There will soon be a new face at the helm of insurance, property, auctioneering and commercial services holding company H&H Group.

The firm’s leader, Brian Richardson, has announced that he will move to pastures new – albeit those ventures have not yet been made clear – departing the Carlisle-headquartered group after a tenure of 10 years.

“After 10 years as chief executive, I feel that this is an appropriate time to hand over the baton to someone new,” he said, as quoted by News & Star. “Since joining, the company has developed considerably, and over the 10 years the net assets of the business have increased by 60% and the share price over 150%.”

The firm boasts 290 members of staff with seven operating companies across 19 locations throughout the north of England and southern Scotland. Last year, in July 2017, it enjoyed a pre-tax profit of £682,000 – albeit this represented a fall from the previous year’s £712,000.

The company now appears to be embarking on a new growth phase with the News & Star reporting that it is creating a £5 million development in Carlisle.

“The last three years have been exceptionally busy with the acquisition of the John Swan & Son marts at Wooler and Newtown St Boswells, as well as developing the group’s property assets,” Richardson told the publication.

“The business is in excellent health, and in a position to continue to prosper, develop and withstand the immediate challenges of a slow economy and the longer-term implications of Brexit.”

H&H will now start a recruitment process to find Richardson’s successor.