The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast

Inspiring the next generations of leaders is about more than just imparting knowledge; it's about empowering them to envision and create a better future. involves nurturing their talents, encouraging their ambitions, and guiding them through the challenges they will face.To round off our incredible first season of our new Housing Fringe series, we speak to a panel of true trailblazers, Jacque Allen, Amanda Newton, Alison Dean & Mushtaq Khan who share their unique journeys, highlight...

Do you have a net zero plan, and if so, do you have a funding plan in place to deliver it? If you’re like our live audience then around 90% answered no to both questions. In our third episode of AJ’s new Housing Fringe, we speak with Jenny Danson, James Williams, Paul Norman & Tom Sowerby to demystify how you can access funding solutions (not grant funding) backed by UK banks, pension and insurance providers to create a long-term revenue stream for you, cheaper energy for your tenant...

Whether we like it or not, we live in a world of digital transformation, where using data to simply measure performance is not enough. With advancements in technology, our new challenge comes in how to use data to solve key problems in the sector and individual businesses, but the recurring question is: ‘Do you really know what problem you’re trying to solve?’And with the rapid growth of AI and automation where do we even begin? In our second episode of AJ’s new Housing Fringe, we speak ...

Board effectiveness is a direct result of the board's composition, which is why good governance dictates that the composition should be built according to the organisation's needs. But with a rapidly changing and often volatile marketplace, how can you ensure your board composition is right? In our first episode of AJ’s new Housing Fringe, we speak with Sara Shanab, Cris McGuiness, Patrick Ricketts and Mark Howorth to glean insight on how their career journeys have shaped the way they ap...

The first CFO we’ve had on the podcast, Kal Kay, joins us for this episode. Kal has spent her whole career in finance, before moving into housing with Your Housing Group.Kal has a passion for profit-for-purpose organisations which led her to take up the role. Your Housing Group is a large North West-based housing association providing affordable housing to suit a variety of needs. They also have ambitious plans to continue developing new homes.We get Kal’s expert insights into the financial s...

Harpreet Rayet currently holds the Managing Director role at TWO organisations - Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing and Cornovii Development. He’s been working in property development and housing for nearly 18 years and in this episode, we discover his story.Harpreet stepped up as MD for STAR Housing as his first MD role. We dive deep into his experiences with taking on the ‘number one’ role and ask him what experience he was expected to have prior and what he needed to upskill in. Harpreet’s...

Is this year the year you start to prioritise EDI in your organisation? Chief Executive of Manningham Housing Association, Lee Bloomfield, joins us in this episode to take a deep dive into building bridges within communities and how the organisation has levelled up its EDI approaches.We find out about Lee’s journey into housing that left him in charge of bringing Manningham Housing Association up to a compliant level again. He shares the steps they took to do so and to becoming the first hous...

Tina Barnard spent her early career as an accountant before moving into the housing sector. She’s now Chief Executive at Watford Community Housing and in this episode, we discover her journey into housing and get her expert insights into funding, joint ventures and more.Watford Community Housing has established joint venture companies with local authority partners. We get a behind-the-scenes on how these partnerships came about and how Watford Community Housing has been leveraging them to cre...

When Clare Budden joined ClwydAlyn Housing Association as Group CEO, she knew that change was sorely needed. Clare believes that social housing is a people-first industry, but staff satisfaction wasn’t where it should have been.Since joining, the organisation has increased its housing stock by nearly a thousand and turnover from 40 million to 64 million. Staff satisfaction has also increased and the refreshed values of the organisation have been cemented throughout.Clare shares with us the ke...

In this episode, former healthcare professional, Debi Marriott-Lavery, now Chief Executive at Magenta Living, shares with us the skills that she brought to the sector and her journey so far.Magenta Living is a Wirral-based housing association that owns, manages andprovides support to thirteen thousand homes across the region. Debi previously saw herself as a ‘great number two’, as opposed to leader material. We speak about why this mentality can hinder progress and how she broke free fro...

