Who can blame him!
Tom Parker, Quest Associates, on Monday (30th Mar) formally retired as managing director of the property IT solutions company he co-founded with his partner 27 years ago.
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Tom for the DEA Podcast twice. The first time he took the call from home so we wouldn’t be disturbed. After wrapping-up the show we spent nearly as much time again chatting about all-sorts, including the inspiring story of how he and his founding partner set-up Quest in the early days.
He would burn the rubber, pitching clients, whilst his partner developed code to run in just 32k of space on a Z80 – this web-page alone is many times that size.
Technology has advanced at breathtaking speed, of course. In our first podcast back in October 07, he said: “If someone told me back then we would be filling-in [property] valuation forms on our systems via mobile phones, I’d have said they were mad.”
Today, Quest has an 85% share of the mortgage valuation processing market and is one of the leading IT infrastructure suppliers in the HIP, Home Report and EPC sectors, and has struck partnerships with many major industry organisations including RICS, BRE and NHER.
Some – myself included – would say he’s getting out just at the right time (I’m sure he would too!), but that’s to forget that Quest was born during the industrial upheaval and recession that marked the early 80s, going on to survive the now-infamous ‘Black Wednesday’ in 92, when interest rates soared to over 15%, forcing many householders to lose their homes.
Onwards and upwards, in 2007 he sold the company to Daily Mail & General Trust Plc., which also owns Landmark Information Group – keeper of the EPC register.
Drummer
Something you mightn’t know, though, is that Tom is also a bit of a drummer on the sly (Keith Moon of The Who being his fave IIRC)!
So when, a few weeks ago, he stepped down as Chairman of AHIPP and announced he was going to spend some time travelling, I thought it mere coincidence when, the very next day, 80s new romantic band, Spandau Ballet, announced they were to reform for a greatest hits tour.
Until I found this…
But Tom is not quite free yet; he is staying-on at Quest as non-executive director. James Sherwood-Rogers, managing director of Landmark Legal & Financial, takes over his former role.
All the best, Tom – Don’t be a stranger.
