Thrive Homes has announced the appointment of Kate McLeod as chair, saying she will provide the strategic direction to drive its mission to create quality homes where people enjoy living.
McLeod currently serves as interim chief financial officer at the Revitalise charity, and will be bringing a wealth of experience in property, IT, and finance to her new role at Thrive.
A local resident in Buckinghamshire, Thrive’s operating area, McLeod initially joined the board in April 2018 as chair of its Risk and Audit Committee.
Since the role of chair of the board became vacant in January 2020, Ms McLeod has supported the interim chair, Vic Baylis, by serving as interim vice chair.
McLeod’s career spans over four decades and includes senior roles at major financial firms such as Citibank, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock.
Since 2009, she has been working primarily in the not-for-profit sector; with over four years as Mencap’s chief financial officer and more recently at Revitalise, which provides respite care in a holiday setting for disabled people and carers.
In addition to her position at Thrive, McLeod serves as a governor at the Charterhouse and a member of the Finance and Property Committee at University of Westminster.
McLeod is supported by vice chair Graham Olive, a fellow finance professional with over 30 years’ experience.
Olive joined Thrive’s board in 2016 and serves as chair of the Remuneration and Governance Committee and sits on the Risk and Audit Committee.
Commenting on her appointment, Kate McLeod said: “I am honoured to continue to provide leadership to the board of Thrive Homes, now as chair.
“Thrive Homes is a trailblazing housing provider with an admirable commitment to its employees, customers, and the communities it serves.
“I look forward to bringing my wealth of knowledge in property, IT, and finance to drive Thrive Homes’ mission forward and help it achieve its ambitious growth target of doubling its housing stock from 5,000 to 10,000 over the next 10 years.”
McLeod replaces previous chair Ashley Lane, who passed away earlier this year.
About Thrive Homes
Thrive Homes owns and manages around 5,000 homes across the home counties, delivering homes for social rent, affordable rent, shared ownership, and market rent across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.
Thrive Homes has been named one of The Sunday Times‘s 100 Best Companies to Work For since 2018 and received the Investors in People Gold Accreditation in 2020.
In 2019, Thrive Homes was ranked 15th in 24housing’s Top 25 Housing Associations.
Image: Kate McLeod, chair, Thrive Homes
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