Gilbanks boosts expansion plans

Gilbanks has boosted its expansion plans with the appointment of Ben Jaffray as finance director.

He joined the serviced office provider from Bruntwood, where he was a head of finance. Ben will join the board and help the management team to accelerate its growth plans. The move follows the recent announcement of serial entrepreneur Andrew Cope’s investment and appointment as chairman.

Commenting on his new role, Ben said: “Gilbanks is an innovative company in the office market. It has redefined professional workspace for tenants by building thriving business communities where teams can optimise their productivity. For landlords, they have a flexible model that can help to unlock value in traditional office spaces.

Gilbanks has created serviced offices in Leeds and Manchester with the latest technology and class-leading service.

Gilbanks launched its Manchester operation in March and is now over 90% let. The 22,000 sq ft serviced office is located at 11 York Street. The Grade-A building in the central business district has already attracted tenants such as Rolls Royce and Avison Young. The building is operated by Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc.

Leeds-headquartered, Gilbanks works with large corporates to help them take a more creative approach to utilise their large city-centre offices and unlock their value.

Alex Duckett, managing director concluded: “Ben brings a wealth of experience to his new role. We continue to attract great talent to the team, who are essential to the accelerated growth plans that we have in place for the coming years.”