Affordable housing jobs – success stories
Housing Association magazine presents a round-up of new appointments, promotions and awards in HAs, LAs and the affordable housebuilding arena. Share your success stories with us: editorial@euromediaal.com
CHP housing association appoints new directors
February 2020
Essex-based housing association CHP is delighted to announce three new appointments to its senior team.
Rachel Hadley joins the organisation as People and Communications Director, a newly-created role. Rachel brings over 20 years of experience in a variety of senior HR roles. Her most recent role was Senior Partner, Employee Relations at Ford Motor Company.
Rachel will be leading on CHP’s goal of being a great place to work. “I’ve joined an ambitious organisation which has an exciting strategy in place. I think we have a great team in place to help us to deliver our objectives. The success of any organisation rises or falls with how you engage with employees and this is will be key for both the HR and Communications teams.”
Simon Hague joins as Interim Neighbourhoods Director, bringing a wealth of social housing experience and knowledge. He has held a number of senior positions at housing associations, including seven years as Head of Housing at Optivo. CHP created the new role as part of its overarching commitment to delighting customers. Simon will be looking at ways to improve the service delivery in line with customer expectations.
“I’m really excited to come to a high performing organisation like CHP”, said Simon. “I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting our customers, finding out what is most important to them, and getting to work on improving the services we provide to them on a daily basis.”
Yvonne Woodward has been promoted to the newly-created role of Finance and Assurance Director. Yvonne has held the position of Assistant Finance Director at CHP for the past four years and prior to that was the Chief Finance Officer at Rochford District Council. Part of Yvonne’s new role will be ensuring that CHP maintains strong finances in order to deliver its ambitious plans. This includes the challenge of building 365 new homes a year – a new home a day.
“I’m proud to be part of a great team with a clear vision on how it wants to provide new homes and a great service to our customers”, said Yvonne. “I’m delighted to be taking on this role at such an exciting time for the organisation, and I'm looking forward to ensuring that CHP continues to have robust financial and risk management as we deliver our corporate strategy.”
Bovis appoints Lee Barrett to direct Northants development
February 2020
Bovis Homes has announced the appointment of Lee Barrett as divisional operations director responsible for the Stanton Cross development in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Lee brings a wealth of experience in the property sector, with more than 25 years in the industry, joining Bovis Homes – part of the newly-formed Vistry Group - from Urban & Civic where he was project director. Other roles have included director positions at Catesby Property Group, David Wilson Homes and Balfour Beatty Construction.
Bovis Homes completed the acquisition of Galliford Try’s Linden Homes and Partnerships & Regeneration businesses last year, with the house-builder assuming a new corporate name as part of the deal. The company’s businesses will operate under Vistry Group, while maintaining both the Bovis Homes and Linden Homes brand names.
Lee said: “I’m delighted to be joining in what is a very exciting time for the company. Stanton Cross is a major location that is progressing into its delivery phases and I’m looking forward to adding my expertise to ensure all stakeholder objectives are met, while creating a vibrant new community.”
Stanton Cross is a £1 billion residential-led development to the east of Wellingborough which will eventually include 3,650 new homes, alongside new leisure and retail amenities and commercial space – including offices, industrial space and a trade park.
The location recently surpassed its 100th property sale and completed major infrastructure works with Driver Way, Midland Road and Roundhouse Way opened to the public in November 2019. Initial works on Route 2 – which will see the construction of a new, improved bridge over the railway line and provide an improved link to the A45 – will begin with the construction of the new rail bridge in 2020, along with the creation of the 115 acre Town and Country Park, as well as the development of the first primary school.
Michael Stirrop, divisional managing director, added: “Lee has an excellent track record in the property sector and we’re excited to be able to bring someone of his calibre to Stanton Cross and the Vistry business as a whole. Locations such as Stanton Cross will be vital to the success of the business and meeting the demand for new housing. As construction at the development progresses, Lee’s drive and experience will be central to the success of Stanton Cross.”
For more information about Stanton Cross, visit stantoncross.co.uk
CPC welcomes Tom Barnes to cost management team
February 2020
CPC has appointed Tom Barnes as Partner and Head of Residential Cost Management to lead its cost consultancy service for property and construction projects in London and the South East.
Tom joins CPC from Arcadis where he was a Senior Director in the commercial developers and residential team for eight years, responsible for the successful delivery of over £1.5bn of CAPEX construction costs for several blue chip clients.
Over a period of 15-years, Tom has delivered some of London’s most notable and high profile residential and mixed-use projects including Northacre’s super-prime No. 1 Palace Street development, a series of 72 luxury apartments overlooking Buckingham Palace; Capco’s prestigious Lillie Square, the gateway scheme to the Earls Court masterplan; Knight Dragon’s £600m over station and mixed-use development at Peninsula Place and Finchatton’s Queensway masterplan adjacent the listed Whiteleys shopping centre.
In addition to his prime and super-prime experience, Tom has worked on many mid-market for sale and affordable schemes, leading Country Garden’s first UK venture at Ailsa Wharf, Poplar, East London and supporting housing associations such as Guinness Partnership at Imperial Wharf, Bromley-by-Bow.
Before Arcadis, Tom spent five years as a quantity surveyor with Turner & Townsend and prior to that he worked with Skanska.
Tim Barber, CPC Partner said: “Tom brings a wealth of experience with investors, developers and housing providers at all levels and will support our drive for collaboration between our housing teams across the UK to share best practice and to ensure service consistency excellence for our present and future clients within this sector.”
Tom said: “I am delighted to join CPC at a really exciting time of growth in the property and construction market, across both project and cost management. I will be building a team to further develop the existing cost management offering into a best in class service for our clients.”
Optivo appoints Troy Francis as Director of Operations
January 2020
Troy joins the organisation from London Borough of Brent where he was Head of Housing and Neighbourhood Services.
