we wish her well for the future.”
Chadbourne will take up the chair role from the start of October, and will be attending the CA’s All Member Meeting and Networking Dinner at the Liver Building in Liverpool on the 8th October.
