PFK Rural has announced the appointment of a new director.

The company will welcome James Pyrah into their ranks starting from April 1.

Having spent slightly over a year with the Duchy of Lancaster, Mr Pyrah now has nine years of industry experience under his belt.

His familiarity with the company began in 2015 with Robson & Liddle (Rural) in Penrith, a company that was later taken over by PFK Rural in 2022.

Besides professional qualifications, Mr Pyrah acquired postgraduate education at Harper Adams University, Shropshire, while working full time.

Following this period, he successfully cleared his professional exams and is now a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), a registered valuer, and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV).

After serving as senior estates surveyor at the Duchy and managing the Lancashire Foreshore Surveys, he returns to expand on the areas of work he has covered previously.

The overlapping nature of this experience is expected to fit evenly into his new role at PFK Rural.

News and Star: The company will welcome James Pyrah into their ranks starting from April 1

Julie Liddle, a director at PFK, said: "We are delighted to have James with us, he will be an extremely valuable member of the team and we each know how well we work together.

"Succession planning, as with any business, is an aim PFK need to achieve as no business should avoid having such a plan for the future.

"For us, this appointment is a double boost.

"James returning is a great example of development and forethought for the business to secure good staff coupled with growing younger members of staff into new and wider positions within the firm."

John Robson, PFK director, added: "We are delighted with this appointment.

"James is a key player in the future of the business and shows our commitment to developing younger members of the team.

"We have known James for many years since putting him through his masters conversion degree to now appointing him as a director of the firm.

"Good news for him and for us".

As part of his daily responsibilities, James Pyrah will deal with landlord and tenant issues, manage estate valuations, devise land use strategies, handle utility compensation claims and oversee woodland and forestry work.