Mark Allwood – Chief Executive Officer
Mark joined Progressive Legal Solutions as CEO in October 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience and expertise in the property, legal and financial sectors. A passionate innovator, Mark has built a reputation for driving efficiency, setting high standards and delivering exceptional customer service.
Mark previously worked at GlobalX UK, a market leading provider of company information, property searches and conveyancing software, where he was CEO for just shy of a decade.
During this tenure he was instrumental in taking many innovative product to market, including the award winning BuildX product. He has also held various senior roles, including running operations, marketing, and business development divisions, at organisations including The Richmond Group, Towergate Partnership and Barclays Bank. Mark was awarded an MBA from the University of Wales.
Away from work, Mark is a huge Cardiff City fan, and when it comes to the Six Nations Rugby Championship, he will be found cheering loudly for Wales whether from the stands, the pub or his living room. Not merely a dedicated observer of sport, Mark is also a keen, if not very good, golfer.
Andy Stradling – Sales Director
Andy Stradling (Strads) is a seasoned professional with over 35 years of extensive experience in the conveyancing and property industry. Throughout his career, Andy has developed a profound understanding of the sector, allowing him to offer invaluable insights and expertise. His search and technology solutions journey began with Property Information Exchange (PIE) where he honed his skills and built a reputation for excellence.
His passion for work is evident in his dedication to forging strong client relationships with strategic approach and customer-centric mindset have consistently resulted in long-lasting partnerships.
Andy Stradling’s combination of industry expertise, client-focused approach, and zest for life positions him as a standout leader in the conveyancing field. His unwavering commitment to excellence and passion for his work continue to drive his success and inspire those around him.
Beyond his professional achievements, Andy leads a vibrant personal life. He is an avid golfer, Spurs football fan and enjoys a cider or two at the weekend.
Shaun Cannell – Commercial Director
I have worked within the conveyancing property market for over 23 years and have built up a reputation of being very supportive and knowledgeable with a hands on approach to the demands and requirements within the conveyancing legal world. My client base is always at the heart of what I strive to achieve and first class, fast responses are one of my core values.
In my spare time (as most people will tell you….) I love to travelling and visiting new places and new adventures like scuba diving, sky diving, swimming with sharks as well as from time to time relaxing on a beach or near a swimming pool…
I am also a trustee of a charity Haven Tyneside and support NE Youth with their marketing and business Development sub committee, it is very important to me to support local communities and charity’s and our business needs to have a passion to support local communities and people.
David Burrell – Regional Manager
A successful career in Estate Agency Management, Land and Property Development led to him to innovative market leaders PIE in 2013 in its formative years with roll out of highly acclaimed quotation systems and business management solution systems, Brighter Law, at a time of great expansion and innovation also managing the migration and integration of acquired companies including PSG, HomeinfoUK, GlobalX and ultimately account managing for the multinational Dye and Durham brand.
In his spare time David enjoys spending time with his daughters, travelling, skiing, cooking, dining, wine and playing golf to an exceptionally low standard.
Rob Matthewson – Account Manager
Rob joined Progressive Legal Solutions in February 2023 as an account manager bringing with him 10 years worth of experience in the property search market, a high attention to detail and strong client relationships.
Previously Rob worked at Poweredbypie working closely with clients to help develop their conveyancing business through introducing new technologies and supporting them with the onboarding process. Rob strived to deliver excellent customer service, which in turn enabled him to develop strong business relationships. Whilst in this role Rob was actively involved with all aspects of conveyancing searches and also specialised in Commercial Searches, providing a bespoke offering for any complex client requirements.
Rob is an avid follower of Newcastle United having held a Season Ticket for many years, travelling to Away Games, an ever growing collection of football tops and he also has a podcast dedicated to the mighty toon army.
Seb Colcutt – Global Operations Manager
Seb joined Progressive Legal Solutions as an Account Manager, bringing with him 12 years’ worth of experience and expertise in the property searches industry. In this time, he has studied the conveyancing process and understands the legal due diligence required for property transactions and the advantages of expert-led search reports as well as technology solutions available to the market.