To kick off The HIP for 2024, we sit down with Mark Howden, Chief Executive of Peaks & Plains. Peaks & Plains is a social housing provider based in Macclesfield which Mark joined as Interim Chief Executive after his tenure with Balfour Beatty.Mark shares with us his interesting path into housing and his experience transitioning from the private sector to the public sector. We speak about the regulatory challenges that Peaks & Plains faced in the past, and how Mark was able to galv...

By fostering an environment that prioritises honesty and encourages people to ‘speak up and challenge’, without fear of being ‘wrong’, organisations can benefit from a wider breadth of knowledge and skills.Jamie Ratcliff, Chief Communities & Sustainability Officer at SNG joins us in this episode to share his passion for having an impact on people’s lives through his work.Jamie has spent nearly 20 years in housing and it’s his passion for human rights that drew him in.Sovereign and Network...

True transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, and it takes a strong culture. In this episode, Donna Cezair, Chief Executive at Worthing Homes joins us to talk about transformation and change management and her journey into the sector.Donna has taken on multiple CEO roles, including her role at First Choice Homes Oldham which she took on during the pandemic. We speak to her about the challenges she faced as a new chief executive during this time.We speak about her work with Wort...

CEO at Circle Voluntary Housing Association, John Hannigan joins us in this episode. Circle is Ireland-based, but John has had extensive experience in the housing sector in the UK, as well, and we discover how he got ‘hooked’ on housing and reached his position.We dive deep into the major differences between the Irish and UK housingmarkets in terms of the size and number of HAs and their long-term housing plan. With about 3000 homes owned and managed, Circle is in Ireland's top 5 largest HAs....

We are facing an unprecedented rate of change and new challenges in our industry. It takes bravery and resilience to weather the storm and stay focused on the outcomes.We sit down with Fiona Fletcher-Smith in this episode. Fiona is the Group Chief Executive at L&Q Group and is the current chair of the G15. She also held a 10-year role working with the Greater London Authority. We discover how she got into the industry and the changes that she’s seen in her 35 years of service.We speak in ...

Regeneration specialist, RE:GEN Group has been working with Durham based housing association, believe housing on a project that’s so far resulted in 1186 properties becoming more energy efficient across the North East.Two guests join us on The HIP in this episode. Ruth Dent - Director of Assets and Compliance at believe housing and Brian Bedford - Sustainability Director at RE:GEN Group. We discover how the two companies came together to deliver this outcome and the future plans for the proje...

Mansell Building Solutions has been providing local homes for local people by local people for generations.In this episode, we speak with Managing Director, Angela Mansell. The specialist contractor, based in Horwich, Bolton, was founded by Angela’s dad in 1991 and now has Angela and her sister at the helm.We discover Angela’s journey into her role and the trigger that pushed her into housing. We ask Angela what it’s been like to take on the legacy of the business and we get insight into how ...

Achieving net zero targets and making our homes more comfortable in the process is a net gain for everyone. Even so, it’s not always an easy sell.In this episode, we speak with Tom Sowerby, Customer Relationship Director at Wates.Tom has a passion for sustainability, which comes across in his work with Wates. Tom goes into three key focuses - reaching net zero targets, fire safety and damp & mould. We discover how Wates is tackling these focuses.We dive deep into the net zero agenda. We s...

An enduring sense of purpose is what keeps teams focused on achieving anorganisation’s vision. But keeping that purpose at the forefront for decades can be a challenge.In this episode, we sit down with Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing Group. Michael celebrates his 20-year anniversary at Broadland this year and we take a look back at how the Norfolk-based housing association has evolved over the years.Michael chose a career in housing. He’s a chartered surveyor by background...

The number of mergers in the housing industry has been growing in recent years. But with mergers can come challenges. Mark Pearson, Managing Director at 54North Homes joins us this week to speak about his journey into housing, and the story of 54North Homes so far.Mark took up the MD role at 54North around 9 months ago and now holds 26 years of experience in the sector. Mark shares what he’s witnessed of how the housing landscape has changed in that time.Mark oversaw a massive period of trans...

