Smarter Systems, Flexible Futures and a Dynamic Duo of New Appointments

Welcome to the latest LinkedIn Newsletter from Bruton Knowles.

It’s been a period of exciting growth and transformation at BK. As we continue to expand our reach across the UK, a number of key appointments are strengthening our expertise and driving momentum. Meanwhile, we’re actively engaging with the major changes shaping our industries - from the rise of AI to the evolution of hybrid working...

Dorian Wragg settles the debate of mandates vs modernity...

Over the last few months, the requirement for office attendance for UK businesses has increased, with 75% of UK companies now mandating in-office working for a minimum of three days per week.

However, a recent study, conducted by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and Respublica revealed that half of those who entered the workforce since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, named the ‘hybrid generation’, would consider quitting if their employer enforced a mandatory return to the office.

As more and more businesses introduce mandates to push for a return to in-person working, Dorian has cautioned that employees may leave if the office space fails to adapt to their needs and expectations:

"In recent years the definition of an effective office space has changed and in order to attract the hybrid generation back, traditional workplaces must evolve.

 "There’s a clear shift away from outdated, period-style office buildings that no longer meet modern needs. Enclosed, cellular layouts are falling out of favour, with today’s workforce seeking open-plan, airy environments that promote transparency and connectivity. Spaces that combine dedicated work areas with breakout zones and social spaces are redefining the office as a 'home away from home' and a place where workers want to be.

“As companies look to bring workers back into the office, they must redesign their spaces to foster connection and reflect their values. From smart technology and biophilic design to quiet zones and community hubs, the office of 2025 is about creating an experience that brings people together.”

New Finance Director, Hilary Evans, brings a multi-faced perspective to BK...

With extensive experience in finance leadership, strategic investment planning, and SME business management, Hilary has become an integral part of the Executive Management Team, contributing to long-term decision-making and organisational efficiency.

On joining the businesses, Hilary said: “I was looking for an opportunity to lead financially within a growing business that would value strategic input.

“Bruton Knowles stood out for its progressive ambitions and alignment with the experiences I’ve gathered throughout my career. This role allows me to bring together my background in financial control, strategic planning, and hands-on commercial experience. I’ve been struck by how supportive the team is. There’s a real spirit of collaboration here, and I’m excited to help shape the business’s future readiness by embedding efficiency and building capacity where it matters most.”

Hilary emphasises a dual focus in her new role: ensuring Bruton Knowles is "match fit" to meet rising client demands while championing innovations such as AI to build reporting efficiency and operational capacity. “We need to embrace AI at every opportunity,” she noted, highlighting the increasing pressure for faster, more accurate financial outputs.

Naomi Corcoran joins us as Talent Acquisition Specialist, supporting our national expansion programme...

With over a decade of recruitment experience under her belt, Naomi specialises in inclusive hiring, workforce diversification and building strong candidate relationships. She has previously worked across the construction, facilities management and financial sectors, both in-house and agency side, at companies such as Hargreaves Lansdown and Kingston Barnes.

Her appointment comes as we set our sights on further expansion across England, Scotland, and Wales, Naomi will support HR Director, Neil Young with brand awareness and the strengthening of the Bruton Knowles workforce and work to build and develop the team to meet client demand and ensure the continued delivery of tailored, high-quality services.

Her initial focus will be to expand the National Valuation Team, before widening her role to support the company’s other national teams and services.

Naomi comments: “Bruton Knowles stood out to me because of its culture of trust, flexibility, and ambition. This is a company that promotes work-life balance and understands that good culture drives better business outcomes. I look forward to contributing to our continued growth and helping to shout louder about the fantastic opportunities here.”

 Pushing ahead of the curve with the adoption of AI

As part of our commitment to keep up with the changing landscape of the sector, we are taking a broader approach to AI and exploring a wider range of innovative programmes which serve different purposes. Two of these have already begun making waves by creating automated processes which assist National Teams across the business.

AI-driven data gathering and valuation report generation tool, Valos, has been a massive success story for our team so far, with 80% of loan security valuations at the business being completed with the support of the tool, halving the turnaround time from instruction to report publication for the firm’s valuers.

Microsoft Co-Pilot, an AI chatbot that aims to increase productivity and efficiency, has also proved to provide day-to-day support, such as taking minutes, reviewing documents, generating emails and retrieving publicly available data from the internet.

In addition to these systems, the Bruton Knowles IT department has been using AI to generate programme code, which has proved to be effective after human review.

Paul Martin, IT Director at Bruton Knowles, comments: “Our commitment to investing in artificial intelligence has been driven by the promising results it has offered Bruton Knowles so far, particularly when automating various processes, which can be time-consuming for each of our National Teams.

“We have acknowledged that AI is still in its early stages and requires a human overseeing its work, therefore we are approaching the future of AI at a steady pace so that we can adopt new technologies in a fast, flexible way but only when we are assured that it is cost effective and safe for our business and clients.

“Throughout 2025, we will continue working with various third parties to evaluate and trial new AI tools and keep abreast of the latest developments.”

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