Countrywide CEO resigns

THE boss of the UK’s biggest estate agent, Countrywide, has resigned days after a profit warning that wiped nearly a fifth off its value.

Alison Platt, who joined the Hamptons and Bairstow Eves group in 2014, is replaced by non-executive chairman Peter Long, whose fee will be doubled to £360,000 while a successor is sought.

Platt said she had worked hard “to structure a fragmented business into one set for success”.

Long said its sales and lettings operation had “lost focus”, but was confident it could return to profitable growth.