Meet our team

Colin Muller - Muller Property Group Team

Colin Muller

Founder & Chief Executive

Phillip Johnston - Muller Property Group Team

Phillip Johnston

Operations Director

Rebecca Muller - Muller Property Group Team

Rebecca Muller

Land & Planning Director

Julie Doherty

Sales Director

Stephen Howard - Muller Property Group Team

Stephen Howard

Area Land Director

Jonothon Croft - Muller Property Group Team

Jonothan Croft

Area Land Director

Steve Bourne - Muller Property Group Team

Steve Bourne

Technical Director

David Rodgers

Area Land Director

Michael Lovatt

Area Land Director

Max Muller - Muller Property Group Team

Max Muller

Business Development, Communications & Marketing Director

We are always on the look out for talented and experienced people to join our team.

Help us to create vibrant communities that improve local economies and provide better housing and living for all.

Colin Muller - Muller Property Group Team

Colin Muller

Colin Muller founded Muller Property Group in 2001. Colin started his career in a land acquisition role for Wimpey, having graduated with a degree in town planning from the School of Architecture, Town Planning and Estate Management, Oxford. He served as director with responsibility for new land identification and acquisition at Alfred McAlpine Plc before establishing his own business in 1990 at the age of 31. Three years later the business merged with Linden Plc, a venture capital backed start-up, and along with his co-directors, Colin achieved a full market listing in 1996 as a quoted house builder.

By 2000 the business had five operating regions with a turnover of £144m, pre-tax profits of £15.4m and net assets of £52m. It was sold following a management buyout valued at £250 million, after which Colin left and started Muller Property Group. Colin is from a Yorkshire Dales farming family, a background which has fuelled his interest in strategic land promotion and in particular working with farmers and landowners to help them obtain planning for agricultural land.

Passionate about getting results, Colin is experienced at lobbying around the need for new homes and is a champion of sustainable development.

Phillip Johnston - Muller Property Group Team

Phillip Johnston

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Phillip has worked as a finance professional in the construction, housebuilding and property sector for over 35 years. With a BSc (Hons) degree in Mathematics and Management Sciences, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Grant Thornton in 1986. Following an eighteen month secondment to the European Union Commission, Phillip joined Hassall Homes as Finance Director. On the sale of the Hassall Group in 1997, he moved to Linden Homes and commenced his 28-year working relationship with Colin Muller.

In 2002 he joined the Muller Property Group. Here, his role encompasses all areas of the business including land acquisition, the raising of project finance, residential sales, project costing, commercial property lettings, company secretarial administration and legal matters. He also handles a variety of development and planning related issues including S106 agreements, affordable housing provision, viability studies, joint venture agreements and leases for Group properties. Responsible for a number of joint venture arrangements and numerous group companies, Phillip also has management of financial forecasting, budgetary control and cashflow.

 

Rebecca Muller - Muller Property Group Team

Rebecca Muller

LAND & PLANNING DIRECTOR

Rebecca is the youngest daughter of Chief Executive, Colin Muller. She graduated from Oxford Brookes University in June 2016 with an honours degree in Town Planning & Property Development, and joined the business. Her role focuses on identifying land suitable for promotion through a wide range of sources, use of the planning system and meeting landowners. Rebecca is skilled in being able to use the planning system to assess the prospects of land, in interrogating local authority Local Plans and planning permissions and appeals, whilst always considering the timescale and merits of each particular case. She works alongside her father and other members of the land acquisition team, and is the first point of contact for all land inquiries across the regions.

Julie Doherty

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Julie’s career progression, through sales and marketing, demonstrates how diverse experience has enabled her to adapt to any situation. Gaining valuable transferable skills in marketing and sales whilst working with renowned brands like Diageo in Ireland, delivering a number of international campaigns.

Her career took a significant turn when she joined Allegro Networks, which later became part of an IIX company. Here, she became an expert in selling solutions to CTOs for instant point-to-point connections across the UK, showcasing her skills in negotiation, relationship building, communication and strategy.

