Progress Housing Group appoints new chairman

Nigel Wright has been promoted to the role of chairman of the Progress Housing Group.

He has been deputy group chair of the company since 2017, as well as a member of the group’s development for outright sale subsidiary, Concert Living.

Nigel has more than 20 years of board experience in commercial and not-for-profit sectors and brings a wealth of experience to lead Progress Housing Group’s strategic direction.

Progress Housing Group owns and manages almost 11,000 homes, mainly across the North West of England, and is one of the largest providers of supported living in the country, providing accommodation for people with learning disabilities and/or autism across the UK.

Over the next five years, the group will invest significantly in developing affordable homes, pledging to build 1,000 new homes and focusing on social rent homes to help people who are least able to find homes on the open market.

Nigel replaces Janet Hale, who has served as group chair for the last nine years. Yasmin Fearon, who has worked for the regulator and Homes England and has 30 years’ experience in the social housing sector, joins Nigel as deputy group chair.

Nigel said: "I’m delighted to be selected as chair of the board and I want to thank Janet Hale for her wonderful service as the previous group chair, and for her dedication to the strategic direction of the group over the last nine years.

"It will be a real privilege to become group chair. I have been actively involved on the board for over three years, and I am impressed by the range of work we undertake to improve the lives of thousands of people."

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