Jane Porter, Chief Operating Officer at Optivo, said: “We’re absolutely delighted Troy has joined Optivo. He has a long track record of working in senior housing roles, both in housing associations and local authorities. I’m sure he’ll be a real asset to the organisation and our residents.”
Troy started his new role at Optivo on Monday 27 January 2020.
Troy commented: “I’m delighted to have joined Optivo. This is a really exciting time for the organisation which enters into a new decade determined to do everything it can to tackle the housing crisis. I’m really looking forward to supporting our growth ambitions and ensuring our residents are the central focus of our organisational strategy.”
Two new appointments made at Project Etopia
January 2020
Offsite housebuilding specialist Project Etopia has made two appointments to kick off 2020. Beena Tanna has joined as Business Development and Sales Director in a newly created position, while James Pikett is the new Development Director at the modular construction company.
Beena joins the business from building science and research company BRE, where she was the Commercial Manager in charge of innovation parks and the group’s industry forum, Constructing Excellence.
Her key responsibilities will include:
• Building relationships with councils and housing associations, helping them plan and deliver affordable, sustainable housing projects
• Growing Project Etopia’s B2B sales pipeline and managing relationships with industry partners
• Expanding the sales team and handling customer relationships from first contact to project delivery
Before BRE, Tanna worked for Intertek as Business Projects Manager for 12 years and served as a Director (UK and Ireland) for engineering firm ERATech for two years.
Joseph Daniels, CEO of Project Etopia, commented: “We are pleased to be able to bring on board someone with as much solid industry expertise as Beena.
“Her experience will be invaluable as we embark on our ambitions to address housing challenges both in Britain and worldwide, and try to keep pace with demand for modern methods of construction.
“Sustainable schemes for housing associations and councils will be a key focus for her, and that’s an incredibly important area for us.”
Beena commented: “I’m thrilled to be joining Project Etopia. “It is a critical time for offsite construction methods in Britain and the company has made no secret of the fact it sees itself at the leading edge of this revolution in housing provision.
“Councils and housing associations are going to play a critical role in alleviating the housing crisis, and I’m looking forward to helping to make their contribution a reality.”
Meanwhile, James joins as Development Director, moving from Berkeley St Edward where he was Head of Development.
Having spent over a decade in the industry, Pikett has held positions at Weston Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Countryside and latterly at Berkeley Homes, working across a diverse portfolio of complex, mixed-use projects.
His key responsibilities will include:
• Spearheading Project Etopia’s acquisition of new land
• Engaging with local authorities on the planning and delivery of new homes
• Leading the team that will drive forward the development process, including obtaining planning permissions
Joseph added: “The appointment of James is really important for us. The research and development that has been going into our properties is on-going but we have arrived at the moment where we can look to expand our pipeline of new land.
“We will be relying on his extensive experience to identify the right opportunities for schemes that we hope will become destination developments for both ecologically conscious home owners as well as those who just like the energy bill savings these properties offer.
“We’re delighted to have him on board.”
James commented: “I was delighted that, during my time at Berkeley homes, the company took its sustainable responsibilities so seriously and Project Etopia is a natural progression for me.
“It is clear that the environment and homes that are ‘beyond zero carbon’ are going to come to define this sector. Helping to put a relatively young company like Etopia at the forefront of this pretty seismic shift in the industry is exactly the challenge I was looking for.”
Project Etopia has passed a number of key milestones in the last year. The company:
• Announced a £19million investment by Reuben Brothers
• Appointed Lord Stanley Fink as its chairman, and expanded its board to include real estate officer Andrew Southern, chief technical officer Mike Mapston and Alex Fink as board adviser
• Began marketing homes in its modular commuter village in Corby, Northamptonshire
• Began building a demonstration home at BRE’s Watford Innovation Park in September
• Opened a new factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, with a capacity to produce 2,000 panelised homes per year
Project Etopia uses a panelised build system to create turn-key properties that combine passive design and renewable energy generation, as well as intelligent heating and cooling systems. Pre-installed technology includes mechanical ventilation, heat recovery, air purification, daylight mimicry lighting and solar power. The result of all this sustainable technology is that these homes can produce more energy than they use — making them ‘energy positive’.
National Housing Federation appoints new executive director of public impact
December 2019
Rhys Moore has been appointed as Executive Director of Public Impact at the National Housing Federation, the trade body for housing associations – not-for-profit landlords to more than 6 million people.
He joined the NHF in 2016 where he has worked as Head of Media, Public Affairs and Campaigns and more recently as Director of Strategic Communications and Campaigns. Prior to this Rhys was Director of the Living Wage Foundation.
Rhys will take up his new post from Monday 2 December.
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said: “We’re really excited to appoint Rhys to this vital leadership role at the National Housing Federation, following a competitive and rigorous external recruitment process. Rhys has a passion for housing associations and an impressive record of shaping policy and building trust.”
Rhys said: “I’m delighted to take on the role of Executive Director of Public Impact at the Federation. It is a real privilege to represent our members at this critical time. I look forward to working with them to make the case for decent, secure social housing – to the next government and to the wider public.”
Orbit’s finance team wins Team of the Year award
December 2019
Orbit has received another major award.
Its finance team has been awarded Team of the Year (Not for Profit) at the West Midlands Finance awards.
Held at the International Conventional Centre in Birmingham, the West Midlands Finance Awards promote and celebrate the outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals within the region’s finance community.
The Not for Profit category looks at how a finance team shows excellence in its field, with proven examples of successes over the last 12 months. It also looks at how teams demonstrate a positive impact on the wider business through outstanding achievements in the delivery of their work and how they developed a strong team spirit.
David Harris, Finance Director for Property Investment at Orbit, said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. There are only 11 categories, so the competition is very tough. These awards really do seek out the best of the best across the West Midlands, so it is a great achievement to be presented with Team of the Year in the not for profit category, as we were up against some very stiff competition.”
Women in Social Housing launches East of England arm
Are you a woman working in the affordable housing and construction sectors? Women in Social Housing (WISH) is the only member-based network for women working across every discipline of UK housing. And the group has extended its reach by welcoming a 10th region, for the East of England which covers Norfolk and Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.
