Four of the UK’s most influential property industry figures have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors by This Land™, the development and investment business that is transforming homebuilding in the UK. Attracted by This Land’s™ vision to offer a fresh and innovative approach to the creation of desirable new homes and neighbourhoods, this impressive calibre of appointments is testament to This Land’s™ early success.
This latest series of high-profile appointments brings decades of expertise to the company from the highest levels of the property world, encompassing construction consultancy, development, finance and law and reflects This Land’s™ ambition to shape a more customer and design-led approach to homebuilding, with placemaking central to the ethos of the business.
As one of the UK’s foremost property lawyers, Susan Freeman has a wealth of knowledge and influence in the real estate sector as recognised by her ranking as “The Woman Who Knows Everyone” in Bisnow’s ‘The 51 Most Influential Women in UK Real Estate’. Susan’s breadth of experience and extensive property industry network will be a welcome asset for This Land™. Susan is joined as a Non-Executive Director by David Meek who holds over 30 years of senior executive and board experience in Tier 1 global financial institutions, real estate and technology companies, such as JP Morgan and Citi, currently serving as a Non-Executive Director in the Middle East on the Board of one of the region’s leading retail banks and asset managers.
Led by Chairman Steven Norris, This Land’s™ Board will also be bolstered by the appointment of Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer. Jeremy has served as Non-Executive Director and Chairman for a raft of innovative businesses related to property and finance, including Countryside Properties and Centerview Partners, whilst acting as a trusted advisor to many FTSE100/250 companies. Richard Steer is renowned for having spearheaded the growth of property consultancy, Gleeds, into a major global brand, increasing UK turnover more than six-fold in the process. Richard was recognised in 2017 as Building Magazine’s Personality of the Year.
David Gelling, Managing Director of This Land™, commented: “I am both delighted and incredibly excited that This Land™ has secured the services of such an established group of industry leaders as we continue to grow and develop the business. Susan, David, Jeremy and Richard are all towering figures in their respective fields, bringing a breadth of top–level experience and their own invaluable specialist insights to support This Land’s™ growth ambitions.”
As Managing Director it will be of immense value to me to be able to call on such a high level of expertise to the business as we forge an exciting future for the company. We believe in long term value and seek to fulfil our mission to deliver new homes and neighbourhoods that will reinvigorate the quality and reputation of UK housebuilding.”
Steven Norris, Chairman of This Land™, added: “It will be a delight and a privilege for me as Chairman to be supported by such a well-respected roster of non–executive talent, complementing the existing strengths of the senior team at This Land™. Each of the new appointments brings a level of experience and specialist expertise that is truly exceptional in their field, which perfectly positions the Board to help the company deliver on its growth ambitions.”
This announcement closely follows the recent appointment of David Lewis as Strategic Land Director who is building a team to spearhead the expansion of the company’s land portfolio within the parts of England and South Wales judged to have the greatest growth potential.
Jenny has been reporting on small business issues since 2001 where she held a number of freelance positions across the leading SME publications in the UK. Specialist subjects included SME financing and tax.