The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has appointed Mr Guy Lawson as Regional Director, North West.

Mr Lawson will be responsible for the RICS' operations in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and the Isle of Man.

Before joining the RICS he co-founded and ran Lawson Leah for 10 years.

The PR and public affairs consultancy had numerous public and private sector clients involved in planning and development, urban regeneration and construction.

In his new job Mr Lawson and his team of five will be seeking to bring greater benefits to RICS members through greater involvement in policy making, educational liaison and external communications.

Mr Lawson said: "Land, property and construction are central to the prosperity of the region and the expertise of the RICS' 8,000-plus members in the North-west is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the region's economic well-being."