WISH has grown organically since it was set up in 1998, becoming a community interest company (CIC) earlier this year, and now has over 500 members and up to 3,000 other women and men who support it and attend events.
“We are delighted to welcome another network to WISH,” said the organisation’s executive director and founder Nicola Dibb. “The addition of a new network will help us to reach out to more women working within housing and construction and to further focus on our mission to create opportunity, impact change, challenge gender inequality and encourage new and existing female talent to remain in the sector.”
The East region was formed after a group of women came together, supported by Greenacre Recruitment, which is one of WISH’s sponsors.
“A group of passionate women from across the East came together and they were all aware of the work of WISH in other regions and wanted to be involved in setting up the 10th WISH,” said Stephani Davis, head of housing at Broadland Housing Association, who is co-chair of the East region board, alongside Isabel Varey.
“We have a balanced board made up of women from the public and private sector, including housing associations and local authorities with very distinct make-ups. The board is a collection of different voices and we are really happy to be working together to make WISH East a success.”
The region’s launch event was held last month in Cambridge and was attended by over 100 women. Speakers included Nicola Dibb, who shared her story about the history of WISH and WISH East board member, Hannah Harvey who talked about her career journey.
The event included a panel session on coaching and finished with interactive fishbowl sessions giving everyone a platform from which to share their story.
The board is continuing to develop a programme of further events for the region. At the end of January it is planning to hold two events at different ends of the region in the same week to allow as many women as possible to come together and network.
“The East region is full of amazing women who work in social housing that want more opportunities to network and work collaboratively,” said Varey, who is customer experience director at Stonewater. “To enable this to happen there is a need for the women in the region to come together in safe and supportive environments to network and learn from each other. We believe that WISH East will provide the opportunity to make this happen in our region.”
The region’s aims/objectives are to:
• Organise creative and fun events to bring people together
• Create an open and supportive space where women can talk about themselves
• Ensure every event has a variety of speakers and opportunities for interaction
• Bring to life and showcase different women in the region
Anyone interested in joining the East branch of WISH should email east@wishgb.co.uk
PICTURE CAPTION - (left to right) Co-founder and executive director of WISH Nicola Dibb and WISH East co-chairs Stephani Davis and Isabel Varey
Golding Homes appoints new Director of Operations
November 2019
Annemarie Roberts will be joining Golding Homes from One Housing Group on 2 December as the new Director of Operations.
Annemarie brings ten years housing experience with her to Golding, having held a variety of senior roles at One Housing, most recently as Director of Customer Operations.
Chief Executive of Golding Homes, Gary Clark, said: “We are delighted to announce that Annemarie will be joining us on 2 December. The skills and experience she brings will be invaluable to leading our landlord services and our ambitions to improve our customer experience.
“It has been a challenge to fill the shoes of our long-serving Operations Director Jillie Smithies who will depart in the New Year, but we are pleased to have them both here for a period to enable a smooth transition. I would like to publicly thank Jillie for her loyal service and wish her all the best for the future.”
Annemarie commented: “I’m looking forward to joining Golding Homes and taking on this exciting new role. I am passionate about putting our customers first and delivering a great landlord service to residents.
“Golding’s ambitious plans to grow and ongoing commitment to the local communities where it operates, was a key factor in my decision to join them. I look forward to this new challenge and being part of Golding’s bright future.”
In her ten years at One Housing Group, Annemarie has delivered a new Group Customer Service Strategy and lead the Customer Service Programme Board, using technology to transform services.
New MD for Orbit Homes as Helen Moore is appointed
October 2019
Orbit has strengthened its property team with a new senior role, to focus on delivering its target of building a further 20,000 new homes by 2030.
Helen Moore has been appointed Managing Director for Orbit Homes and will be responsible for the operational delivery of all developments across the business.
Helen has extensive experience within the property development industry having spent over 20 years in a number of senior positions. She has previously held high-profile roles within Countryside, Crest Nicholson and more recently City & Country where she spent nearly 10 years as Managing Director assuming responsibility for the running of the business and leadership team with a focus on the company’s ambitious growth plans.
Mark Hoyland, Orbit’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m delighted Helen has joined the business at this important time as we embark upon the next phase of our commitment to building a further 20,000 new homes by 2030.”
“Helen brings a wealth of experience across the housing development sector and she will continue to grow our reputation as one the UK’s leading affordable housing providers.”
Upon her appointment, Helen said: “With the urgent need to increase the delivery of well designed, high quality affordable homes, I am delighted to bring my experience to this sector and to build on Orbit’s existing pedigree and reputation as a housing developer. I look forward to working with my team and our key stakeholders to drive further success in building thriving communities.”
Orbit has also announced that John Carleton, the Group’s Property Investment Director, has decided to leave Orbit to pursue other opportunities outside of the Group. Mark Hoyland said: “I would like to thank John for his significant contribution to the business over the last two years. He has been a highly valued member of the Executive team and we wish him every success in the future.”
New chair for leading social housing provider
October 2019
One of the UK’s largest social housing providers, Stonewater, has announced Sheila Collins as its new chairman, succeeding George Blunden who stepped down this month.
Sheila played an integral role in the creation of Stonewater, through the merger of Jephson and Raglan in 2014, and has previously served on the organisation’s Governance HR and nominations sub committees. She has a wealth of experience at board and trustee level with a range of organisations predominantly in the health, education and housing sectors.
As chair of Stonewater’s board, Sheila will continue to build on Stonewater’s success to work towards its vision ‘for everyone to have the opportunity to have a place that they can call home’. This includes building 4,500 additional high-quality, affordable homes by 2022 as part of its strategic partnership with Guinness and Homes England.
