Global property consultancy Knight Frank has announced that their Head of London Residential Sales, Rory Penn (main image, left) will become the firm’s Senior Partner & Group Chair from April 2027.

The appointment follows a formal election process and to ensure a smooth transition, Penn will join the Group Executive Board in April 2026, before officially succeeding William Beardmore-Gray (main image, right).

Rory Penn joined Knight Frank in 2018, after Knight Frank acquired VanHan, the business he co-founded with Thomas van Straubenzee, and has since been instrumental in driving growth across the Partnership’s Global Private Office and London Residential Sales businesses.

He spent a decade client-side, starting his career at Grosvenor, with subsequent positions at private equity real estate firms Rowan and Palmer Capital. Penn has deep experience across commercial and residential real estate, both in the UK and internationally having worked with a wide spectrum of private capital, private equity and institutional clients over his career.

Tremendous honour

Penn, who is also Chair of Global Private Office at Knight Frank, said: “Being elected as Knight Frank’s next Senior Partner is a tremendous honour. I care passionately about our clients, our brand, and most importantly our phenomenal people.

“We are privileged to represent an extraordinary calibre of private and institutional clients, advising and transacting on the most remarkable real estate in the world, across all sectors. I look forward to working closely with Will over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition.

“Under Will’s leadership the firm has undergone significant development, strengthening our global partnership and deepening long-term client relationships. I am excited to build on this momentum with colleagues across our network.”

William Beardmore-Gray will retire from the Partnership in March 2027 after 36 years with the firm.

He commented: “I will, of course, be sad to leave the Partnership in 2027, but will be staying active within the industry and look forward to exploring new opportunities. However, over the next 15 months, my focus remains firmly on delivering strong performance for our fantastic global partnership.”