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JOHN DEAN
John has spent his entire professional career in marketing, executive recruiting and business-building. In 2001, he and his wife Lydia moved to Provence and renovated their first property in the region. After seven years they returned to the US, renting out their restored farmhouse to visitors. This quickly became the seed of what would later become Only Provence — one of the first and now leading agencies specializing in luxury villa rental in Provence.
After ten years of leading Only Provence from New York and Los Angeles, John returned to France to expand his life-long love for historic properties through Provence Life — a luxury real estate agency based in Bonnieux. John loves music, travel, social entrepreneurial activities and spending time with family and friends.
LYDIA DEAN
In 2000 Lydia settled in Provence with her husband John and her two young children. For the next six years, the Deans discovered the richness and simplicity of life in the region while renovating their first two properties. Over the past decade, Lydia has helped develop the brand and strategy surrounding the Only Provence villa rental business and building the renovation and decoration services provided by Provence Lifestyle.
Lydia has had a life-long passion for travel and humanitarian work. In 2007 she launched GoPhilanthropic Travel, a social enterprise that engages travelers in support of global issues. She later co-founded GoPhilanthropic Foundation, a non-profit organization that partners with community-based organizations providing access to education, health, and basic human rights in underserved communities. In 2015 Lydia published Jumping the Picket Fence, an inspirational memoir of raising a family in Provence and building a non-profit. In 2021, she published Light Through the Cracks, a continuation of her journey, much of which has been based in Provence.
HELENE O'CONNOR
Helene spent her career working in various Learning and Development, Business Improvement, and Human Resources leadership roles for large global multinationals across several different sectors. Drawn to Provence Life’s customer-centric approach, end-to-end service offerings, and the beauty of property transformation, Helene joined the team as Operations Director in December 2020. In this role, she ensures the processes, systems, and tools needed to deliver a seamless experience to customers across all services are practical, streamlined, and efficient.
Helene is also the leader of a community group that provides activities and support to people living with Dementia and their carers. She lives with her family in the south of England and in her spare time enjoys travel, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.