We have appointed a new board chair
Wednesday 13 November 2024
We have confirmed the appointment of Anne Parker as the new Chair of the Board, following the retirement of James Hayward in September. Anne brings extensive experience in leadership and governance, particularly within the housing and public sectors.
Anne’s career began in human resources in the water industry, after which she spent 30 years working as a consultant across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, including in social housing. She has worked closely with boards and senior teams, providing advice on organisational and leadership development, as well as supporting performance improvements in complex partnerships.
In addition to her consulting background, Anne has held executive positions at a consulting firm, where she served as both Finance Director and Managing Director over her 13 years as a board member. She also served as Chair of Governors at a primary school in North Tyneside, which gained national recognition for its vision and strategy under her leadership.
Anne’s experience includes chairing the North East Institute of Directors’ Women on Board group, and her current role as Chair of the Women North East Connected steering group, which works to enhance opportunities for women in the workforce. She also serves as a mentor with The Girls’ Network.
From October 2019 until June 2024, Anne was an independent non-executive director for Your Homes Newcastle (YHN). During this time, she chaired the Audit and Risk and Appointments Committees, served as Vice Chair, and was appointed Chair of the Group Board in September 2023. She was also a director of Abri, YHN’s commercial arm. Currently, Anne is a Non-Executive Director at Prosper UK, a not-for-profit consultancy providing procurement and new-build expertise to housing organisations.
Anne Parker, Board Chair at Beyond Housing, said:
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with board members and colleagues at Beyond Housing as we develop and deliver the strategy for the next five years. I am confident that we have a highly skilled and passionate board who are committed to delivering the best experiences for our customers and look forward to building on the achievements of the organisation over the last six years”.
Rosemary Du Rose, Chief Executive at Beyond Housing, said:
“I have to thank James Hayward and outgoing board members for their leadership and sup-port over the last few years. They have helped steer Beyond Housing through some chal-lenging times, including the merger and Covid19 pandemic. We have appointed a number of new board members, including Anne, at a time when we are just about to implement a new five year strategy. This is a new chapter for Beyond Housing and the senior leadership team look forward to working with Anne, and all new and existing board members, as we embark upon implementing the new strategy and goals”.
