Housing Moves: our round-up of senior sector appointments in October 2020

Insight19.11.203.30 PM by Inside Housing

Inside Housing’s new monthly round-up of top-level housing sector appointments runs down the main senior appointments in the sector for October 2020

Jo Evans, director of supported housing at A2Dominion

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Inside Housing’s monthly round-up of top-level housing appointments runs through the main changes in the sector for October #UKhousing

Housing Moves: our round-up of senior sector appointments in October 2020 #UKhousing

Housing Moves compiles all the senior housing appointments in one place every month.

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Housing association moves

Jason Wroe (pictured), who has been housing director at 3,000-home Newydd housing association since 2003, has replaced Paul Roberts as chief executive. Mr Roberts, who is retiring after 28 years in the role, said: “I am absolutely delighted with Jason’s appointment as chief executive. His focus has always been on putting tenants first in all that he does. I have no doubt he will lead the organisation to great success in the future.”
Michael Reece has been appointed by A2Dominion as its executive director of operations. He will replace Andrew Evans when he retires in March. Mr Reece was previously a director in Savills’ affordable housing division and spent 11 years as group operations director at Aster Group before that.
A2Dominion has also promoted Jo Evans from head of operations (care and support), to director of supported housing. She will take over from Pam Vasir when she retires in January. Ms Evans has spent 13 years in the sector, starting as graduate housing support manager at Saxon Weald after university, and rising through the ranks after doing frontline support work.
Jonathan Wallback has been acting group finance director at Orbit since last December and the housing association has now made it permanent. Chief executive Mark Hoyland said: “I’m delighted that Jonathan will be joining the executive team permanently.”
Eastlight has made three appointments. Kerry Tromanhauser joins as governance and business change director – a newly created role – where he will take the lead on integration of services following the landlord’s creation from the merger of Greenfields and Colne. Mr Tromanhauser comes from Hyde Housing, where he was acting chief information and data officer.
Dan Jones also joins Eastlight as executive director of operations. He comes from Metropolitan Thames Valley where he was executive director of integration. He replaces Richard Gormley, who is retiring.
And James Green becomes Eastlight’s community investment director, another newly created role. He comes to Eastlight from the National Housing Federation where he was futures programme director.
Paul Ville is standing down as chief executive of Solon South West Housing after 21 years, as the landlord looks to merge with another Bristol-based association, United Communities. The chair of Solon, Graham Oliver, said of the departure: “Under Paul’s leadership, Solon has successfully come through some difficult times and many changes, growing as an organisation and taking a lead in meeting landlord health and safety requirements. I would like to thank him for his commitment, both over the past 21 years and to the future shape of Solon, and wish him well.”
The 2,000-home Melville Housing Association has appointed John McMorrow as its new chief executive. He is due to start in the position after current chief executive Andrew Noble retires. Mr McMorrow is the director of Easthall Park Housing Co-operative in Glasgow. Mr Noble said: “Within the housing sector, [Mr McMorrow] has a great reputation as a real people person, and I have no doubt that he and the Melville team will work together to build an even stronger future for the organisation and for our tenants.”
Freebridge has appointed Paul Newbold as its new director of development. He comes to the landlord from the private sector, where he was a director of development and property solutions.
Women’s Pioneer Housing in London has appointed Kelly Henderson as interim director of housing, while Jess Page is on maternity leave. Most recently, Ms Henderson was co-founder of the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance.
Sally Hooker has been appointed to the recently created role of senior building safety communications manager at Southern Housing Group. She was previously head of communications at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering.
Steve Alcock has joined Torus as director of sales and development – replacing Bill Lacey who recently retired after a 43-year career in the sector. Mr Alcock previously was head of land at PJ Livesey Group. He started in his new role at Torus at the end of September.

Board changes

Cardiff Community Housing Association (CCHA) has bolstered its board with the appointment of five new members. The first is Fadhili Maghiya (pictured). His many accomplishments include founding the Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel, a network of African communities in Wales working in international development.
Also joining are Lerisha Hansraj Bhardwaj, a chartered accountant who works at the Development Bank of Wales, and Amina Yusuf, a freelance graphic designer.
The final two appointments are employment lawyer Joga Singh and Didi Ketter, a CCHA tenant since 2016 who is also studying for a degree in environmental health.
Caledonia Housing Association has appointed Alan Nairn as its new chair, replacing Penny Coburn, who has retired after 13 years on the board. The association has also added four more board members: chartered surveyor Tim Goddard, senior civil servant Douglas McLaren, charity expert Derek Roberson and solicitor Lorna Williamson.
James Boyd has been appointed as the first chair of Hilldale Housing Association. Mr Boyd was previously chair of Prima Group, chair of Weaver Vale and a board member of Vivark.

Other moves

Lovell Partnerships has hired former Places for People group executive director Mary Parsons (pictured). She will take on the role of regeneration and partnerships director for the firm.
Mark Prisk, a former Conservative housing minister, has joined the board of investment manager ARA Venn’s subsidiary Saltaire Housing, which last month won the contract to deliver the English government’s Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme. He is joined on the board by financier Sarah Wall, who has been a portfolio manager at Aviva and the Pensions Protection Fund. One of her other board roles is at Sixty Bricks, the property development company of Waltham Forest Council.
Peter Smith has returned to Homeless Link after two years’ secondment to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as rough sleeping advisor. He returns as director of sector development.
Alison Brown has been appointed maintenance director at HMS, the construction and maintenance subsidiary of Torus, replacing Haydn Hansford. She was previously a director at Dharl, which provides market intelligence on social housing maintenance.
Non-profit landlord HYELM, which focuses on housing young people, has replaced its leadership team, appointing a new chief executive, chair and finance director. Simon Wright has been promoted from director of operations to chief executive, replacing Keith Douglas who has retired. Lawyer Vanessa James is the new chair, taking over from Charlotte Paxton who will remain as vice-chair. The new finance director, Martin Grundy, was previously working at the charity on an interim basis, since the retirement of Mark Sharman.
Housing consultancy Red Loft has appointed Nick Williams from construction firm Mulalley as senior development consultant. Terence O’Connor is the new director of sales and lettings – he joins from Hyde New Homes, where he was head of sales.
Property technology company Plentific has appointed Abid Ismail as its chief financial officer. Mr Ismail comes to the firm from Capita where he was a subsidiary CFO.