Seb previously worked at Poweredbypie, providers of company information, property searches and conveyancing software. Seb started out in 2011 and worked his way up through the company, in that time launched the very successful Internal Sales Team in which he ran for 6 years. In February 2021 he joined Terrafirma IDC Ltd as Account Manager and within 6 months was promoted to Key Account Manager in which his main duties were to maintain client relationships and educate both legal professionals and homebuyers about risks the ground pose using Terrafirma’s reports. This was a key role in which Seb enjoyed and he learnt so much along with many new relationships across the industry. This has allowed him to flourish and be a key asset to our business moving forwards.
Seb is a huge football and rugby fan as well as interest in all sports, however he has both Season Tickets with West Ham United and Bristol Bears Rugby so is never too far away from the action. He also enjoys playing football for local Sunday morning side and spending quality time with his young family.
Chris Paschali – Software Engineer
Chris joined Progressive Legal Solutions in December 2023, having previously worked for GlobalX since 2013 and Cullum Capital Ventures (part of Towergate group) prior.
Chris has over 20 years experience as a web developer/software engineer, initially starting in the insurance industry writing quote engines for insurance brokers and then moved into the legal search sector creating search platforms for both business law and property. He has a passion for making code reuseable and modular along with meticulously testing systems to ensure that they are as bug free as possible.
Chris is a massive football fan, having supported Liverpool all his life, and it was a huge relief to finally see them win the title again after 30 years! He enjoys going for long walks with his wife and dog (although the weather in Wales limits that in the winter) and playing board games. Chris’ main hobby is a card game called Magic: The Gathering that he has played for over 27 years and has built up a huge collection of cards, much to his wife’s dismay!
Victoria Hurst – Regional & New Build Manager
Victoria is a dedicated professional with over two decades of experience delivering technology solutions to the legal, property and financial industries.
Victoria specialises in creating lasting relationships and delivering tailored solutions to her clients’ needs. Having previously worked alongside CEO Mark Allwood at GlobalX UK, a market leading provider of company information, property searches and conveyancing software. During this time was also instrumental in bringing the award winning BuildX Newbuild search solution to market. She thrives on providing exceptional service, leveraging her keen attention to detail and proactive approach to ensure every interaction is seamless and rewarding.
She holds a completely professionally unrelated First Class Honours degree in Applied Sciences. Was an accomplished junior but failed adult golfer and now in her spare time, likes to travel, walk her dogs, cook, and relive her youth at Festivals (albeit in a caravan and not a tent these days!)
Rebecca Burton-Dadd – Account Manager
Rebecca is an enthusiastic and dedicated professional with a decade of experience in the industry after graduating from University in 2013 with a Business Studies degree.
Rebecca thrives on creating long lasting relationships with clients, whilst delivering first class customer service, proven by her track record of retaining clients and delivering for all their needs. Having previously worked alongside Mark Allwood, CEO of GlobalX, she played an active role in the award winning Buildx Newbuild search solution. She ensures to work with the team around her, whether internal or external, to offer the best products and experience for her clients’.
Sport has always been a huge part in her life, swimming at a championship level at school, joining netball team and playing hockey at University. In her spare time, she is busy running around after her little boy, walking the dog, travelling, and catching up with friends (over a glass or two of wine!).
Katie Colcutt – Operations Team Leader
Katie joined Progressive Legal Solutions within the Operations Department, with 12 years’ worth of experience and expertise in the property searches industry.
Katie started her career in 2012 having worked at Poweredbypie, providers of company information, property searches and conveyancing software. She took on a variety of roles within this time, working within Customer Service, Marketing and System Support. This experience will now be brought to Progressive Legal Solutions to offer our clients the excellent and friendly service they require.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and keeping busy with her young son and daughter. She also enjoys being outside, going for long walks and finding a pit stop at a local pub!
Elliot Dawson – First Contact Manager
Elliot joined PLS in 2023 and serves as our First Contact Manager. He oversees the *ProPay* and *Quote to Convert* services, ensuring clients receive top-tier support. His role strikes a rewarding balance between delivering exceptional customer service and providing operational assistance to the First Contact Team and Operations Department. Elliot particularly values the outstanding dedication and service his colleagues bring to PLS, making it a truly enjoyable place to work.
Outside of work, Elliot enjoys playing tennis, designing and creating tattoos (mostly on himself) and has a particular fondness for sushi—though his bank balance might not always agree!
