People: New HR bosses at modular home firm and Devonshire Group
Foston-based nmodular housebuilder TopHat has hired Lucy Weaver, formerly of FTSE100 firm Halma and Unipart Rail (a division of the Unipart Group), as group HR director.
Weaver, who left Halma in August 2021, will lead the HR agenda for TopHat as the company looks to increase its current capacity to deliver up to 3,500 factory-built houses and apartments a year by 2025.
She said: ““It brings me great pleasure to have joined TopHat during such an exciting period for the business. I’ve been incredibly impressed with what TopHat has achieved in such a short amount of time.
“The company is continuing to deliver high-quality, highly-efficient homes across the country and I look forward to supporting the growth of TopHat over the coming years.”
Katie Saunders
Katie Saunders has been appointed as group people director at the Devonshire Group, the company that represents the interests, charities and businesses of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
Having been operating at board level for the past 15 years in High Street retail and during 20 years in the motor industry, including Volkswagen UK and Audi UK, Saunders joins the Devonshire Group with responsibility for more than 1,400 employees spread across 65,000 acres at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, the Compton estate in Sussex, and Lismore in the Republic of Ireland.
Saunders said: “I’m genuinely excited by the challenge. My experience is very broad, which I think will be important given the Devonshire Group includes such a variety of businesses from visitor attractions, shops, restaurants and luxury accommodation to farming and forestry, and property development.
“Although there are many different job roles and responsibilities, it’s very clear that there is a strong, shared passion for the organisation and its values, at all levels. Part of my role will be to share my experience and expertise in learning and development, and particularly management development and leadership, to enable everybody to make the very best of their skills and reach their full potential.”