“There’s only one team and everyone is on it.” This has been a key message that Jacque Allen, Chief Executive Officer at Your Housing Group has championed since she joined 3 years ago, at the start of lockdown.In this episode, Jacque shares with us her journey into the CEO role and the challenges that joining on the first day of lockdown posed. Jacque never saw herself as a senior leader, and we go deep into how she pushed through the negativity, both internal and external.We dive deep into c...

Housing associations in rural areas have unique challenges compared with their urban counterparts.In this episode, we speak with Gail Teasdale, Chief Executive at Broadacres Housing Association in North Yorkshire. She reflects on the last 5 years with Broadacres and her 20 years in the industry.We dive deep into the challenges that rural housing associations commonly face today and how they’re working to overcome them. We learn about Broadacres's corporate strategy and how focuses have shifte...

Safety and compliance isn’t a topic that instils excitement for a lot of people… But our guest in this episode manages to keep it compelling! We sit down with Wayne Cole, Group Director of Property Safety and Compliance for Places for People.Places for People is the UK’s leading Social Enterprise with a very diverse group of about 18 businesses. Wayne shares with us the fascinating story of his career, from his time in the Navy to the tragedies that Wayne witnessed later on in his career that...

The housing sector, like any sector, faces challenges and has made mistakes in the past. It’s how we react to those challenges and mistakes that define us. We speak with two Stockport Homes Group experts in this episode - Helen McHale, Chief Executive of Stockport Homes who has spent 38 years in social housing. And Carmel Chambers, Executive Director of Resources who holds a 17 years tenure with Stockport Homes. We speak about some of the biggest challenges that the organisation has face...

We sit down with Dave Richmond, CEO at St Leger Homes of Doncaster in this episode to tackle some critical issues. Dave has an interesting story to share, pulling from his experience as a social worker for nearly 20 years, and his work in local government. We discover how these roles prepared him for and led him to the housing sector. Dave looks back on the drastic changes he’s seen within the sector and the housing market. We dive into the affordability challenges that are holding peopl...

In this episode, we speak with CEO of bpha, Richard Hill. Richard shares with us his journey into his new role. We also learn about Richards's tenure as vice chair of the G15 and get insight into the group’s inner workings.Richard gives us an overview of where bpha stands today and what the organisation is planning on implementing in the near future. With the variety of locations that bpha serves, it’s unsurprising that they need to tailor their service to the different communities. We learn ...

What does it mean to be ‘customer obsessed’? In this episode, we sit down with Louise Swain, CEO at Alliance Homes Group. Alliance is a customer-focused housing association providing housing in the West of England.Louise shares the story of her lived experience that led her towards working in social housing. She gives her thoughts on how the sector has changed in the last 20 years and how Alliance has evolved with it. In line with its customer-centric approach, Alliance are looking to impleme...

What does it mean to truly be ‘resident-led’? In this episode, Chief Executive of Phoenix Community Housing, Denise Fowler, joins us to give us insights into how Phoenix is building a community of residents.Denise shares with us her inspiring journey and the deeply personal reason that she decided to join the sector. Phoenix Community Housing is a housing association with a difference. The organisation has a stock of around 7600 homes in South London, and its residents are involved in decisio...

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to customers or colleagues, and Irwell Valley Homes’ flexible approaches are a key part of its culture.In this episode, we sit down with Sasha Deepwell, Chief Executive at Irwell Valley Homes. Sasha’s wide range of experiences in different sectors led her into housing three decades ago and she shares with us what’s changed in those 30 years. We speak about the ‘cycles’ that the industry goes through and the challenges that have become a theme of Sash...

For most in the housing sector, housing chooses them. Emma Palmer, CEO at Eastlight Community Homes, chose housing as a career from the start. In this episode, Emma shares with us her story and gives insights into what attracted her to the sector and how it’s changed since she joined it at 18.Eastlight was formed from the merger of Colne Housing and Greenfields Community Housing in 2020. Three years later, we ask Emma how the organisation has benefited from the merger, including now having a ...

