Purplebricks has appointed a temporary CEO three months after announcing the departure of Sam Mitchell.

Stuart Bartlett, who is Chairman at cosmetic dentistry firm Smiles and Smiles, is the new Interim Chief Executive at the online agency.

He has been an investor in Purplebricks owner Strike since 2021, and takes over from Mitchell, who left the company after a restructure when it appeared his job no longer existed.

Four divisions

The company said when it revealed Mitchell’s departure in November that the group would operate with four divisions, and the MD of each distinct business would report directly into Andrew Harrison as Executive Chairman.

Now, a Purplebricks spokesman says: “We confirm that Stuart Bartlett has been appointed Interim Chief Executive.

“Stuart will work closely with Executive Chairman Andrew Harrison and Purplebricks’ senior team as we build towards the next stage of the company’s growth.”

Other appointments

Harrison has made some other senior appointments, according to Sky News, including a new national sales director and interim group CFO to replace Deepak Jayaprakash.

Mitchell took over as chief executive when Strike bought Purplebricks for £1 in 2023, but left only 18 months into his time at the helm.

There had been financial issues, and it emerged that Strike made a loss of £19.7 million in the year before it bought the agency.

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