Jeff Fairburn is a highly accomplished British businessman with more than three decades of UK housebuilding experience. He currently serves as Chairman of Avant Homes, a leading regional housebuilder with developments across the Midlands, North of England and Scotland.
Jeff grew up in York and left school at 17 to train as a quantity surveyor under a Youth Training Scheme while studying part time for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) at York Technical College.
Jeff joined Persimmon Plc, then an emerging regional UK housebuilder, in 1989. He played a key role in Persimmon’s M&A activity and business integration which transformed the Group into a national housebuilder. Jeff was appointed its CEO in April 2013 and under his strategic vision and leadership between 2013-2018, the FTSE100 housebuilder delivered industry leading performance including total shareholder returns exceeding 190%. Through his expertise and drive, the business increased annual completions from c.10,000 units to over 16,000 units, doubled operating margins from mid-teens to c.30% and trebled return on capital...Jeff Fairburn is a highly accomplished British businessman with more than three decades of UK housebuilding experience. He currently serves as Chairman of Avant Homes, a leading regional housebuilder with developments across the Midlands, North of England and Scotland.
Jeff grew up in York and left school at 17 to train as a quantity surveyor under a Youth Training Scheme while studying part time for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) at York Technical College.
Jeff joined Persimmon Plc, then an emerging regional UK housebuilder, in 1989. He played a key role in Persimmon’s M&A activity and business integration which transformed the Group into a national housebuilder. Jeff was appointed its CEO in April 2013 and under his strategic vision and leadership between 2013-2018, the FTSE100 housebuilder delivered industry leading performance including total shareholder returns exceeding 190%. Through his expertise and drive, the business increased annual completions from c.10,000 units to over 16,000 units, doubled operating margins from mid-teens to c.30% and trebled return on capital employed, a key value driver, from 14% to 54%. When Jeff left Persimmon in 2018, the Group’s share price was trading at a significant premium to its peers.
In 2020, Jeff’s investment in a 50% stake in Berkeley DeVeer, a Yorkshire-based housebuilder, provided a platform to acquire Avant Homes backed by Elliott Advisors a year later. Since then, Jeff’s has used his vast experience establishing a sustainable, multi-tenure business model fit to address the current challenges of UK housebuilding. He was instrumental in activating early membership of the New Homes Quality Code which promotes consumer protections as well as quality. Avant operates from eight regional offices, builds c.2,000 homes a year and employs more than 600 people.READ MOREVIEW LESS
Berkeley DeVeer is a Yorkshire-based UK housebuilder, known for constructing high-quality homes with an emphasis on innovative design and sustainability, and catering to a diverse range of homebuyers and communities.
Persimmon PLC is a constituent of the FTSE 100 and a major housebuilder, building more than 13,500 new homes a year in more than 350 locations across the UK.
