Property people: Yorkshire Housing; Unity Homes and Enterprise; Dacres Commercial; and more

Yorkshire Housing has appointed Ingrid Fife as its next chair.

She succeeds outgoing chair, Will Lifford, when he steps down at the AGM in September  following the end of his term.

She is joined by three other new board members who bring a wealth of experience from the business world – Russell Galley, Ian Costigan and Ellie Stead.

The board will oversee the delivery of Yorkshire Housing’s ambitious plans. This includes building 8,000 new homes by 2030.

There will also be a continued strong focus on investing in existing homes, offering more support to the customers who need it most, building a workplace of the future and investing in green technology.

Fife has worked in the commercial, housing and health sectors. She has a strong understanding of social housing, serving on the board of Riverside and previously as chair of Halton Housing and vice chair at Regenda.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the next chair of Yorkshire Housing and thank my fellow board members for their support.

“I’d like to thank Will for the incredible contribution he has made during his tenure, and I look forward to continuing his excellent work.’

Outgoing chair, Will Lifford, added: “ Looking back over the past five years, it gives me a great sense of pride to see how Yorkshire Housing has developed and in particular has responded to the challenges of the past 18 months.

“It has an ambitious strategy to grow and develop further over the coming years, and I’m delighted that Ingrid is taking over from me to lead the Board at this time.”

Nick Atkin, chief executive of Yorkshire Housing, said: “Ingrid will undoubtedly help Yorkshire Housing deliver the exciting but challenging vision in its Business Strategy over the coming years.

“I’d also like to express my huge thanks to Will Lifford for the impact he has made as chair over the past five years. It has been a pleasure working closely with him during my two years at Yorkshire Housing.”

Galley is the managing director at Halifax Bank. He leads a team of 12,500 people serving over 16 million customers.

He has extensive experience of creating major customer experience improvements through digital innovation and in leading highly engaged teams in a complex regulatory environment.

Stead has over 30 years’ of experience in financial services, cards and payments. She was most recently the senior vice president for Client Business Operations at TSYS International, a global payments provider.

Costigan is currently the group asset management director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG).

Previously he was the transformation director for a significant investment programme at Manchester Airport.

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Cedric Boston is the new chief executive of Leeds-based BME housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise.

He had served as Unity’s interim chief executive since December 2020, replacing Ali Akbor who was appointed to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Panel.

Boston has over 30 years of senior level experience in social housing.

He is a former chief executive of Arhag, a London BME association dedicated to improving the life chances of migrants and refugees.

Boston was also director of housing services at Lambeth Living with responsibility for the provision of operational services to 65,000 people.

He read law and politics at Keele University, was called to the Bar in 1985 and is currently studying part-time for an Open University degree in classical history.

Unity chair, Shruti Bhargava, said: “We are delighted to appoint Cedric as chief executive of Unity Homes and Enterprise.

“He was one of five very diverse shortlisted candidates who went through a rigorous assessment centre and final interview process.

“Cedric is committed to Unity, cares deeply about it and what it does for our communities. He also wants the best outcomes for the organisation and its staff.

“Cedric has a compelling vision for Unity, and we are confident in the approach he will take to deliver it.”

Boston said: “As well as supporting Unity through the pandemic, my role over the past nine months has included helping the Board to refine its vision and mission, developing a new business corporate plan and leading staff through the initial phases of a change agenda.

“I look forward to building on these achievements and having the opportunity to broaden our external partnership work through building new alliances.

“Everything that Unity does flows from its social purpose which is focused on fighting inequality and empowering BME people to improve their lives.

“These will be my guiding principles in the years ahead.”

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A new director of commercial property management has been appointed at Dacres Commercial.

Carl Howarth joins the commercial property business from Salts Mill in Saltaire, where he was the in-house property director.

A former partner at Cushman & Wakefield, he has managed all commercial property asset classes during a 25-year career focused across Yorkshire and the wider northern region.

Based between the firm’s Leeds and Ilkley offices, he will be leading an experienced team at Dacres Commercial that provide day to day and strategic property and facilities management.

He said: “I was keen to join Dacres as it is such a reputable independent firm, well-known in the market for its considered advice and director-led approach for clients.

“Operating throughout Yorkshire and beyond for a variety of clients including local authorities and institutional investors, Dacres takes a bespoke approach to its service and I’m really looking forward to spearheading the successful property management operation.”

David Ogilvie, who heads Dacres Commercial, said: “Our property management team is responsible for an expanding portfolio of office, industrial, healthcare, leisure and retail property across the North of England.

“Carl’s vast experience, excellent industry reputation and personable approach, made him the ideal person for the role.

“As well as working with our existing client base, Carl will also help to grow the business even further as we continue to build on our healthcare specialism and expand our presence throughout the region and beyond.”

Dacres Commercial operates from an office network that covers Leeds city centre, Ilkley, Skipton, Keighley, Harrogate and Otley. The company is part of Yorkshire estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley.

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Colenso Property, a York-based commercial property and asset management specialist, has appointed three new team members following a period of significant growth for the company.

Colenso, which is responsible for managing a wide range of commercial and office properties across the North for a variety of private clients – including for property investment and development specialists, Helmsley Group – has recently hired a new property manager, facilities co-ordinator and accounts assistant to support the company’s expansion.

Property manager James Crosbie joins from Morses Club PLC, bringing 18 years of experience to the role.

His responsibilities will include ensuring Tenants fulfil their lease obligations and driving asset improvements across the portfolio as a whole.

With 11 years of experience, Ruth Birkby has been appointed as a facilities co-ordinator and will support Colenso’s Facilities Management Department with contract tendering, contractor management and implementing both reactive and planned works.

Joining from Read Independent School in Selby, accounts assistant Claire Moxon has five years of financial experience, together with a further 11 years as operation manager at Web Adventure Park. She will support Colenso with its day-to-day Property Management Accounting.

Charles Harrison, head of property management at Colenso, said: “While the last 15 months have definitely presented their challenges, we have been busier than ever.

“During the first lockdown, we prioritised streamlining our remittance system and processes by investing heavily in cloud-based software, ensuring much greater efficiency across the business.

“Now that restrictions are lifted, we are confident the appointments of James, Ruth and Claire will enable us to continue providing an exceptional service to our landlords and tenants, as well as paving the way for our future growth.”

Richard Peak, managing director of The Helmsley Group, whose portfolio of 70 properties is managed by Colenso, added: “We have worked closely with Colenso for many years, and congratulate them on their recent expansion.

“Both Helmsley and Colenso are passionate about York and have an in-depth understanding of the city’s property sector, which makes for a fantastic partnership between the two companies.

“We look forward to continuing to work together and supporting Colenso in the next phase of its growth.”