Hilary has nearly 40 years’ experience in the housing sector both at executive and non-executive level.

As a Senior Associate with Campbell Tickell for over 14 years, Hilary has undertaken a wide variety of projects including IDA support, governance reviews, option appraisal, merger advice, mentoring and critical friend support for housing organisations.

Recent assignments

• Supporting associations prepare for an RSH in-depth assessment (and more recently the first wave of Inspection, including L&Q, Asra Knightstone, Housing Solutions, Hyde, Moat, Platform, Magna, Local Space, Look Ahead, L&G Affordable Homes, Paradigm, Progress, Riverside, Raven, Wandle, Poplar Harca, Westward and Vivid;
• Reviewing governance and Board effectiveness for associations and ALMOs for a range, in terms of size and complexity, of organisations across the UK
• Undertaking Group structure and line of sight reviews for complex organisations
• Supporting associations through options appraisal, partner selection, business case development, due diligence and successful merger
• A range of mentoring assignments for senior Executives and non-executives

Experience

Hilary spent over 20 years at Sanctuary Group where she covered a wide variety of roles including Regional Director and Development Director for the South West, as well as setting up and running Sanctuary Scotland. During her 10 years as Sanctuary’s Commercial Director, she led and project managed a number of business development opportunities across the country.

• Hilary was Chair of GreenSquare Group, based across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, from 2010 to 2017. During her time at GreenSquare recruited, developed and lead a high performing board with robust appraisal, team development and succession policies and instigated and established a new culture around the board room table which displays good behaviours, decision making skills and provides effective challenge both to the executive but also to their peers
• Following the rescue of Cosmopolitan Housing Association by Sanctuary Group in 2013 , Hilary chaired Cosmopolitan between 2013-16 until it’s full transfer into the Group.
• Following regulatory intervention in 2019, Hilary was a short term co-opted Board member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Connexus.
• In February 2023, following the rescue of Swan Housing by Sanctuary Group, Hilary has joined the board of Swan until such time as the formal Transfer of Engagements into Sanctuary is achieved.

Key services

Governance/ Regulation/In Depth Assessments/Mergers/ Development