Developing a new generation of professionals

Cooke & Arkwright investing in new talent for the future

2 August 2016

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Three new graduate surveyors have been recruited to Cooke & Arkwright as part of the firm’s long term commitment to training, supporting and developing a new generation of professionals. Rhys Price, left, has joined Business Space; Gabriel Davies, centre, is providing support to the Commercial Agency teams during his Sandwich Placement Year; and Dominic Garner, right, is with Retail & Leisure. Managing Director Andrew Gardner comments, “We take the long view and consider it very important to preserve continuity in our provision of high quality, professional levels of service that our clients know and expect. This includes nurturing new talent for the future.

“We are delighted to welcome our new recruits and provide them with the opportunity to progress their careers and contribute their individual qualities to our professional teams.”

Rhys Price has joined the Business Space team and is assisting with sales, lettings and acquisitions of office and industrial properties across Wales. He has an MSc in Marketing and a BA in Business Management from Swansea University, and previously worked with Molson Coors UK. He plays rugby for his local team, Cowbridge RFC, and runs its website.

Gabriel Davies is undertaking his Sandwich Placement Year supporting Cooke & Arkwright’s Commercial Agency teams while working for his degree in Real Estate at UWE Bristol. A fluent Welsh speaker, Gabriel is also a keen rugby player, having represented the Wales Sevens development programme in 2015; he currently plays for Bedwas RFC in the Welsh Premiership.

Dominic Garner has joined our Retail & Leisure Agency where he is assisting the team with lettings and sales, and Lease Advisory matters. He graduated from Exeter University with a BA degree in Economics with European Study and has a Masters in Real Estate from the University of Reading. A keen traveller, Dominic spent a year studying in Rome and is proficient in Italian. He plays football for his local Sunday league team.

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Cooke & Arkwright have been providing rating valuation advice to The Welsh Rugby Union Limited (“WRU”) and Millennium Stadium plc for many years. They were recently successful in achieving substantial reductions in the assessments of the Millennium Stadium, covering both the 2005 and 2010 rating list. These negotiated reductions yielded savings of c.£3.5m which, crucially, allows the WRU to re-invest in rugby throughout Wales. They advise the WRU across the group portfolio including the National Centre of Excellence in the Vale of Glamorgan. The valuation issues across the WRU portfolio are complex requiring a high level of understanding of the funding and finances of professional sport in Wales. Cooke & Arkwright’s experience and understanding of these issues and application to the rating valuation have yielded these substantial negotiated reductions. The WRU and the Millennium Stadium entrust our work to organisations with the required levels in experience and expertise in dealing with these complex issues. I am glad to say we have this expertise in Wales. I would have no hesitation in recommending ratepayers making use of this Welsh based expertise.

Steve Phillips, Group Finance Director, Welsh Rugby Union Group