George Blunden, former chair of Stonewater’s board says: “Sheila has a clear understanding of the organisation’s ethos and her previous experience will bring a degree of continuity with the Board which already has a number of recently appointed members. Her experience, combined with her skills and personal passion for improved social mobility, gives me great confidence that Sheila is the right choice to take Stonewater forward and deliver our ambitions around excellent customer service and providing as many homes as we can, for those who need them most.”
In addition to a successful career in Law, Sheila has worked in non-executive roles for Bournemouth University and Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Sheila was the Trust’s chairman at a time when the hospital was awarded the accolade of Best District Hospital by the Health Service Journal.
Reflecting on her background, Sheila says: “Growing up, not only did I live in a home rented from the local authority, but I was lucky enough to have my tuition and living expenses paid for at University and at Law School by that same local authority.
“I’m acutely aware that subsequent generations no longer have those sorts of advantages and I will continue to push for change to help more people reach their goals - and for me that starts with housing. Having the security of a comfortable and affordable home, as created by Stonewater, is not only important for stability, it’s a platform for so many other opportunities, including work, health and educational outcomes.
I’m particularly keen to see more joined-up thinking and innovation for some of the most vulnerable in our society, including young people. Positive support and intervention really can change lives and modern HA’s have a critical role to play in specialist and supported housing, more of which is so desperately needed.”
Members of Stonewater’s board and executive team have been working closely with Sheila to ensure a smooth transition in leadership as she takes up her appointment.
Change at the top for WISH boards in the north
October 2019
WISH, the only member-based network for women working across every discipline of UK housing, has welcomed new Chairs of the board at its North West and Yorkshire and Humberside regions.
Kam Urwin, who lives in Leeds, has taken over the reins at WISH Yorkshire and Humberside, which has also welcomed several new board members including Rachael Collins, Jane Atherton, Shelley Williams and Cathy Chattaway.
Kam, a freelance mentoring for diversity specialist and inclusive events facilitator, has been a member of WISH for three years, originally starting as a member of the North West region, and later becoming a board member. She has also recently become a Director of the new WISH Community Interest Company.
She has worked with housing organisations for nearly 15 years, initially supporting victims of domestic violence into appropriate housing and later delivering and managing mentoring programmes nationally.
“I am very grateful to be asked to be Chair of WISH Yorkshire and Humberside – it’s a great opportunity to do all the things I care about, helping people and women in particular feel more confident, creative and included.
“I work with a fantastic group of women, some are new to the board and others who have been there a while. They are enthusiastic, have brilliant ideas and are ready to muck in to put on great events for WISH members. It also gives me an opportunity to develop my leadership and governance skills, which I don't think I should ever stop developing and improving.”
Kam is keen to work with the Yorkshire and Humberside board to increase membership and WISH’s presence across the region and they have a packed events calendar lined up.
“We want to increase our presence across Yorkshire and Humberside, we want to enable more women, both young and old, from every background, to be involved with WISH, to be a part of it and to share their experiences and encourage and inspire more women to be leaders in the future.”
WISH Yorkshire and Humberside recently held a “Secrets to Success” event where Dr Kelly Henderson, co-founder of the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance talked about her personal journey. There is a festive networking and drinks event planned for December, with networking coach Sarah Stanley, and the board are hoping to put something together to coincide with International Women’s Day in March 2020.
The position of Chair of the North West region is being shared by Emma Hanson, business development manager at Rochdale-based construction company Casey, and Nicola Brown, who has 21 years’ experience in the sector and is due to join Housing Partners as a business development manager.
“I was still young and new to the sector when I joined WISH five years ago and it helped me massively to grow my confidence and improved my work both personally and professionally,” said Emma, who has been a board member for just over four years.
“It is a safe network for people to develop themselves personally and professionally and we support each other and celebrate one another’s successes.
“I have had so many fantastic women help me get where I am now, and now it is my turn to give back to others. As co-chair I want to share best practice within the industry and help others to develop their career through interactive, thought-provoking workshops. Collaboration is hugely important, and I want to bring together all those who work within housing to develop new ideas and innovation.”
The region recently hosted a thought-provoking session on the gender pay gap and what it means for housing, as well as an event looking at digitalisation and the digital agenda. Plans are in the pipeline for an event on resilience in November and for Christmas drinks in December, while a joint event with WISH North Wales is planned for next year.
“I am absolutely delighted to be supporting and working with Emma to ensure the North West region continues to thrive,” said Nicola. “We want to provide a safe, friendly networking space for any women working in housing within the North West to share and engage and learn – we want to offer sessions on personal development, inspire topical debate and have a friendly forum for women to grow and develop in themselves or their network.”
WISH is fun networking community for all women working in the affordable housing and construction sectors with ten regional groups.
It believes there is strength in the collective and focuses on creating opportunity and impacting change, challenging gender inequality and encouraging new and existing female talent to remain in the sector.
For further information visit www.wishgb.co.uk or email michelle@houghbellis.co.uk
Photo: L-R Nicola Brown, Kam Urwin and Emma Hanson
Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association appoints new chair
October 2019
The new chair of Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association (NRHA) is looking forward to providing more affordable homes to enable people to stay in the rural communities they know and love.
Bradley Swingler, who has been a member of the NRHA Board since February 2016, says he will be looking to provide more affordable housing in the south of the county, as well as making a greater commitment to ensuring that new opportunities for development are sought throughout rural Northamptonshire.
“In terms of what we do as a rural housing association, our product is fantastic,” comments Bradley.
“Everyone deserves a good home and we are committed to providing affordable homes for local people and families who would not otherwise be able to afford to live in the communities where they have grown up, work or have close family ties.
“It is fair to say that, traditionally, we have struggled to find suitable sites in south Northamptonshire, and that is definitely an area where I would like us to look for viable opportunities.
“Elsewhere in the county, we have some exciting schemes in the pipeline and as the demand for rural housing is continuing to increase, it is important that we maintain the flow of new developments.”
Bradley takes over from Janet Roberts, who has retired after serving on the NRHA Board for 11 years, including three as Chair.
