Welcoming New Leadership to the Board
Date Published: 5 June 2019
For more than 45 years, Albyn Housing Society has helped sustain countless Highland communities by providing quality homes for affordable rent. But, today, our role extends far beyond delivering social housing at scale. Our goal is to support successful tenancies, help communities thrive and develop solutions to challenges, old and new. To help us deliver this vision, the Board has appointed new leadership, welcoming Maxine Smith and Ian Fosbrooke as Joint-Chairs of the Society. Both have served the Albyn Housing Society Board for several years.
Maxine is a well-known figure in Highland civil society, bringing with her significant experience as a Highland Councillor for the Cromarty Firth ward and as established Leader of the Opposition in Highland Council. Maxine combines her political life with a busy business life too, running established beauty salons in Invergordon and Fort William in tandem with a new venture providing guided tours for cruise ship passengers visiting the Highlands by sea.
An Albyn Housing Society tenant, Ian brings experience from various industries, having worked both in the UK and abroad during his career. Now retired, his role with the society started with tenant participation activities, which included the Customer Involvement Strategy Management Group. As a tenant representative, Ian’s contribution to the board is highly valued, particularly on areas such as business strategy and critical matters such as rent increases and new investments in upgrading housing stock.
Both Maxine and Ian have been long serving members of the Albyn Housing Society board. Maxine has recently commenced the role of Chair of the Society’s Performance Committee, which reviews our business performance on a quarterly cycle. She has also been a Board member of the subsidiary Albyn Enterprises for several years.
Ian has been Chair of our Health & Safety and Staffing Committees, including the Staff Consultative Forum, which brings together more than 80 Albyn Group staff to discuss employment related matters.
In addition to these new appointments, the board is actively recruiting new members too. The Society’s main Board, and the Boards of Highland Residential and Albyn Enterprises Ltd, are specifically seeking talent and experience in such fields as Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Law, Technology and Business Leadership gained from SME and large corporation backgrounds. This is an exciting time for the business – we’re on track to deliver our ambitious target for new homes, our subsidiaries are growing and developing transformational new partnerships, and our teams are demonstrating national leadership in supporting customers as they transition to Universal Credit. Ultimately, our purpose is to make a positive difference to people’s lives through housing, and to provide great homes that enable great lives.
Together, Albyn Housing Society, Albyn Enterprises and Highland Residential are redefining the role of housing in the Highlands.
To enquire about Board Membership, contact corporate@albynhousing.org.uk