Following July’s announcement of Radian and Yarlington’s Chair Designate, we are pleased to confirm the appointment of Wayne Morris as our new Chair with Joanna Makinson taking up the role of Vice-Chair.
Wayne took over the role of Chair at the beginning of September and succeeds previous Chair, Lindy Morgan, who completed her tenure with Abri Group.
Nationally recognised in the housing sector, Wayne has spent 30 years working at Chief Executive level within major housing providers across the south of England. Wayne has held several notable non-executive directorships and joined our new Board in 2019, having previously held the role of Vice-Chair of the Yarlington Board and Senior Independent Director.
Commenting on the confirmation of his appointment, Wayne said: “I’m excited to officially start my new position as Chair of Abri Group and welcome Joanna to her position as Vice-Chair. Together we will help to shape the future of our organisation as well as the lives of our customers and communities.
“Ahead of my appointment, I have spent the past two months putting plans in place, focusing on the direction of our organisation and our key priorities. The integration of Radian and Yarlington is progressing well and we will shortly become one organisation with a shared identity and updated corporate strategy. I am keen to ensure we move forward with pace to deliver our strategic objectives. This will include investing more in our customers and communities to help tackle the housing, employment and homelessness crises, and ensuring we implement progressive measures for equality and diversity.”
Gary Orr, Chief Executive Officer at Abri Group said: “We are delighted to confirm Wayne as our new Chair and Joanna as Vice-Chair. I’d like to thank Lindy for her considerable contribution to our organisation during her tenure and wish her well on her next ventures. With his proven track record, we’re confident that Wayne, supported by Joanna, will bring the same passion, commitment and experience to the role and help us to deliver our corporate strategy and ambitious plans for growth.”
Joanna Makinson, Vice-Chair at Abri Group commented “I am very happy to become Vice Chair at a time where the focus is clearly on the service we provide to our customers and the quality of the homes we provide. I am looking forward to working closely with Wayne and the rest of the Board to deliver on our commitments.”