41061 Unite AR22 HI-RES WEB-READY - Flipbook - Page 92
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THE UNITE GROUP PLC | Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Richard Huntingford
Chair
Richard Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Joe Lister
Chief Financial Officer
Years on the Board: 3
Years on the Board: 11
Years on the Board: 14
Richard joined the Board on
1 December 2020 and became
Chair on 1 April 2021.
Richard became Chief Executive Officer
in June 2016 after working as Unite’s
Managing Director of Operations since
2011 and joining the business as Deputy
Chief Financial Officer in 2010.
Joe joined Unite in 2002 and was
appointed Chief Financial Officer in
January 2008 having previously held a
variety of roles including Investment
Director and Corporate Finance Director.
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Prior to Unite, Richard spent 19 years in
the transport industry, working in the
UK, Europe, Australia and North America.
Richard spent 14 years at National
Express Group where he held a range of
senior finance, strategy and operations
roles, including Group Development
Director and Chief Financial Officer,
North America.
Joe has continued to lead the design
and delivery of the Group’s sustainable
growth and financial performance and
his deep experience of our business and
especially our funding arrangements
was critical in helping us navigate the
challenges of Covid-19 and the more
recent economic uncertainty.
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Richard is a chartered accountant, and
has over 30 years of plc board experience
including as Chief Executive of Chrysalis
Group plc between 2000 and 2007 and as
a Non-Executive Director of Virgin Mobile
Holdings (UK) plc. His Chair roles have
included Wireless Group plc (formerly
UTV Media plc), Creston plc and Crown
Place VCT plc and Richard is currently
Chair of Future plc.
Richard’s proven FTSE chair, wider
non-executive and executive experience
helps us ensure best practice in Board
effectiveness and corporate governance.
His wealth of experience in public
company governance and leadership,
corporate finance, investment, business
development, investor relations and
media helps us drive our strategy
development and effective engagement
with our wider stakeholders.
External appointments
•
Future plc (Chair)
Richard continues to lead the successful
development, communication and
implementation of the Group’s strategy,
providing clear and valued leadership
and delivery of the Group KPIs. His
engagement with our investors helps
ensure our strategy is well understood
and valued. His operational expertise has
helped ensure the business’s resilience
and ongoing delivery through the
challenges of Covid-19 and more recent
economic uncertainty, whilst ensuring
the Group continues to be well-placed
for growth.
External appointments
•
Industrials REIT Limited
(Non-Executive Director)
Together with Richard Smith, Joe ensures
the development and communication
of the Group’s ongoing performance
and strategy with our investors. Joe
is the Executive Board lead for our
sustainability strategy, our property
portfolio and our Information Systems
and Technology (this includes Board
responsibility for information security
and data protection).
External appointments
•
Helical PLC (Non-Executive Director)
