Purplebricks, the online estate agent owned by Sir Charles Dunstone, one of Britain’s most prolific entrepreneurs, has parachuted in an interim chief executive 18 months after it delisted from the London stock market.
Sky News has learnt that shareholders in Strike, Purplebricks’ parent company, were notified this week that Stuart Bartlett, a former automotive industry executive, has been appointed to the role.
Strike is owned by Freston Ventures, Sir Charles’s investment vehicle.
It swooped to buy Purplebricks in June 2023 for just £1, reflecting the crisis which had engulfed the prominent digital property agent.
Mr Bartlett’s profile on LinkedIn, the professional networking site, lists him as a board advisor to Purplebricks and an investor in Strike.
He replaces Sam Mitchell, who stepped down at the end of last year.
According to the update circulated to investors, Strike executive chairman Andrew Harrison – a long-standing colleague of TalkTalk and Carphone Warehouse co-founder Sir Charles – has also made a number of other senior appointments.
These include a new national sales director and interim group finance chief to replace Deepak Jayaprakash, its former chief financial officer.
Hundreds of jobs have been cut at Purplebricks since the takeover in 2023.
The company could not be reached for comment.
