| John Burns | |
| Birth Name: | John David Burns |
| Birth Place: | UK |
| Occupation: | CEO of Derwent London, property developer, surveyor |
| Nationality: | British |
| Spouse: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Relatives: | Richard Livingstone (former son-in-law) |
John David Burns (born May 1944) is a British chartered surveyor and property developer, founder and CEO of the FTSE 250-listed Derwent London.
John David Burns was born in May 1944.[1] According to Burns, he entered estate agency on the advice of his mother, "My mother said it was a very gentlemanly business, which it was at the time and still is today, to a degree."[2] He trained as a chartered surveyor.[3]
In 1961, Burns joined Hillier Parker as a property negotiator. In 1965, he became a partner in the estate agency Barnet Baker. In 1974, he became a senior partner in the estate agency Pilcher Hershman.[2] [4]
In 1984, Burns was looking for a shell company to manage his property interests and chose the Derwent Valley Light Railway Company, which was then the owner of a few disused railway stations and valued at £1.5m. This became Derwent London, with Burns as its CEO.[2]
Burns is married with two grown-up children.[2] In 1997, his daughter Claire married the billionaire property developer Richard Livingstone. They later divorced.[5]