Hacking & Paterson unveils growth strategy

Hacking & Paterson, Scotland’s largest privately owned property factor, has announced a new leadership team and ambitious growth plans.

The firm has appointed Chris Breckenridge as chief growth officer, bringing more than 20 years’ experience across the property sector. 

He will lead expansion, acquisitions and work to improve public perception of the industry.

Chris said: “People don’t always have a positive view of our sector, and that is something I want to help change.

“There is a real opportunity to improve the experience for customers by bringing different parts of the property journey closer together. 

“Having worked across the sector, I have seen where the gaps are and how frustrating that can be for buyers and homeowners.

“Growth will come from a combination of expanding into new areas and looking at acquisitions within the sector. 

“There is also a wider opportunity as markets evolve beyond Scotland, particularly in England and Wales as commonhold develops, as well as in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

“From day one, I will be looking at mergers and acquisitions to see how we can provide more complementary services.”

The leadership team is further strengthened by chief financial officer Gemma Roxburgh, who is leading a transformation programme focused on finance, systems, data and AI, alongside chief operating officer Gordon Douglas and non-executive chairman Neil Watt.

Gemma added: “Coming into the industry from a different background allows me to look at things through a fresh lens while learning from the depth of expertise already within the business. 

“I’m excited to work closely with Chris and build on the strong start our new leadership team has made in the last ten months.

“We are in the middle of a transformation programme across finance and operations. 

“The processes we have are strong, but there is a significant opportunity to improve how we use data, automation and AI to make the business more efficient.

“The aim is to remove some of the more manual, repetitive tasks and give people more time to focus on what really matters: working with customers, building relationships and delivering a consistently high level of service.”

The move marks a significant step for the business as it targets growth beyond Scotland into wider UK and Irish markets, supported by a £2 million investment in systems, people and sustainability, as well as a planned recruitment drive.

Chief executive David Doran added: “We’ve done things the same way for a long time, and we’re proud of where that has taken us. 

“We have built a strong, stable business and established our company as Scotland’s leading property factor, but our ambitions now are much broader.

“We need to look at the business differently. 

“That means investing in people with different skillsets, experience and perspectives, and bringing in Chris is a big part of that. 

“He brings real gravitas in the property sector and will help us challenge how we think about growth.

“The business itself has changed dramatically over time. 

“When I started, everything was manual. 

“Now the pace is completely different. 

“Customers’ expectations have changed and the level of service required is far higher. 

“The industry is improving and we need to make sure we continue to lead it.

“We recently kick-started our new era with a full staff strategy day, which was key in bringing all our staff along with us on this journey and gave them further insight into our impending brand change and office move.”

David added: “Gemma has already played a key role in building the platform for our next stage of growth. 

“We are making better use of our systems, improving how we use data and creating a more stable structure across the business so we can scale with confidence.”

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