There isn’t just one path into the housing sector. And with the wealth of experiences many bring in from outside of the sector, this can be a huge positive.In this episode, we sit down with Matt Forrest, Chief Executive at Thirteen Group. Matt joined the landlord and housing developer around 7 months ago, and we find out how his experience has been so far.Matt has had what he describes as a ‘squiggly career’. He started out as a geography teacher and has taken on a variety of roles before rea...

A lot has changed in the sector over the last 40 years. George Paterson, Executive Director of Property at Together Housing Group has spent his whole career in housing, and we get to tap into his wealth of knowledge and experience in this episode.We discover George’s journey through the sector and with Together Housing. He shares with us the organisation’s most significant achievements and the biggest challenges that he’s faced. George also tells us what he feels are the biggest game changers...

The media loves to highlight the negatives of the housing sector, while much of the good that housing associations do tends to fly under the radar.In this episode, we sit down with David Bogle, Chief Executive of Hightown Housing. David has held the position for over 28 years and has spent even longer within the sector. David is a standout advocate for tackling homelessness in the UK. We tap into David’s experience and find out what’s evolved in the sector over that time and how the sec...

Cobalt Housing isn’t looking to take over the world. But by focusing on local communities in North Liverpool, they are able to make a huge difference.We’re joined by Claire Griffiths, Chief Executive at Cobalt Housing in this episode. Claire was a graduate trainee in the housing sector straight out of university. She has a huge passion for social housing and we discover her journey towards becoming a CEO, and what it was about the industry that pulled her in.Claire reflects on the last 12 mon...

Communicating the right way and coming from a place of empathy can help tomaintain good relationships with customers. This is why Rooftop Housing is focusing on the basics and avoiding ‘holding customers at arm’s length’.In this episode, we speak with Boris Worrall, Chief Executive of Rooftop Housing Group. Boris has an eclectic range of experiences from 8 years in journalism to 5 years in the Home Office and now with over 10 years experience in housing.We talk at length about Boris’ journey ...

Grand Union Housing Group wants to be a force for good. And this is clear with their focus on compassion, kindness and open and honest leadership.In this episode, we speak with Aileen Evans, Chief Executive of GUHG. The housing association provides homes around Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.Aileen is also on the board of CIH and previously held the President position. She gives us insights into her tenure as president and how and why she made mental health her focus. We g...

The housing sector faces questions that can at times seem too big to answer. How can we build enough homes to meet demand? How can we free up enough land to build them on? How do we ensure equitable access to housing?In this episode, Geeta Nanda, CEO at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, shares her thoughts on the answers to these challenging questions. MTVH is a large housing association with its portfolio spreading across London, the South East, East Midlands and East of England. With a va...

“...all we’ve ever wanted to do, is where other people run away from things, we lean into things.” This is from Ryan Geldard, Director at modular building specialist M-AR Offsite, where adaptability to change is key.We sit down with Ryan and Head of HR, Jess Rose for this episode to get their insights on MMC and growing a business in today’s market. M-AR started around 15 years ago creating modular buildings for hire, before moving into manufacturing. They’ve always aimed to stay flexible to ...

Do we make housing too complicated? Do we focus more on the process than the outcome and the impact? At Livv Housing Group, they’re focusing on simple messages and simple targets. In this episode, we speak with the CEO, Leann Hearne, about their mission, the impacts they’ve made and the journey Leann has been on with the group.Livv Housing Group is a local business at heart, with thirteen thousand homes around the Knowsley Borough and just over 500 employees. Leann shares with us her experien...

The importance of social housing in our society can’t be understated. But with the challenges that the sector currently faces, how do we ensure that we’re providing enough supported living while also innovating and supporting individual needs?This week we sit down with Jacqui De-Rose, Group Chief Executive at Progress Housing Group. Jacqui shares with us the story of what got her hooked on housing. She has been at the helm of Progress for 20 years, and with that experience comes a wealth of k...

Sinéad Butters, Chief Executive Officer at Aspire Group joins us this week to share her leadership expertise. We discover Sinéad’s fascinating journey into the housing sector and how Aspire has evolved over her 23 years tenure.We speak about the power of taking risks and being willing to make bold moves. We learn how Aspire became an organisation that is prepared to take those risks and make difficult decisions. We speak about Covid and its delayed effects on the sector that we’re dealing wit...

