Patron Focus

PATRON FOCUS Wandsworth Chamber

signs up new Patron

Henley Homes is the latest company to become a Patron of Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce. With its headquarters in Nine Elms, the company wanted to further grow and strengthen its links with businesses in the borough.

CEO Tariq Usmani got in touch with the Chamber to get the ball rolling and is now looking forward to attending Chamber events and sharing knowledge and best practice with likeminded professionals.

After establishing the business in 1999, Tariq has led the development of Henley into an efficient, progressive and design-led property development group with a reputation for creating outstanding and award-winning homes – many of which are in and around London. Specialising in residential and mixed-use developments and regeneration schemes, the company has become well recognised for its attention to quality and detail, as well as a strong, focused approach to customer care. Tari explains: “I’ve worked in the borough for more than 25 years. I felt that we should be more active in the borough, given that our headquarters are based here, and the best way of doing this is through the Chamber of Commerce. “Steve Pinto and team are very approachable, responsive and efficient and really want to deliver for their members. We can attend Chamber events and share our experiences with other business leaders. It’s not just an opportunity to cross-sell to each other; it’s a chance to find common ground and discuss business issues that may be affecting us all.” With Tariq’s vast industry experience built up over more than 30 years, he appears to be well placed to add value to other Chamber members. For example, he can pass on the knowledge gained from surviving two recessions since he launched the business 22 years ago. “As a business we’ve been resilient and survived both recessions with no casualties across the group,” he says. “We can give valuable insight on how to survive challenging economic conditions. Mostly it’s down to mindset: the ability to see solutions, not problems, and the willingness to be agile, proactive and dynamic. “When the first lockdown was imposed in the spring of 2020, we had seen it coming and had already started to restructure the business accordingly. We reviewed processes and procedures so that people could work from home. That was so important for business continuity. “I have the mobile numbers of all of my staff and made sure I called them to make sure they were happy with the remote-working arrangements we had put in place. You still have a responsibility to look after your staff, even if they’re not sat in the office.” With around 220 staff, a strong order book with 700-plus properties in the pipeline and an annual turnover of more than £100 million across the group, Henley is looking to the future with confidence. Tariq says: “Succession planning will be a key focus as we move forward. I’m getting to the age where I don’t want to be as central to the business as I am currently. We have a team of skilled, relatively young directors and going forward they’ll start to take more of a leading role in the company. “There’ll be challenges along the way but we’ll navigate them. I don’t believe in the word “problem”; I see only solutions. Challenges are good in business; they’re a way of sharpening your mind and adapting to new situations.”

‘We can give valuable insight on how to survive challenging economic conditions. Mostly it’s down to mindset: the ability to see solutions, not problems, and the willingness to be agile, proactive and dynamic.’