Housing 21 appoints new permanent finance boss

Housing 21 said the appointment was part of changes to the structure within the executive team and the roles reporting into them.

The provider, which manages more than 23,300 retirement living and extra-care properties, has promoted Kris Peach and Pam Mastrantonio from executive directors of extra care and retirement living to managing director of these services.

Housing 21 said this is to ensure resident perspectives and operational priorities are at the “heart of business decision-making” as the provider aims to “continue to deliver high-quality and responsive services”. 

Meanwhile, Amina Graham has left Housing 21 to pursue new opportunities after spending the last two-and-a-half years as executive director of people and systems. The provider said her role is not being replaced.

Housing 21 added that it has assigned a number of new director roles for corporate functions to “strengthen the service and support provided” to retirement living and extra care.

These corporate director roles include: people and culture; development and delivery; acquisitions, sales and partnerships; asset management; and technology, systems and integration.

They will report to Tony Tench, who remains deputy chief executive.    

Bridget Faughnan-Bing has been promoted from head of construction to director of development and delivery and Steph Ramsden has been promoted from head of acquisitions, sales and partnerships to director of acquisitions, sales and partnerships.

Both of these new roles were developed to bring their respective areas under one senior leader.

Paul Hutton has been promoted from head of legal services and company secretary to director of legal services and company secretary.

Housing 21 said the new role was created to ensure the landlord is compliant in a “highly regulated operating environment”.

Annabel Ellin remains as the provider’s director of audit and assurance.

Ian Hodson, who has spent around 16 years working at the University of Lincoln, has been appointed director of people and culture. Housing 21 said this role brings together people, learning, development and payroll to “improve and enhance the employee experience”.

The provider is currently recruiting a director of technology, systems and integration to maintain a “high-quality service across IT infrastructure and applications”, it added.

Bruce Moore, chief executive of Housing 21, said: “Appointing Andrew Shaw as chief financial officer will help to ensure we have a strong corporate financial framework upon which we can continue to grow, providing quality homes and services for older people who need them most.

“The new, more operationally focused executive structure will allow us to be even more responsive to the needs of our residents, strengthening our corporate services to more closely align with operational needs.”

In August, S&P removed Housing 21 from its CreditWatch list and affirmed its A- long-term issuer credit rating, after the association abandoned plans to merge with smaller extra-care provider The ExtraCare Charitable Trust.

Housing 21’s current regulatory grades are G1/V1.

According to its financial results for 2022-23, the provider returned to a surplus of £9.7m, following an £8.9m deficit in 2021-22.