Magna Housing, the community-based housing association that provides 9,000 homes across the southwest, has appointed seven new members to governance roles, including four new board members.
James Ballantyne, Lara Martini and John Skivington joined Magna’s board in May. Sandra Quinn has now been appointed to complete the 12-strong board, which has an equal gender balance.
Meet Magna’s new board members
James Ballantyne is a housing professional based in Somerset. He is currently Process Design Lead for Legal & General Affordable Homes, having previously worked for housing providers in London and the southwest. James is also chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH) young professionals board, CIH Futures.
Lara Martini has more than 25 years’ experience in business strategy and organisational transformation, including international leadership roles at Salesforce and Microsoft. She is currently a freelance advisor and executive and is a non-executive director at Thomas Telford Ltd and exam board AQA Education.
Sandra Quinn is a former regulator at the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation (IMRO) and the Financial Services Authority. She set up and ran the National Fraud Authority as Interim Chief Executive, was a Risk and Compliance Director for Lloyds Bank and more recently served as Acting Head of Compliance at Lloyd’s of London.
John Skivington has nearly 25 years’ experience in the built environment and community sectors. He held marketing, business development and customer service roles at companies including Balfour Beatty and Lafarge. For nearly 20 years, he was Group Director for public procurement organisation LHC. He is a non-executive director of Greenoak Housing Association and a trustee of Surrey Community Action.
New independent committee members
Magna has also appointed three new independent members to two of its governance sub-committees:
Chris Hartiss is a chartered architect who has led on projects including Chelsea Barracks. He is Design Director at architectural practice and digital construction company Modulous, sits on the London Borough of Wandsworth Design Review Panel and is a guest critic at the University of Westminster. Chris joins Magna's Asset Investment Committee.
Adesola Osuji is a lawyer, auditor, ethics, risk and compliance professional with 20 years’ experience, including roles with Mercy Corps, First Bank of Nigeria and the Africa Academy for Counter-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Studies (AACAS). She a trusted advisor and expert in driving growth, enhancing internal controls and promoting ethical practices. She joins Magna's Risk and Audit Committee.
Mark Ripley has more than 35 years’ experience in governance, risk and internal audit, including as a director in several government departments. He is a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) and a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors UK (FCIIA). Mark is also an active supporter of inclusion and diversity. Mark joins the Risk and Audit Committee.
Christine Turner, Chair of Magna’s board, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome seven new board and committee members with such a rich and diverse range of experience. The expertise they each bring from various sectors and professional backgrounds will help guide Magna forward through what is both a highly challenging but also exciting time for housing.
“They combine innovation in design and development with business acumen and high levels of financial, ethical and regulatory oversight. I’m very much looking forward to working with them, our colleagues, customers and partners to realise Magna’s vision of creating great homes together.”
