New Chair to take over at Sovereign Housing Association

Sovereign Housing Association has announced the appointment of a new Chair effective 30 July 2020.

Sovereign, the leading landlord in the south of England, will welcome Paul Massara to the business at its annual general meeting, when current Chair, Gordon Holdcroft steps down after 10 years on the Board.

Paul is an experienced Non-Executive and Executive Board director across a range of industries with particular experience in the energy sector in both Europe and North America.  He was CEO of RWE Npower and on the executive committee of both RWE and Centrica/Direct Energy.   He is a member of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee on Fuel Poverty and a Non-Executive director of Electron, a blockchain company seeking to provide the digital backbone for the electricity industry.

As well as corporate leadership, he brings a wealth of knowledge across operations, customer experience, call centre and complex stakeholder management.

Sovereign, with nearly 60,000 homes across the south, is investing significantly in its current homes and communities and is looking to build nearly 10,000 new homes over the next five years, pledging to create better places and better spaces for customers to live in, now and in the future.

Of his appointment, Paul said:

“I’m delighted to take up the position of Chair of Sovereign, an organisation that is extremely well placed to deliver on its exciting ambitions. The right to live in a good quality, affordable home in a thriving community is fundamental and I want to continue to drive that thinking forward and carry on Gordon’s great work.

“In a period where the sector is facing huge challenges, I want to ensure we continue with our excellent financial management so we can invest more in our current homes, as well as building more.”

Mark Washer, CEO of Sovereign, said:

“Paul is renowned for being a strong strategic thinker, with the ability to see critical issues clearly and manage risks effectively.

“Alongside his corporate experience, his previous roles within the charity, government and community sectors, such as his membership of the Committee on Fuel Poverty, will give him an excellent insight into issues facing many of our residents. I am very much looking forward getting to know Paul, and to working with him as we deliver on our ambitions to be a great landlord, build better places and spaces where people really do want to live, and cementing our reputation as the leading housing association in the south of England.”

“Gordon has been a great Chair for Sovereign over the last three years. I’ve really enjoyed working with him and have valued his relentless focus on ensuring that everything we do is looked at with our customers at the heart of decision making.”

Sovereign will host its AGM in its new offices in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on July 30, when the new Chair will formally assume his new role.

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