Student Homes Charity Welcomes New Chair and Trustees in Bid to Invest in Leicester Property Sector

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 14 March 2020

New trustee member includes Richard Osborne, Director of BID Leicester and Leicester Business Festival

Leicester, 11 March 2020: Sulets, one of the largest student accommodation providers in Leicester, has appointed three new trustees, including a new Chairman, to its Board as it looks to grow its presence and investment in the city and provide more affordable accommodation.

Entrepreneur Paul Groves is the newly appointed Trustee Board Chairman. He has a strong track record in the energy sector and is currently COO at energy technology company Arq. Paul brings 30 years of experience in successfully building and growing businesses across the UK to Sulets.

Richard Osborne, Regional Director of Excello Law, and Tim Matthews, who has held leadership positions at Wolseley UK, T.M. Lewin and Wickes, also join the board.

Well-known lawyer in the Leicester business community, Richard formerly headed up the Midlands region of Weightmans, and the real-estate development specialist is an advocate for championing Leicestershire businesses, having lived in the county for 25 years.

Tim brings with him a solid track record in developing teams that drive improved results, and in his most previous role at Wolseley, he was responsible for rent reviews, renewals and branch rejuvenation projects.

All three will be at the heart of the decision-making process, and bring important commercial experience to Sulets. They will provide expert knowledge as the company seeks to own and develop its own property to invest in Leicester and bring more affordable, high-quality rent to the students in the city.

Sulets is a not-for-profit organisation which works with the Student Unions at both the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, to provide a better standard of accommodation across the city at a fair price, with no hidden charges.

“In our aim to shift the business from a management model to an all-encompassing property developing, owning and management company, we needed the addition of crucial relevant skills to guide us as we aim to expand in Leicester,” said Sulets CEO, Irving Hill. “The skills that the three new members bring are not just property-based, but financial, legal and entrepreneurial as we look to grow our portfolio and provide more quality, affordable living to students in Leicester.”

They join the Sulets board, which includes student representatives from both universities and their Student Unions. With both students and professionals involved in the Trustee board, the organisation can be moved forward with different experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

The new appointments come as student numbers continue to show a longer-term growth, and Sulets looks to keep up with the demand for purpose-built accommodation, and eventually generate new income for local authorities. Sulets has also recently signed up to the Good Business Charter, an accreditation which highlights the recognition of responsible business practices.

Irving continued:

“We are very pleased to welcome our new appointees to the Trustee Board. They all bring a raft of relevant experience and expertise that will help us to meet our future challenges.

“I am looking forward to working with our new Chairman, Paul and the rest of the Board. These are exciting times for Sulets, and our Trustee Board has an important role to play, both now and in the future. Ultimately, we want to promote a great future for Leicester, a city which has so much potential. “

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