A Chartered Building Surveyor for commercial property consultants, Lambert Smith Hampton, based at their Northampton office, Bradley has extensive knowledge of rural housing issues.
He worked previously for South Northants Homes (SNH) Housing Association, where he worked with the Major Works Team delivering the Decent Homes Standard to its 2,900 homes.
Bradley is also currently NRHA’s representative on the Board of Midlands Rural Housing, of which NRHA is a partner.
Bradley adds: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chair of NRHA at such a crucial time for rural housing.
“We have a strong Board at NRHA with a good mix of public body and commercial experience, and we are in a good position financially to continue to work with local authorities, parish councils, community groups, landowners, planners, funders and housing associations to identify and progress dozens of rural housing schemes at varying stages.
“NRHA has worked in Northamptonshire for over 20 years now. Our homes are very much part of the villages and market towns we serve and we are proud to continue to help people in rural Northamptonshire have a place to call their home.”
Caption: Bradley Swingler (second from left) taking over from Janet Roberts (third from left) as Chair of NRHA.
BRE appoints Piers White MBE as new Chair
October 2019
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has appointed Piers White MBE as its new Chair and announced that he will commence his role at the end of November 2019. He joins BRE Group for the next three years at a time when the built environment industry is going through an exciting period of change and innovation.
Mr White brings a wealth of experience to the role, having filled almost 40 senior board positions in a career spanning more than 30 years, including almost a decade as Non-Executive Director at Hyde Housing, one the UK’s largest housing associations.
Mr White also acts as Chairman for MOD technology business Ploughshare Innovations, and for Heathrow Airport’s export and import service Courier Facilities Limited. Prior to these roles, he was UK Chief Executive and a member of the Group Management Board of Bank Insinger de Beaufort NV, until the sale to BNP Paribas in 2008, and also spent 15 years in retail banking at Barclays, where his last role was Service Director running the UK branches with 20,000 staff.
Mr White said: "I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead this important organisation at a time when it can provide vital leadership to the myriad challenges currently facing the building environment sector. Challenge brings opportunity and I am looking forward to working with the leadership team and BRE Trust to ensure BRE continues to play a leading and innovative role in building construction, performance, safety and sustainability."
Group CEO, Gillian Charlesworth said: "I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with Piers, whose skills, energy and ambition for BRE are clear. I’m confident that, with Piers in the chair, BRE will play an ever more important role in enhancing the built environment."
BRE Group is owned by the BRE Trust. Trust Chair Sir James Wates added: "I would like to congratulate Piers on his appointment. He brings extensive board and business experience which will be an asset to our profit for purpose agenda."
Southern Grove appoints Shoosmiths' Bill Howard as Group General Counsel
September 2019
Property developer Southern Grove has appointed property industry veteran Bill Howard as Group General Counsel.
Bill joins from the law firm Shoosmiths LLP where he had been a Partner since 2006.
The role of Group General Counsel is a newly created post for Southern Grove, which continues to expand with a pipeline of projects across its residential, hospitality and residential arm, as well as its Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) division, Future Generation.
Bill has specialised in property development throughout his career and has wide commercial experience, having worked for housing associations, local authorities and house builders.
His areas of expertise include joint ventures, large acquisitions and two areas — options and conditional contracts — that are key to the way Southern Grove scales its business and moves land forward for development quickly.
Andrew Southern, Chairman of developer Southern Grove, commented: “Bill has unrivalled experience in the property sphere and we’ll be relying on his incisive legal knowledge to help us bring forward an ever-expanding pipeline of schemes.
“We specialise in options and conditional contracts, which are two of Bill’s key areas of expertise. We find these property development techniques create the most fair value for all parties, including landowners, and bring viable sites forward for planning more quickly. It is here that Bill’s expertise is really going to come to the fore.”
Bill Howard, Group General Counsel, Southern Grove, added: “Southern Grove is one of a new breed of developers that has dispensed with the old way of doing things and their methods sit neatly in what has undeniably become a sweet spot of mine.
“There’s a fantastic and expanding team here with huge ambition and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”
New appointments boost for Yorkshire BME housing association
September 2019
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has announced the appointment of two senior managers and two apprentices.
After five years at the National Lottery Community Fund and with previous experience in housing and business development, Nas Hussain takes up post as Community Partnerships and Investment Manager. He will work with MHA partners and stakeholders to deliver neighbourhood improvements schemes in Bradford and Keighley.
Matthew Hayes joins as IT Manager and is tasked with co-ordinating the association’s revamped digital technology infrastructure. He arrives after almost a decade and a half of at one of the UK’s leading independent IT companies.
MHA has also recruited two new apprentices.
Aanish Rehman will be part of the finance team, working four days per week at the association’s Bradford head office as well as spending a day at college completing an Association of Accounting Techniciansprofessional qualification.
Avtar Dhesi will work with the MHA health & safety and compliance unit for four days each week, and study for a Business Administration NVQ Level 2 through City Training Services on day five.
MHA Chief Executive Lee Bloomfield explained that both senior recruits had been brought onboard to implement newly agreed Board strategies.
And he said he was equally thrilled to welcome two new apprentices to the association’s ranks.
Mr Bloomfield commented: “Nas will help us deliver our new Community Investment Strategy which provides a framework for us to work with stakeholders to help local residents and build more resilient communities. It is designed to make best use of internal resources and attract external funding.
“Our ICT Strategy, which Matthew will oversee, serves as a guide to ensure our use of the best available technology is aligned to our corporate objectives whilst being secure, efficient and cost effective.
“We also wanted to recruit two young apprentices and give them an opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in highly-skilled and technical areas of the organisation.
“Aanish and Avtar have already fitted in extremely well at MHA. I have no doubt that their time with us will open doors to amazing careers.”
Barrington Billings, MHA Chair, said: “My Board colleagues and I are proud of both new strategies and delighted to have Nas and Matthew with us to help deliver them.
“Aanish and Avtar also come highly-recommended and are making positive impressions.
