John Burns (businessman)

John David Burns (born May 1944) is a British chartered surveyor and property developer, founder and CEO of the FTSE 250-listed Derwent London.

John Burns
Born
John David Burns

May 1944 (age 76)
UK
NationalityBritish
OccupationCEO of Derwent London, property developer, surveyor
Spouse(s)Married
Children2
RelativesRichard Livingstone (former son-in-law)

Early life

John David Burns was born in May 1944.[1] According to Burns, he entered estate agency on the advice of his mother, "My mother said it was a very gentlemanly business, which it was at the time and still is today, to a degree."[2] He trained as a chartered surveyor.[3]

Career

In 1961, Burns joined Hillier Parker as a property negotiator. In 1965, he became a partner in the estate agency Barnet Baker. In 1974, he became a senior partner in the estate agency Pilcher Hershman.[2][4]

In 1984, Burns was looking for a shell company to manage his property interests and chose the Derwent Valley Light Railway Company, which was then the owner of a few disused railway stations and valued at £1.5m. This became Derwent London, with Burns as its CEO.[2]

Personal life

Burns is married with two grown-up children.[2] In 1997, his daughter Claire married the billionaire property developer Richard Livingstone. They later divorced.[5]

References
  1. "Derwent London plc". Companies House. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  2. Ashton, James (2 November 2012). "Old school charmer Derwent's John Burns has plans for a new-wave building boom". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  3. "John Burns". Derwent London. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  4. "John David Burns". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  5. Prynn and Bar-Hillel, Jonathan and Mira (29 March 2012). "London brothers behind a £4 billion secret empire". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
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