Dexters, London’s leading independent Chartered Surveyor and Estate Agent, appointed prominent businessman Justin King CBE as the group’s new chairman. 

Justin King is a highly respected leader with significant experience in large consumer-facing businesses for over three decades, serving in senior positions at major companies, including Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Asda, Häagen-Dazs, PepsiCo, and Mars. 

Justin will work closely with Andy Shepherd, ceo of Dexters, as the group seeks to accelerate its growth from its existing London-wide network of over 70 offices and further develop its digital capabilities.

Justin King, chairman of Dexters, says: “I am delighted to be joining Dexters at this exciting stage in their development. I have been impressed by the leadership team and the company’s strong culture, which puts its customers at the heart of everything they do. I look forward to working with the team at Dexters on opportunities to enhance their customer engagement and grow market share. The group is in a strong financial position reflected by consistent annual revenue growth, strong operating profits, good cash reserves, and proven strategy for expansion through acquisitions, new office openings, and investment in digital development.” 

Andy Shepherd, the ceo of Dexters, says: “We are extremely pleased that Justin King has chosen to join Dexters as our new independent chairman. Justin is highly respected in the city and within the business community, known for his dynamic leadership at Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and Asda, amongst others. We will value Justin’s input into how we can further build the Dexters brand and continue to strengthen the customer journey. Dexters is respected and trusted by both Londoners and international customers and clients. Our ongoing office expansion has created a strong foundation for further investment into the business and our people.” 

Justin is credited for turning Sainsbury’s around during his decade-long tenure at the iconic British retailer. Under his leadership, Sainsbury’s delivered a shareholder return of 85% and 

 tripled profits. Before joining Sainsbury’s, Justin was the Head of Food at Marks & Spencer      

 and is also known for helping to transform Asda into a market-leading business. 

 Justin is a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer, Itim Group Ltd, and was recently appointed Chair of Allwyn (UK). In 2011, Justin was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire). In 2013, Justin was named Most Admired Business Leader by Management Today and Britain’s Most Impressive Businessman in the IPSOS-MORI Captains of Industry Report. 

 Jeff Doble, the current chairman and founder of Dexters, adds: “I welcome Justin to Dexters, and I’m thrilled to be working with him as we set out on the next stage of our great venture”. Jeff remains a Director and a significant shareholder and will continue to support and guide the business.

 In June 2022, Dexters issued its 2021 Report and Accounts, which showed a 32 per cent rise in revenue to £143.3 million (2020: £108.7m) and a 75 per cent increase in operating profit to £40.6 million (2020: £23.2m). Dexters has focused on prudently reinvesting profits and growing the office network through new partnerships with local market leaders, opening new Dexters offices, and creating more jobs. 

 Dexters, founded in 1993 and led by ceo Andy Shepherd, currently serves over 30,000 Landlords and facilitates more than 28,000 property transactions across London per annum. 

 Dexters has maintained consistent growth, increasing revenue by 15 per cent per year over the last ten years. Dexters has a consistent track record of providing first-class service with tens of thousands of Google reviews with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5. 

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