General

One door closes, another opens: Richard Sutton on the future of NG Chartered Surveyors

Thirty-five years after first walking through the door at NG Chartered Surveyors, managing director Richard Sutton is stepping away with a simple assessment of what he’s most proud of.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the people,” he says, nodding towards two of the firm’s four directors, Charlotte Steggles and James McArthur, who are having a coffee together. Alongside Jude Weston and Paul Rogers, they will now lead the Nottingham-based firm.

“It’s been bringing the right people into the business who are talented, helping them believe in themselves as individuals and as a team. I can see it in them, and it’s their time.”

It’s a typically understated answer from a leader far more comfortable talking about his team than himself. But the legacy he leaves behind is clear enough to those who have worked alongside him.

“His legacy is the people and the structure of the business,” says Charlotte. “The culture is in the best place it’s ever been, and he’s leaving behind a firm that’s successful, has a great culture and great people in it.”

Richard Sutton

James joined NG in 2016.

“It’s just grown from strength to strength,” he reflects. “The people he’s brought in and the work ethic he’s instilled in everyone, along with his creativity, have pushed us to be that little bit different to a standard commercial agency.”

That idea of being “a little bit different” has been hard won over three and a half decades in a sector transformed by technology. When Richard first joined in the late 1980s, only the boss had a mobile phone.

All three agree the future of surveying will be even more profoundly shaped by technology.

“AI is changing the industry,” says James. “It’s about adapting to that change, not relying on it.”

Charlotte echoes the point but insists technology will only amplify, not replace, the value of good advisers.

“I think AI is going to change the way we work,” she says. “But I think that’s where people become even more important. If we’ve got the knowledge, the expertise and can communicate that to clients, people are still going to want to deal with people rather than a computer. Trust will become even more important.

“The true value is being an adviser. The value isn’t typing something into a computer and then sending it. It’s having the understanding to discuss it there and then, sensibly. It’s the softer skills.”

That emphasis on understanding, and on learning from each other, runs right through NG’s culture.

“You never stop learning,” says Charlotte. “It’s healthy to have people of all different ages within the business so everyone can learn from each other.

“You have to respect people enough to listen to what they’ve got to say. If you’re entrusting them with being part of those discussions, they’re smart enough to be there and they’ll know what they’re talking about.”

For James, Richard’s impact has been deeply personal.

“He’s given me belief in myself. He’s been a mentor to me. He helped me change from being a surveyor to being a business owner.”

If succession at many firms can be abrupt and messy, NG is doing it differently: quietly, deliberately and with clients at the heart.

“We’ve already worked out who is the best fit to continue the work for whichever client it may be,” Sutton explains. “In the vast majority of cases, they’re already working with them. I may have been the initial point of contact, but over time we work as a team for our clients, not as individuals.”

James takes over as managing director at the end of September and growth remains firmly on the agenda.

“We don’t need to grow for growth’s sake,” he says. “It’s about making the right decisions at the right time. We’ve got a strong team now and, with the new direction, we have the opportunity to push certain departments.”

A key priority will be the continued expansion of Paul Rogers’ building surveying division. Paul recruited associate director Rosie Goode earlier this year and is looking to grow the team further. NG is one of the few firms of its size to have such a specialist building surveying division. Paul will also increase his shareholding as part of the restructure.

Jude Weston is stepping into the finance director role and will continue to champion investment in young talent. She has been instrumental in developing the firm’s successful apprenticeship programme and has built strong links with the education sector. She has already recruited NG’s new apprentice for the 2026/27 academic year. Not one for the limelight, her contribution to the firm’s progressive culture has been invaluable.

Charlotte also becomes a shareholding director as part of the restructure, reflecting her rapid progression within the business and the confidence the firm has in its next generation of leadership.

James has a five-year plan but insists expansion will never come at the expense of client service.

“We don’t want to grow to a point where we can’t deliver the service our clients deserve,” adds Steggles.

As for Richard, retirement is less a grand plan than a mindset.

“It’s their time. They’re ready. They’re going to do amazing things. I’d just be getting in the way if I stuck around any longer.”