For those with an unwavering desire to make a difference in people’s lives, whichever sector they start out in, those ideals tend to guide their decisions throughout their professional journey.Guy Stenson, Chief Executive of Gloucester City Homes, has spent the last six years in the housing sector, previously working in health and social care. In this episode of The HIP, we dive deep into his journey into the sector, his principles and vision and we learn more about GCH.Guy emphasises the lin...

There is a ‘magic pink box’ at Octopus Energy hard at work to cut homeowners' energy bills down to zero. In this episode, we sit down with Michael Cottrell, Product and Partnerships Director at Octopus Energy and find out what this ‘magic pink box’ is all about! We take a deep dive into Zero Bills homes and Octopus' partnership with housing developers across the UK. Octopus has achieved tremendous growth since opening its doors in 2015, now serving 5 million customers across 9 countries....

Join us and a panel of industry leaders for a deep dive on collaboration and technology! Caithlin Knox hosts our second tech, transformation and change episode where we ask experts to bring their own questions to the table.Our panel this week:Jason Wickens – Interim CIO with expertise in social housingRajiv Peter – Group CIO of Notting Hill Genesis, responsible for technology,data and digital transformationSimon Sharkey Woods – AD and CDIO of Slough Borough CouncilDarren Ryland – Director of ...

The challenges that we face in the housing sector are equally affecting retirement homes. On top of that, social isolation is a dangerous reality for many in later life.In this episode we sit down with Katie Fisher, Divisional Managing Director at McCarthy Stone for the Midlands. We discover how McCarthy Stone is tackling these challenges as well as improving the lives of older people.McCarthy Stone is the leading developer and provider of retirement communities within the UK. The organisatio...

David Done is not afraid to climb mountains - whether that’s the mountainous task of building an organisation that provides the best customer service in the UK, or the mountains that he’s summited!David is stepping down as RHP’s Chief Executive at the end of March, and we’relucky enough to have him on the show to share his journey. David shares with ushow he managed to turn the organisation into an award-winning housing association in the last 23 years. David’s dream for the organisation sinc...

With rising costs and a growing need for new homes and sustainability goals thatneed to be met, does modular housing play a role in the solution?In this episode, we speak with Andrew Shepherd, Managing Director at TopHat.Andrew shares with us his journey and gives us key insights into the behind-the-scenes of Top Hat, and how its modular products are tackling the challenges people are facing today.We learn about the changes that Top Hat has gone through in the last few years and the learning ...

A first for The HIP! Caithlin Knox hosts a panel of guests speaking on Tech, Transformation & Change within the sector. Caithlin is joined by Nick Atkin, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Housing and Jason Wickens, Chief Information Officer at Southern Housing Group. We dive deep into tech within the housing sector, with Nick and Jason bringing their own questions along to answer.We get the panel’s expert insights on:What one thing would they change about the way that housing services are curr...

In this episode, we sit down with Kate Davies, Chief Executive of Notting Hill Genesis for a fascinating chat. Since starting in the housing sector as an administrator around 30 years ago, Kate’s career progressed through multiple CE roles before her 18 year tenure with Notting Hill Genesis. Notting Hill Genesis has grown significantly since Kate started, with real estate holdings totalling £21 billion. Kate gives us an insight into how Notting Hill Genesis has changed and grown over the last...

“At the heart of any housing association is people.” This is a sentiment shared by Thirteen Group’s Executive Director of Customer Service, David Ripley. In our conversation with David, we find out what it means to get services right for Thirteen’s customers.Thirteen is a regional housing provider in the Northeast of England that manages around 36,000 homes. David joined the organisation around 5 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. We learn about David’s journey in getting to his pos...

Housing association regulation has a huge effect on the confidence that peoplehave in the organisation.In this episode of The HIP, we speak with Emma Richman, Executive Director of Operations at Peaks & Plains Housing Trust and Board Member at First Choice Homes Oldham. Emma has worked in social housing for 27+ years and has been with Peaks & Plains for almost 3 years. Peaks & Plains is a relatively small housing association, focusing on higher-value homes in the Cheshire East and...