“We have first-rate standards at Manningham Housing Association. I know that our new staff members will enable us to reach even greater heights.”
Nas Hussain, MHA Community Partnerships and Investment Manager, said: “The Community Investment Strategy is an exciting piece of work. I am very much looking forward to working with partners from the public, voluntary and private sectors to improve the lives of Bradford and Keighley residents.”
Matthew Hayes, MHA IT Manager, said: “A robust and forward-thinking ICT strategy is vitally important for organisations that wish to be successful in the modern world. Manningham Housing Association is clearly going places. I am excited to be on that journey.”
Pictures: 1. Left to right: Lee Bloomfield, Manningham Housing Association Chief Executive with Nas Hussain, Community Partnerships and Investment Manager and Matthew Hayes, IT Manager. 2. Left to right: Lee Bloomfield, Manningham Housing Association Chief Executive, with apprentices Avtar Dhesi and Aanish Rehman
Springfield Properties appointment Colin Rea as non-executive director
September 2019
Springfield Properties (AIM: SPR), a leading housebuilder in Scotland offering private and affordable housing, has announced the appointment of Mr Colin Kenneth Rae as a Non-executive Director of the Group with immediate effect.
Mr Rae, aged 54, is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with nearly 40 years’ experience in the construction and housebuilding industries, specialising in project and development management. From 2002 to 2019, Mr Rae held leadership positions at Places for People (“PfP”), one of the largest development, regeneration, property management and leisure companies in the UK with an asset base of £4.5 billion. PfP designs, builds and manages large-scale regeneration projects from start to finish, creating sustainable places where communities want to live.
Most recently, as Group Executive Development Director at PfP, he managed a UK-wide mixed tenure development programme of c. £200 million, delivering core housing assets for affordable and market rent and sale. This included the development of the 376-home Engine Yard site in Edinburgh, the largest single National Housing Trust development in Scotland. Prior to this, he was Project Director for Scotland, with responsibility for establishing and delivering PfP’s strategic development programme in Scotland. In this role, he liaised with private sector partners, the Scottish Government and local authorities and, with a team of 25, achieved annual development turnover of £60 million within five years.
Previous experience includes project management roles at The EDI Group, a property development company wholly-owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, and Woolwich Homes Ltd, as well as surveyor positions at Millar Brown Associates and Gibson & Simpson.
Mr Rae is a long-term director of Homes for Scotland, the representative trade body for the housebuilding sector in Scotland, and is a former chair of Turning Point Scotland, a social care charity that provides residential rehabilitation services.
He is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and holds a BSc in Quantity Surveying from Napier University.
Sandy Adam, Executive Chairman of Springfield Properties plc, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Colin to the board of Springfield. He brings considerable industry experience and expertise in building large-scale development and regeneration projects across Scotland and the wider UK. Springfield has made great strides since listing on AIM in 2017 and the appointment of Colin compliments the skills of our existing directors, strengthening the board to reflect the enhanced scale of the business today and our plans for continued growth.”
Man GPM strengthens Community Housing team with three new hires
September 2019
Man Global Private Markets (Man GPM), Man Group’s private markets investment business, announces three appointments to its Community Housing team: Ian Jackson and Tom Shaw as Investment Directors, and Marine Guerin as Investment Associate. It has also appointed Paul Beardmore as a member of the Community Housing Advisory Committee.
The appointments further strengthen the Community Housing strategy, which was first launched in February 2019 and seeks to achieve the dual objectives of providing both social and financial returns. The team is led by Shamez Alibhai, Head of Community Housing and Portfolio Manager at Man GPM.
- Ian Jackson joined as an Investment Director in August 2019, and is responsible for sourcing and executing investments. Ian has worked in affordable housing development since 1992, during which time he has been responsible for the acquisition and procurement of new properties and development schemes. From 2006 to 2015, Ian was the Director of Development for Longhurst Group, a large regional housing association, leading on the delivery of new developments. In 2015, he was appointed Executive Director of Portfolio Investment, responsible for development and sales, strategic asset management, and group health and safety. His focus was on growing the provision of new housing into the Group.
- Tom Shaw joined as an Investment Director in August 2019, and is responsible for sourcing and executing investments. He brings 15 years’ experience in real estate investment and development, the majority of which was spent in senior roles at The Hyde Group, a major London-based “G15” registered provider of social housing. Tom was Managing Director, responsible for new business, pre-construction, construction, sales and aftercare activities, as well as the performance of The Hyde Group’s development programme, including its investments into joint ventures with both public and private sector partners.
- Marine Guerin joined as an Investment Associate in May 2019, and is responsible for analysing and executing new investments, as well as assisting in the monitoring and day-to-day management of the portfolio. Previously, Marine spent three years at Venn Partners within the commercial real estate team. She started her career within the European and UK credit team at Schroders.
Paul Beardmore joined in March 2019 as the fifth member of Man GPM’s Community Housing Advisory Committee, which provides advisory support to the investment team. Paul is the former Director of Housing and Residential Growth at Manchester City Council. He also provided the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with housing expertise during its evolution. Paul has led on innovation in housing nationally, replacing grants with equity loan finance and establishing the first residential development partnership with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund. His appointment will complement the Advisory Committee’s four existing members, who are similarly experts in UK residential and affordable housing markets, and include Dame Katharine Barker, David Hutchinson OBE, David Sheridan and David Gannicott.
Shamez Alibhai said: “We are excited to add the collective expertise of Ian, Tom, Marine and Paul to our Community Housing team. There is a clear shortage of good quality affordable housing for too many people and families, and we believe that through impact investing we can help address this serious issue in a socially sustainable way. I look forward to working with the team and our housing association and council partners to develop much needed housing solutions for our community.”
Ian Jackson commented: “Having spent the majority of my career at a housing association, I am very excited to be joining Man GPM’s Community Housing team to help deploy much needed private capital into affordable and social housing. I have been impressed by Shamez’s prior experience and vision for the strategy, and look forward to being a part of it.”
