Ridge Partner Richard Hand has been shortlisted for a South Coast Property Award in the “Outstanding Contribution” category.
The award is presented to “a stand-out person who has promoted and created success in the execution of property strategy across the region and, more importantly, has been involved with the promotion of the region as a great place in which to do business.” The ceremony takes place at the Hilton Ageas Bowl in Southampton on 29 September.
Richard has worked at Ridge for 30 years and is a member of our LLP. He created the business’ first South Coast office in 2008 with three members of staff and a vision for what it might become. Having grown that office organically, he led key strategic business acquisitions in subsequent years, successfully integrating everyone within the Ridge organisation and culture. These acquisitions, as well as further strategically planned growth, have resulted in Winchester becoming Ridge’s second largest office, now employing over 100 staff within 14 teams.
Having originally qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor, Richard also founded Ridge’s Property Consultancy discipline, providing asset management advisory services to those with a large property portfolio; in keeping with his altruistic nature, Richard has focused his teams on work for housing-stock-retaining local authorities and registered providers of social housing.
Under his stewardship, the Ridge Winchester business has won several other awards (just in the past year winning RICS, SECBE and RESI Awards as well as ‘Large Business of the Year’ at the Winchester Business Excellence Awards and ‘Specialist Consultancy of the Year’ at the Insider South East Property Awards).
As a consequence of Richard’s strategic leadership, the business has made a major social impact in Winchester and beyond, such as the Bradbury View residential extension for Trinity in Winnall, which helps up to 20 people a year transition away from homelessness, and the new Winchester Hospice at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital (which saved a beautiful Victorian building from collapse and repurposed it to provide dedicated palliative care residences for Winchester, the nearest previously being in Andover). Both these projects have recently won major national and regional awards.
Richard has recently passed the mantle of Office Managing Partner, having created and grown a thriving and resilient business which has had a significant positive impact on Winchester and the surrounding area. He is now supporting and mentoring new Office Managing Partner David Johnson as he builds on this strong legacy, growing the business strategically and sustainably to become the South Coast’s property and construction consultants of choice.
Richard is personally leading our Winchester office’s exciting move to high-quality new premises at the end of 2022; this will provide us with the space to grow our team, reduce our carbon footprint further and enhance the wellbeing of our people – all while expanding the services we provide to our clients in Winchester and beyond.
Congratulations to Richard on this fully deserved recognition of his contribution to Ridge and to the South Coast region.