What does a housing association look like when it’s residents are placed at the centre of the organisation’s decision making?Elly Hoult is Group Director of Assets & Sustainability at Notting Hill Genesis and a CIH board member. She’s been with NHG for around 6 years after starting out as an admin for a housing association. She quickly realised how great these organisations are, which ignited her passion for the sector.In this episode, we find out how Elly made it to her leadership positi...

In this episode, we sat down with Hannah Harvey, Chief Operating Officer at SaffronHousing Trust. Hannah has progressed within the housing sector quickly. She’sworked in housing for around 12 years, spending her earlier career working in thepolice force and in children’s services.We asked Hannah how she progressed in housing so quickly. Hannah shared with usan abundance of insightful and actionable advice for anyone looking to become aleader in the sector. She spoke about the importance of be...

With energy prices on the rise, it’s now more important than ever to capitalise on the ever decreasing cost of renewables. New homes with sustainable energy technologies need building, and older homes need retrofitting. In this episode, we sat down with Nigel Banks, R&D Director at ilke Homes. Nigel is a chartered engineer and has been in housing and construction for around 20 years. Over the years, he’s shifted his focus from very large scale projects and consultancy to leading the ...

The home is the start of well-being and everyone should have a decent home. This is what Charlie Norman, Group Chief Executive at Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group believes. Our host, James Leighton, sat down with Charlie for an in-depth conversation on her values and her journey with Mosscare St Vincent’s.Charlie has spent 30+ years in the housing sector and is driven to make positive change. She shares her insights on how she has reached her current position by always staying focused...

In this episode of The HIP, our host James Leighton sat down with Peter Jackson - Managing Director of Seddon Construction. Seddon Construction operates in the northwest and midlands with 500 employees, half of which are tradespeople.Numerous businesses fall under the Seddon umbrella that cover painting, retrofitting, property services and more, each with its own director.Seddon recently celebrated 125 years in business. It’s a family owned organisation with a rich history spanning four gener...

Homelessness in the UK is on the rise. 8.5 million people within the UK currentlyhave unmet housing needs. Local Space aims to provide a ready supply ofhomes to house homeless people within nine local authority areas across Londonand Essex.In this episode of The HIP, our host, James Leighton speaks with Josie Parsons,Chief Executive Officer of Local Space. Josie started her career in finance beforemoving into commercial business and third sector business, mainly within thehousing sector. She’...

In this episode of The HIP, our host, James Leighton is joined by Chief Executive of Golden Lane Housing - John Verge. Golden Lane Housing’s vision is “a world where everyone with a learning disability has opportunities to access good quality housing that meets their needs”, and John shares with us some of the amazing work that Golden Lane Housing is doing to make this happen. The episode begins with how John got started in housing and the fascinating journey he took towards his appointm...

This week we were joined by Nigel Wilson, who is the Group Chief Executive of Gentoo Group. We unpacked a ton of great topics in this episode, from decarbonization to sustainability, to hiring the next generation of talent! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did recording it.Gentoo is doing a lot of interesting things in the space, and we’re excited to see how things will continue to grow and develop for them under Nigel's leadership.

This week, host James Leighton was joined by Ian McDermott, CEO at Peabody.This was an incredibly insightful conversation, ranging from Ian's experience in the industry, through to some home truths around scaling, having a low ego, and the importance of authenticity!Ian has a wealth of experience in the industry, so to get his opinion on a variety of technical and personal topics was incredibly interesting.

This week I’m joined by Ceri Theobald from Futures Housing Group. Ceri is the Group Director of Strategic Partnerships and Growth, and is focussed on driving sustainability and developing partnerships across the East Midlands.We covered a lot of interesting ground in this episode, from breaking down Ceri’s role, the challenges in development, all the way through to mental health and wellness, which became a focal point of conversation for us.There’s a ton of key takeaways that Ceri shared, an...