Julie then entered the property sector and has been working in the industry for 10 years leading sales teams at Vita Student and Citysuites, where she demonstrated her skills in team management and strategic planning. She joined Muller Group in 2023.

Stephen Howard - Muller Property Group Team

Stephen Howard

AREA LAND DIRECTOR

Stephen is an experienced land professional with nearly 35 years in the industry, He is Muller Group’s Area Land Director and is responsible for the acquisition of brownfield sites for residential development. Stephen has previous experience working with some of the biggest housebuilders in the UK, as well as private developers, private equity companies, hedge funds, and in a self-employed capacity. He brings with him a considerable expertise in site identification and acquisition, and counts the acquisition of the former RAF American Airbase at Burtonwood in Warrington for the purpose of building 1000 new homes, among his career highlights.

Stephen also spent 12 years in the European property industry, which saw him work across a variety of sectors in land acquisition for residential, hotel chains and commercial property gaining an unparalleled experience of the wider land and property sector with notable achievements.

Jonothon Croft - Muller Property Group Team

Jonothan Croft

AREA LAND DIRECTOR

Jonothan has worked as a land professional in the house building and development industry for over 20 years. Graduating with a planning degree and postgraduate diploma in 1993, Jonothan gained initial experience with Ideal Homes in South Wales before moving to Chester and working for North Wales builder David Mclean as Land Manager until 1999.

Jonothan moved to retirement house builder McCarthy Stone in 1999, where he was responsible for land purchase throughout the north west and Shropshire. Following several years specialising in the retirement/care sectors, Jonothan then set up as a property consultant and developer until 2010 when he joined North Wales care home developer Castlemead. During his time with Castlemead, Jonothan was responsible for sourcing and project managing future sites throughout the UK for care home providers on a turnkey basis. Most recently Jonothan has returned to the private retirement sector. In his role at Muller, Jonothan deploys his skills and experience in future acquisitions for short term land opportunities. 

 

Steve Bourne - Muller Property Group Team

Steve Bourne

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Steve has worked as a commercial/technical professional in the housebuilding and construction industry for over 35 years. In his first job Steve joined a local housebuilder, where he stayed for 14 years, progressing his way up from Trainee Surveyor through the ranks to Chief Surveyor. He then went on to set up and manage the commercial departments of the newly established north west regions of national housebuilders David Wilson Homes and Bovis Homes, with overall responsibility for land viabilities, surveying and buying.

In 2005, Steve moved to Brighouse Group as Director to set up the new housebuilding function of the business, responsible for the day-to-day running of the company. He was also responsible for sourcing land opportunities, compiling detailed land viabilities, negotiating land purchase agreements and submitting and gaining planning permissions. Steve then spent time in the educational construction industry with Built Offsite Ltd. Here he was responsible for organising and overseeing the modular construction of school extensions, new school buildings and traditionally built sports halls. The company worked nationally and Steve was involved in schemes in Portsmouth, Surrey, Leeds and Hull. He then had the opportunity of going back into the land and planning environment with Muller, and is now responsible for the technical and financial aspects of parcels of land, dealing with external consultants to compile packages for planning applications and land sales.

Michael Lovatt

AREA LAND DIRECTOR

Preferring the personal approach with landowners, Muller’s Strategic Land Manager Michael Lovatt has deployed his extensive industry knowledge in his role as strategic land manager, where he is responsible for area land management and strategic land acquisition.

Michael has a decade’s-worth of experience in the property and construction industry, having worked in a variety of managerial positions. 

After 22 years of service in the British Army, Michael took on a role of operations manager in the construction sector back in 2010, before becoming director of his family business Lovatt Property in 2012. 

In 2018, he joined communications firm Britannia Towers as its national site manager, where he was responsible for manging transmission sites for the wireless and broadcast industries. After almost three years in the role, Michael joined Muller at the start of 2021, having been attracted by the prospect of working alongside Colin Muller and the exciting prospect of bringing forward strategic sites for development.

Michael counts the challenge of landing a deal and his ability to establish good relationships with a variety of landowners among his favourite aspects of the role. Away from work, Michael likes to cook and spend time with his family.