Nationality British Name John Burns Children 2 | Spouse(s) married Occupation CEO, Derwent London | |
Full Name John David Burns Born May 1944 UK Salary £ 2,488,000 (fiscal year 2013) Relatives Richard Livingstone (former son-in-law) | ||
John David Burns (born May 1944) is a British chartered surveyor and property developer, founder and CEO of the FTSE 250-listed Derwent London.
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Early life
John David Burns was born in May 1944. According to Burns, he entered estate agency on the advice of his mother, "My mother said it was a very gentlemanly business, which it was at the time and still is today, to a degree." He trained as a chartered surveyor.
Career
In 1961, Burns joined Hillier Parker as a property negotiator. In 1965, he became a partner in the estate agency Barnet Baker. In 1974, he became a senior partner in the estate agency Pilcher Hershman, a position which he still holds.
In 1984, Burns was looking for a shell company to manage his property interests and chose the Derwent Valley Light Railway Company, which was then the owner of a few disused railway stations and valued at £1.5m. This became Derwent London, with Burns as its CEO.
Personal life
Burns is married with two grown-up children. In 1997, his daughter Claire married the billionaire property developer Richard Livingstone. They later divorced.