Tom Shaw added: “I am delighted to be joining the team. With Man Group’s considerable resources and commitment to responsible investing, plus the benefit of a dedicated advisory committee with deep industry knowledge, I think there is a real opportunity here to help plug the affordable and social housing gap in the UK.”
Waterstons appoints senior social housing and construction expert
September 2019
Tom Jarman has joined national business and IT consultancy Waterstons as the new the new Senior Transformation Consultant, supporting their built environment clients.
The new appointment enhances Waterstons’ offer to housing and construction clients across the UK by providing expertise to help businesses tackle the unique challenges in the sector, respond to evolving legislation and stay ahead of the competition.
With over 20 years’ of experience and in-depth knowledge of the built environment sector, Tom joins Waterstons’ from Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle City Council. Tom specialises in build quality, performance outcomes, risk and digital construction.
Tom is an active member of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the national industry and government body supporting UK construction. Earlier this year, his specialist expertise and passion for the sector were recognised at the Constructing Excellence North East Awards, where he won the Outstanding Achievement award. The accolade reflects Tom’s work engaging industry and his involvement in national projects such as smart construction and procuring for value.
Tom said: “Waterstons shares my vision to drive positive change within the housing and construction industries. We want to support clients to develop an active and sophisticated position that will enable them to respond to current and future challenges, allowing them to maximise value and outcomes from their investment, and mitigate risk.
“With my built environment experience and Waterstons diverse business and technology expertise, we hope to engage with housing and construction clients on the value of digital construction and help them to create an environment in which change, better outcomes and innovation can flourish.”
Waterstons’ Architecture, Engineering and Construction Lead Consultant, Andy Bates, said: “We’re an ambitious and experienced company passionate about helping our clients transform their business through the effective use of people, process and technology. Tom’s arrival adds yet more value to our large and expanding portfolio of national and international AEC clients so we can continue to help them thrive in a competitive and changeable marketplace.”
Robertson invests in Residential business with trio of senior appointments
September 2019
Robertson has strengthened its Residential Group business with three senior appointments, including new CEO John Low.
A well-respected figure in the Scottish housing industry, John will be responsible for growing the Robertson Residential Group – the standalone company under which all of Robertson’s housing businesses operate.
With an entire career spent in the industry, most recently at the helm of north east house builder Stewart Milne Homes, John’s surveying and valuation experience led to his appointment to the board of the housebuilders' lobby group, Homes for Scotland (HFS) in 2007, during which time he also served as chairman (2009/10).
John will be supported by two other new appointments, Colin Mitchell as Finance Director and Craig Smith as Operations Director.
Colin, a qualified chartered accountant, joins with over thirty years of experience across commercial property and housebuilding, including Murray Group and Barratt West Scotland.
Craig, who joined Robertson 23 years ago after graduating with a degree in civil engineering, has worked across multiple areas of the business, most recently as construction manager delivering Robertson’s multimillion-pound projects.
Derek Shewan, CEO of Robertson Group said: “Residential is an integral part of the Robertson business, with recent investment in talented employees allowing us to further drive growth and meet the business’ long-term plans.
“John’s impressive industry experience spans a variety of roles and a number of transitions in the Scottish housing market, leaving him with an unrivalled knowledge of the industry. We’re confident that John’s team, supported by the excellent skills of both Colin and Craig, will see Robertson Residential continue to expand north and south of the border by allowing us to take full advantage of industry opportunities.”
John added: “We have a strong team within Robertson Residential, and will continue to seek opportunities to invest in and develop our staff. With an expanding presence in each of our selected housing market areas, we are seeking to further enhance our brand by putting our customers at the centre of each of our businesses and deliver quality properties which provide differentiation in the marketplace. Our portfolio of businesses within Robertson Residential enables us to create communities and Places where our customers aspire to live, and homes which meet a wide variety of lifestyle needs.”
The high-profile appointments further demonstrate the commitment of Robertson to its Residential Group business, which in the financial year to 31 March 2019, completed over 800 private and affordable units generating revenues in excess of £170m.
Formed in 2018, Robertson Residential Group operates independently yet alongside Robertson Group to allow the business to focus on the growing housing market. It includes Robertson Homes, affordable housing division Robertson Partnership Homes and Robertson Living, which delivers new homes for younger buyers and downsizers.
Photo: L- R Colin Mitchell, Finance Director; John Low, Chief Executive; Craig Smith, Operations Director of Robertson Residential Group
The Pioneer Group appoints new Director of Asset Management
August 2019
The Pioneer Group has announced the latest senior appointment, with Dave Livesey joining the team as Director of Asset Management.
In his new role, he will be responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of the group’s asset management and maximising opportunities for all maintenance services.
Bringing fresh ideas into the organisation, Mr Livesey has over 20 years of experience in the housing sector. As a qualified building surveyor who studied at BCU, he has worked in or around housing since leaving school and had gathered a wealth of knowledge while working his way up from an office junior at BCHS, a co-operative housing provider to his previous role as Head of Delivery for a large Midlands based housing provider.
Expanding on his new position, Mr Livesey said: “I am excited to work with the new executive team at The Pioneer Group, we all share a great desire to make services to our customers the absolute best they can be. The asset management team are in a really exciting position as well, working hard to plan our approach for the future and shaping services to ensure that they meet our customer’s needs and expectations.
“The resident-led nature of housing in Castle Vale, with the opportunity to engage and deliver services based on what residents want, really attracted me to the role. I’m confident that my experience, coupled with residents that truly care about where they live, will drive excellence into the services that really matter to our customers.”
Starting in March 2019, Mr Livesey is part of a relatively new board with CEO Simon Wilson joining in May 2018, while Finance Director, Martyn Hencher, and Housing & Community Services Director, Kate Foley, started their roles in September 2018.
Simon Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of The Pioneer Group, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Dave to the Asset Management team. With his extensive knowledge of the asset management industry and his passion for community solutions, Dave has exactly the skills and drive we need to continue helping people and our communities to thrive.
