John Burns (businessman)
John Burns | |
|---|---|
| Born | John David Burns May 1944 UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | CEO, Derwent London |
| Spouse | married |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Richard Livingstone (former son-in-law) |
John David Burns (born May 1944) is a British chartered surveyor and property developer, founder and CEO of the FTSE 250-listed Derwent London.
Early life
John David Burns was born in May 1944.[2] According to Burns, he entered estate agency on the advice of his mother, "My mother said it was a very gentlemanly business, which it was at the time and still is today, to a degree."[3] He trained as a chartered surveyor.[4]
Career
In 1961, Burns joined Hillier Parker as a property negotiator. In 1965, he became a partner in the estate agency Barnet Baker. In 1974, he became a senior partner in the estate agency Pilcher Hershman,[3] a position which he still holds.[1]
In 1984, Burns was looking for a shell company to manage his property interests and chose the Derwent Valley Light Railway Company, which was then the owner of a few disused railway stations and valued at £1.5m. This became Derwent London, with Burns as its CEO.[3]
Personal life
Burns is married with two grown-up children.[3] In 1997, his daughter Claire married the billionaire property developer Richard Livingstone. They later divorced.[5]
References
- ^ a b "John David Burns". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ "Derwent London plc". Companies House. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d Ashton, James (2 November 2012). "Old school charmer Derwent's John Burns has plans for a new-wave building boom". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ "John Burns". Derwent London. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ Prynn and Bar-Hillel, Jonathan and Mira (29 March 2012). "London brothers behind a £4 billion secret empire". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 December 2014.