Housebuilder hires 鈥渁miable鈥� recruitment firm boss to replace retiring incumbent Charles Toner

UK housebuilder Barratt has appointed Bob Lawson as its new non-executive chairman.

Lawson, the chairman of recruitment company Hays, will replace Charles Toner, who will retire at the end of June after six years in the job.

Lawson said: 鈥淚 am delighted to be joining the Barratt board and looking forward to working with Mark Clare and the management team. Barratt has established an outstanding reputation as a housebuilder and this is due in no small part to Charles' leadership over the last six years.鈥�

One City source described Lawson as 鈥渁miable鈥� while another said he might not be hard-nosed enough to impose the changes that were needed at Barratt.

He was previously chief executive of electronics supplier Electrocomponents.