“One of our key strengths is the range of skills and experience within the group and we know Dave’s expertise will further our ambitious asset and development plans for the future.”
The Pioneer Group is currently undergoing strategic review and is working with tenants to create a new corporate plan which will run from 2020 to 2025.
From left to right: Simon Wilson, CEO of The Pioneer Group, and Dave Livesey, Director of Asset Management
Timber frame specialist Scotframe creates new role to increase market share in North
July 2019
Scotframe, one of the UK’s largest offsite timber frame specialists, have appointed Danny Johnson to the new role of Business Development Manager for the North of England in response to growing demand for timber frame homes in the region and across the UK.
Danny Johnson has enjoyed a successful 15-year career spanning customer service and business development roles, most recently with a smaller timber frame operation.
From his Manchester base, he will focus on supporting Scotframe’s private and commercial self-build customers with planning and managing the construction of their homes and premises, and securing an even larger slice of the self-build housing market in the North of England.
Danny Johnson said: “Scotframe have a growing reputation for design and architectural excellence combined with superb customer service. I am very much looking forward to supporting their ambitions to grow their customer base as well as spreading the word about the many benefits of offsite timber frame construction. The importance of sustainability and energy efficiency is really striking a chord with people.”
Malcolm Thomson, sales director at Scotframe said: “Danny’s experience in the timber frame sector and his strong background in customer service means he will be a great addition to our team.
“Currently Scotland leads the way in timber frame construction, with 83% of new build homes in Scotland using timber frame, compared to just 23% in England. However, the market share for timber construction in England is steadily rising and Danny will play an important role in developing Scotframe’s offering south of the border alongside Scotframe colleagues in other parts of the country.
“Offsite construction will play a significant part in easing the UK-wide housing crisis because between 240,000 and 300,000 new homes are needed every year for the foreseeable future. Timber frame homes are ultimately more cost-effective to build and can be built around eight weeks faster than more traditional methods.”
Headquartered in Inverurie, Scotframe is an industry leader in the supply of full kit packages for housing and commercial projects. Established in 1989, the company has 192 employees and a £36.5m turnover. It has manufacturing facilities in Inverurie and at Cumbernauld, plus sales offices and showrooms at Inverness and Dundee and Swindon.
Scotframe was acquired by Saint-Gobain - a global group with 18,000 employees in the UK alone - in November 2017, a move which Scotframe believes will help accelerate its expansion into English markets.
Castles & Coasts appoints new housing services director
June 2019
Castles & Coasts Housing Association (CCHA), which owns and manages more than 7,000 homes across Cumbria and the North of England, has appointed Dawn Clark as housing services director. She takes over from David Armstrong, who has retired.
Having been with CCHA since it was formed in July 2017, Dawn has stepped up to her new role this month from her current position as customer experience manager.
Stephanie Murphy, chief executive at CCHA, said: “Dawn’s position is an important one; her excellent leadership skills, dynamic approach, and her eagerness to embrace innovation are fantastic assets for our organisation.
"Dawn has built a reputation for excellence and her expertise and experience, as well as her customer-service ethic, will be a huge benefit to the organisation. We are delighted to welcome her to the executive leadership team.”
Dawn joined the organisation as integration manager, which saw her oversee the operational aspects of the merger of two housing associations, from which CCHA was created. She ensured customer care and continuity of service throughout the process. Prior to that, she held leadership roles within the housing sector as well as within the retail sector and hospitality industry.
Dawn said: “I am so pleased to be entrusted with such an important role within CCHA. While this organisation is not quite two years old, we boast a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise among our ranks and I can’t wait to start mining that for new ideas about how we can continue to grow and develop as a business that is valued by our customers.
“I am passionate about ensuring our services meet the needs of our current and future residents and that CCHA is recognised across the communities we serve as a landlord of choice, and that’s something I will be ensuring is the case in my new role.”
ilke Homes makes key hires for new national land team
June 2019
Modular homes specialist ilke Homes, which recently announced a £100m joint venture with Places for People, has made two key new appointments to its national land development team as it continues rapid growth to meet escalating demand.
Tom Heathcote and Tristin Willis join ilke’s Group Managing Director Ben Miller who heads up the land team offering high-quality housing end-to-end - from land purchase through to planning and delivery. All three have made the move from Crest Nicholson, where they worked together on the same team.
Tom, ilke’s new Group Land and Planning Director, and Tristin, Group Operations Director, are both seasoned professionals in the construction industry.
Tom has over 15 years’ experience in the housebuilding industry delivering numerous large-scale residential and mixed-use developments for major housebuilders across the Midlands, South West, and Northern Home Counties.
Tristin was most recently Production Director at Crest Nicholson Midlands, where he headed up the technical, build and commercial teams. He has more than 20 years’ experience in construction, having started out in civil and structural engineering. With a passion for design and quality, he made the move into housebuilding in 2007 where he has gone on to hold a series of senior roles.
Ben Miller said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom and Tristin on board at this exciting stage in ilke Homes’ growth. The company is poised to dramatically scale up its offer and I know from first-hand experience that they bring a wealth of knowledge, contacts, and skills to our great team at ilke, as we find and develop the perfect places for our houses. They are both expert construction professionals with the vision and project management skills that will enable ilke to continue to thrive in the market.”
Picture caption: (L-R) Tristin Willis, Ben Miller, Tom Heathcote
Current vacancies in the housing sector
Click on the links for more information on housing jobs currently available in the UK:
Director of Finace & Resources - West Yorks
Housing Services Manager - Rochdale
Housing Association Board Member - North Wales (voluntary)
Chartered Institute of Housing Vice-President
Senior IT Manager for Wandle Housing Association
Senior Site Manager - Godmanchester
Quantity Surveyor - Manchester
Development Engineer - Warrington
Senior Land Manager - Warrington
Senior Site Manager - Bishop's Stortford
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