We’re back with episode 10 of The HIP with not just one, but two fantastic guest speakers who share their knowledge on the increasingly important topic of diversity and inclusion.Host James Leighton is joined by Helen Ward, Group Organisational Development Director at Torus and Moreen Pascal, Programme Manager at Housing Diversity Network, where they synthesise their experience and understanding of a diverse workforce. Helen and Moreen are by their own admission “kindred spirits” and sha...

We’re back with the ninth episode of The HIP with host James Leighton. Today we’re joined by Richard Ellis, Director of Sustainability at Peabody.The Peabody Group is responsible for over 67,000 homes in London and the South East that house over 155,000 residents. Their mission is to help people live well while simultaneously attempting to tackle the carbon issue dominating the housing industry right now.As Director of Sustainability, Richard tells our listeners about his 30-year business blu...

Colette McKune MBE, Group Chief Executive at ForViva, appears on episode 8 of The HIP alongside host James Leighton, Director of Andersen James. ForViva’s motto is doing business in a way that gives back and uses profit for good. One way they do so is by reducing homelessness - which Collette says is not as easy as providing those at risk with a home. “What you have to do is also support them to live in the property,” she explains. “We work with them and then support them with tenan...

For episode 7 of The Housing Industry Podcast (The HIP), host James Leighton is joined by Matthew Harrison, Chief Executive at Great Places Housing Group, where they discuss how Matthew used his background in development to succeed in a c-suite position. Matthew tells listeners how he used his previous roles in housing development to his advantage as a chief executive. Aspects like excellent customer service, his involvement in managing products, and learning from mistakes ensured he was...

It’s time for the next episode of the Housing Industry Podcast (HIP podcast) with our host James Leighton. In this episode, James speaks to Alexandra Willey, Director of Strategic Asset Management at Clarion Housing Group. The largest housing association in the United Kingdom, Clarion Housing Group homes more than 350,000 people and plays an important role in the sustainability goals of the housing sector. Alexandra shares ideas for reaching a carbon-neutral future; how new technolo...

Welcome to the fifth installment of The Housing Industry Podcast (The HIP). In this latest episode, our host James Leighton sits down to chat with Gerraint Oakley, Executive Director of Growth and Development at Platform Housing Group. Gerraint has had an interesting career spanning decades and multiple organisations, including Linc Cymru, Keepmoat Homes, and Curo Homes. He’s also currently an ambassador for the Construction Industry Training Board. He started his most recent positi...

Welcome to the fourth episode of The Housing Industry Podcast (The HIP), with host James Leighton. In this instalment of the show, James is joined by Yorkshire Housing’s CEO, Nick Atkin to discuss topics like solving the housing crisis, and how housing associations have shifted from the traditional 9-5 office work model in a matter of weeks. Nick has been the CEO of Yorkshire Housing since 2019, and has an impressive track record of leading organisations through transformational change, drivi...

Episode 3 of the HIP podcast is here! Host James Leighton sits down with Chairman of Ilke Homes, David Sheridan. They discuss everything from promoting employees to zero-carbon houses and the UK housing crisis. Ilke Homes is a groundbreaking modular housing company making great strides in the industry. Their ESG initiative, Ilke Zero, is also making headway in zero-carbon housing. This is definitely an unmissable episode and well worth the listen. You can contact James and David by connecting...

Welcome to The HIP, the brand new Andersen James Group podcast series. For our second episode, we’re delighted to welcome Lee Sale, Regional Managing Director of Lovell, a giant in the UK housing construction industry. With almost 30 years of experience in the business, Lee is full to the brim with compelling advice and insight. Alongside our engaging host James Leighton, CEO and Founder of the Andersen James Group, Lee discusses his rapid rise through the ranks to become one of the youn...

Welcome to the first ever episode of the Housing Industry Podcast (HIP podcast)! In this episode, our host James Leighton talks to Tom Bloxham MBE, Chairman of Urban Splash, about leadership, the housing sector, property development, and much more. Tom, along with his business partner Jonathan Falkingham, founded Urban Splash in 1993. Since then, the company has built more than 5000 homes and 1.5m sq ft of workspaces. They’ve won more than 420 awards since they launched. ...