Appointments round-up: December 2024

Grand Union Housing Group

 

Aileen Evans has stepped down as chief executive of Grand Union Housing Group, after the housing association completed its merger with Longhurst Group to form Amplius in December.

 

Ms Evans’ intention to step down was announced in October, after the merger plan was approved by boards. Grand Union said that after 25 years with the company, Ms Evans decided not to put herself forward for a role with the new organisation, which manages more than 37,000 homes across the Midlands, the East and the South East of England.

 

The former Chartered Institute of Housing president has spent almost 11 years at Grand Union, including more than seven as chief executive.

 

Salix Homes

 

Salford-based housing association Salix Homes has promoted Liam Turner to become chief executive to replace Sue Sutton, who will retire this year after a 25-year career in housing.

  

Mr Turner has worked at Salix Homes for the past 12 years, and is currently executive director of assets, growth and sustainability at the landlord, with responsibility for property, building safety, development and sustainability. 

 

As part of the ongoing transition period, he will continue to work closely with Ms Sutton, who will remain with Salix Homes until the summer to ensure a smooth handover. 

 

Thrive Homes

 

Thrive Homes, which manages nearly 6,000 homes across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, has appointed Paul Richmond as chief executive.

 

Mr Richmond, who will take up the role at the start of April, joins from Watford Community Housing, where he has served as deputy chief executive since 2020. Prior to this, he was the landlord’s group director of finance and resources.

 

He has also previously served as a non-executive director and chair of the finance committee at Peter Bedford Housing Association, and as finance director at insurer AXA UK.

 

Alpha Living

 

Graeme Foster will retire as chief executive of Alpha Living at the end of March after more than 10 years in charge.

 

The landlord, which specialises in providing housing for older people across the North of England, has started the process to find a successor.

 

Mr Foster has worked in the UK housing sector for 36 years, starting his career at Wirral Borough Council before becoming lead housing inspector at the Audit Commission and senior regulator at the Regulator of Social Housing.

Cunninghame Housing Association

 

Scottish landlord Cunninghame Housing Association has appointed John McIntyre as executive director of finance and corporate services. The registered social landlord providers homes across North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, and Dumfries and Galloway.

 

He brings 20 years of senior financial management experience, having held key leadership roles within the social housing sector and local government. These have included working as finance director at Partick Housing Association in Glasgow and finance manager roles at North Ayrshire Council and Renfrewshire Council.

 

Incommunities

 

Bradford-based housing provider Incommunities has hired Adam Hutchinson as director of financial operations.

 

He brings more than 20 years’ experience in the housing sector, having previously been director of resources at two other Yorkshire-based housing associations in the past eight years, where he acted as strategic lead for finance, IT, HR, communications, risk and governance.

 

Prior to that, Mr Hutchinson worked at Anchor for 13 years as a finance business partner, where he owned management accounts and oversaw forecasting and budgeting for all major projects.

 

Clarion Housing Group

 

Clarion Housing Group has appointed Heike Munro as chair of its treasury committee to replace Tom Smyth, who is stepping down. She will also join as a board member and sit on the audit and risk committee.

 

Ms Munro is a chartered accountant who has worked for several investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Rothschild. She has also worked as managing director and partner at global consulting firm AlixPartners.

 

Southern Housing

 

Troy Francis will become Southern Housing’s new executive director of operations, replacing Jane Porter after a managed handover when she retires in the spring.

 

Mr Francis is currently corporate director of operations at the group, with responsibility for frontline housing management, the group’s contact centre, and social impact activities.

 

He has worked in the sector for more than 20 years and in the new role will look to spearhead the transformation of housing operations.

 

Sparrow Shared Ownership

 

For-profit registered provider Sparrow Shared Ownership has appointed Orbit’s finance director, Jonathan Wallbank, to its board as an independent non-executive director.

 

The 3,000-home shared ownership landlord was renamed from Sage Housing in August this year after it was sold by Sage to the Universities Superannuation Scheme as part of a £405m deal.

 

Mr Wallbank, a certified chartered accountant, will also chair Sparrow’s audit and risk assurance committee.

 

Orbit Group

 

Orbit Group has hired Stephen Jack as group board chair and said as part of an update to its governance structure that it will appoint two customers to its board as non-executive directors.

 

Mr Jack was a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has had a 30-year executive career as a finance director and chief financial officer in financial services. He will replace David Weaver, who left the role at the end of 2024 after having served the maximum terms of office.

 

As well as appointing two customers as non-executive directors, the group is combining the two boards for Orbit Housing Association and the Orbit Group board under one coterminous board. Together, this will oversee all aspects of operational and strategic direction.

 

A new committee structure, including the creation of the new customer and service delivery committee, will support group board decision-making.