41061 Unite AR22 HI-RES WEB-READY - Flipbook - Page 94
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THE UNITE GROUP PLC | Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
BOARD OF DIRECTORS continued
Ilaria del Beato
Non-Executive Director
Dame Shirley Pearce
Non-Executive Director
Thomas Jackson
Non-Executive Director
Years on the Board: 5
Years on the Board: 4
Years on the Board: 4
Ilaria was appointed a Non-Executive
Director in December 2018. Ilaria is also
our Designated Non-Executive Director
for Workforce Engagement.
Dame Shirley joined the Board in
November 2019 as a Non-Executive
Director and Chairs our Sustainability
Committee.
Thomas joined as a Non-Executive
Director in November 2019 following
the Group’s acquisition of Liberty
Living from Canada Pension Plan
Investment Board (CPPIB).
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Ilaria is CEO of Frasers Property UK,
part of Frasers Property, a global real
estate group. Ilaria was formerly CEO
of GE Capital UK, a regulated Bank and
corporate lender and led GE Capital
Real Estate UK, a commercial real estate
investor, developer and lender.
Dame Shirley has held chair, senior
executive and non-executive roles at
board level in Higher Education, health
and policing with experience of both the
public and private sectors. Shirley was Vice
Chancellor of Loughborough University
from 2006–2012 and was board member
at the Higher Education Funding Council
for England, the Universities and Colleges
Employers Association, and the Healthcare
Commission, as well as being a NonExecutive Director of Health Education
England, and the Norfolk, Suffolk
and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health
Authority. She has held senior governance
roles at the LSE, and was appointed an
independent reviewer of the Teaching
Excellence Framework. She was appointed
CBE in 2005 for services to education in
the NHS and in 2014 appointed DBE for
services to Higher Education.
Ilaria brings over 30 years of experience
in real estate, including asset
management, investment and lending,
to the Group. This experience is vital to
the Group as we navigate the ongoing
and upcoming market uncertainties
and increasing professionalisation of
the sector.
External appointments
•
Frasers Property UK (CEO)
Dame Shirley brings her wide-ranging
and hands-on experience in the Higher
Education sector to the Board. This is
especially critical at a time of ongoing
change in the sector, where her insight
and knowledge of Higher Education and
broader policy initiatives help inform the
Board on our strategic direction. As Chair
of the Sustainability Committee, Shirley
helps ensure appropriate oversight of
our sustainability strategy.
External appointments
•
Committee on Standards in Public
Life (Independent member)
•
Higher Education Quality Assurance
Panel for the Ministry of Education
in Singapore
•
•
•
Royal Anniversary Trust (Trustee)
HCA (Advisory Board member)
Association of University
Administrators AUA (Hon President)
Relevant skills, experience
and contribution
Thomas has been the head of CPP
Investments’ UK real estate business
since 2015 and is responsible for CPP
Investments’ entry into a number of new
real estate sectors, including student
housing, life sciences and the build-torent sector. In addition to sitting on the
Board of The Unite Group PLC, Thomas
also sits on a number of CPP Investments’
office, retail and logistics joint venture
boards. Beyond the UK, Thomas is also
responsible for CPP Investments’ real
estate investment activity in Germany
and the CEE regions. Thomas originally
joined CPP Investments in 2011 and was
instrumental in its transaction activity in
Spain, the Nordics and India.
Prior to joining CPP Investments, Thomas
was a Vice President in the real estate
investment banking team at Macquarie
bank and focused on M&A transactions
within the UK and European public and
private real estate companies.
Thomas brings wide-ranging real estate
experience, not only from the student
housing sector, but also his wider buildto-rent, retail and logistics real estate
experience to the Board. His international
experience will also be invaluable for
the Board, helping provide a wider
perspective on developments in real
estate as the Board progresses further its
strategic thinking.
External appointments
•
Canada Pension Plan Investment
Board (Managing Director, Head of
Real Estate, UK)
